Running out of room

Any breeder knows that there is a limit to the amount of animals you can handle.

And any breeder of reptiles knows that this is limited to the amount of space you can delegate to the particular animals you breed.

In my case, I have a room.

This room is getting pretty crowded, and I have to say that I am running our of room.

There are ways to manipulate racks into small spaces (which is what racks are great for), and there are also ways to make things taller (stacking) or shorter if necessary.

There is also begging for more space from the general household, but I am not about to do that as of yet. I'm going to just try and shove more racks into the space I was delegated.

So I need to fit the new baby rack I have into an already full room. I need to organize the entire setup, and honestly, I do not have a game plan yet.

So, I procrastinate.

I don't need that baby rack up and running yet. I only have one clutch of eggs on the ground, and I have a few more due soon, but that is also another two months before I need to move things.

Right?

The real question is, do I really wait it out, or do it soon to get it over with and get things in some semblance of order?

Well... tonight, I'm not sure. I think I'll just get things ready for the weekend. And then, with some help (I hope), I can figure out what to do.

Until then..... I procrastinate.

I think I'll play a little The Sims3.

Yeah, that sounds good.



Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Cleaning Woes

So yesterday was cleaning day, only because it is trash pickup day.

Does this mean that I don't clean every day?

No... Not at all.

Anyone with several animals knows that you need to clean up more than once a week to have any semblance of order in your house.

So I clean often.

And I clean well.

And two minutes later, I have to do it over again, because the snake decides to tip the water dish, spread extra woodchips all over the place, or take a restroom break in the exact area that was just cleaned.

Now I say this to say what, exactly?

I am completely dedicated to my craft of poop cleaner.

I do it so often, that should be on my resume.

Am I proud of it? Not exactly... but I do it cause I love the animals.

Do I enjoy it?

No.

No, I don't.

It gets frustrating, annoying and sometimes down right hard to deal with, but I have to say, it is for a good reason and for a good purpose.

I am writing this all out to convince myself, as well as you all out there in internet land, that cleaning poop is fun.

Is it working for you? Cause its not working for me.

It's not fun.

It's work.

But its necessary, and we do it for the health and benefit of the animals we care for.

And they may or may not appreciate it, but it is the way it needs to be.

So next time your snake tips over a water dish, smile and remember that you can fill up the water dish and know that it will happen again, no matter what you do. But do it anyway.

They really are not trying to get into your head. I think.


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Pieds and Pastel het Pieds and Waiting

I am waiting for more eggs, and I have to say that now that some are down, I am pretty stoked to see some more. 

The incubator actually has something in it, people! 

Huzzahhh!

But now that there are eggs, there is a waiting period in between.

We are still waiting on the Poss Het Pied female to lay and prove herself out to be a het.

Here's to more Pieds!

Which goes to show you how much of a stud my Pied male is. His name is Kip, if you didn't know. 

Joel is a huge Napoleon Dynamite fan, so we have Kip and LaFawnduh. LaFawnduh is a het pied female we acquired a few years back. 

They be lovers and junk. 

And of course, we are waiting on those Pastel het Pieds. Maybe I'll luck out and get Pastel Pieds out if it? Yeah, right....

I got the Pastel from a hobbiest breeder, so I have to say that the chances are pretty slim to none. 

But one can hope, right?

Right.

Have a fantastic day, my friends. I anticipate eggs for tomorrows blog. COME ON POSS HET GAL!

IT'S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!!!

The season here at Heather's Herps has begun!!!

The first clutch of the season is down, from a Pastel female to my Pied male. 

So here come a bunch of Pastels and Normal het Pieds.

Six of them, to be exact... 

I am so excited to see them, and I have to say, this is almost exactly as it began my last season, with my first clutch landing on 4/25/09. 

So, I guess I'm on the right track, eh?

HOORAY FOR EGGS, and lets see some more soon!

Have an absolutely fabulous fantastic egg filled day, my friends!!!

Ovulation across the nation

Well, not really...

Actually, maybe...

But I was referring to the ones I caught all weekend.

I had cranky fatties all day while I was trying to clean up..

Some were crankier than others.

Some were fatter than others.

But the trend was the same.

I'm angry cause I'm ovulating.

Of course it was very difficult to get some females to actually show their bellies, but this one was pretty obvious. 

In a few months, there will be PLENTY of eggs to spare. 

Especially today. 

Count down begins as of yesterday on all these gals. 

Sheesh.

Anyway, I wanted to send a little shout out of gratitude to the California Reptile and Invertebrate Society for letting me speak on Saturday at their show. 

I did a little presentation on Ball Pythons, got to bring some cool critters to show off, and had a blast educating the public, and donating to the local reptile rescue. 

So to those who were there, THANKS! It was great to see you all, and I hope to be able to do it again soon.

To those that missed it, I'll make sure to remind you all of the next event when the time comes.


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

And hopefully, there will be plenty to discuss.

You have reached...

....the voice mail box of Heather's Herps.

If you'd like to leave a message, please do so after the beep.


BEEEEEEEEEEEEP.


Have a fantastic weekend, my friends.


(I'm taking a break today)

Ball Python Coloration

There are days where I just sit and think of all the awesome shades and colors Ball Pythons come in.

I play with colors all day, and it give me a chance to appreciate the rainbow of Ball Pythons that we have available to us.

Brown, Gold and Black are the basics, that of the noble and beautiful normal.

Yellows, Tans, and Purples for the Pastels and Enchis. 

Blues, Greens, and Violets for the Mojaves and Lessers.

Spiders and Pinstripes, a nice Gold and Black overall tone. 

Yellows and Whites and Ivories for the Albinos.

Orange, White, Brown, Grey and Black for the Pieds.

Greys, Silvers and Ivories for the Pewters and Silver Bullets.

Deep rich Browns and Blacks for the Black Pastels and Cinnamons. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

The one color that I know does not exsist in the Ball Python Color Wheel is RED.

Granted, if you pinch an Albino or make a snake bleed, you will see red...

But as a scale tone, it is very difficult to find.

And yes, Red is a Base Color, and it doesn't show up. Blues and Yellows do, however... It's rather interesting to note that.

Yellows seem to also be predominant in terms of colorations, as well as whites, if we forgo the basic Black and Brown.

It is interesting to note all of this, and I challenge you out there to take a look at your snakes. Find their shades, enjoy them, note them, photograph them... Share them with the world.

They are pretty.

All the colors of the rainbow (almost...)


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Firefly planning

Since yesterdays excitement with the lock between the Pastel Super Mojave and his gal, I have to say I'm at a loss as to what to talk about.

The importance of that pairing to me is epic.

So I am mentioning it again, but also trying to think of something else to talk about in terms of the animals I am working with. 

I have to say, when I get the Firefly to size in terms of breeding, I can't wait to pair him up with his gals as well. I think a Bumblefly would be FANTASTIC, so that will be a plan. 

I may even incorporate him in with a Mojave female, a Pastel Lesser female.... 

Oh the possibilities. 

Plus I can't wait to hatch out my own Super Fires. Yellow Splotches, here we come!

 

 And of course, while I am waiting on that project, other animals grow up as well.

Spiders are great morphs to combine with other things. I have the trio of Spiders het Axanthic poss het Albino I can't wait to prove out. Spider Snows are one of my planned projects, and I think it will be a fantastic animal!

But of course, there will also be the Bumblefly. I think this gal would work well into that plan. 

And this one too... This is one of my Mojaves. 

She has fantastic color, and I think I may put her into a project that uses her colors and pattern to her benefit. Maybe a Genetic Stripe? That would be pretty... Hopefully the side colors stay around.

But for sure, the Firefly to one of the Mojave girls as well.

Whew... That Firefly will be busy!! 

I'm sure he'll appreciate it when the time comes. 

Have a fantastic day, my friends. 

Season Highlight

This is something I've been waiting all season to see.

The Pastel Super Mojave is BREEDING something!!!

I have to say, I was getting very very very nervous about not having this male go, as you well know, I was planning to put him in with the Special.

Well, here they are. Together. Breeding.

I am so relieved. Really.

I have to say I was ready to give up on this pairing this season, because the male wouldn't touch anyone, but patience paid off.

I hope.

Now I just need eggs from the pairing to hatch and see what pops out.

Here's to lots of Crystals.

I really really really hope for some.

So, I'm doing all I can to be patient (again) and get some eggs.

Please send some good vibes my way.

I need them.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

A Race to the Finish Line

Well, I've been watching these two girls like hawks. 

This is a Pastel female that I have bred to a Pied. She should drop SOON. 

And this is a Poss het Pied bred to the Pied. She should drop SOON.

So it's basically a waiting game to see who should drop first. 

I think it should be around the end of the month, which is coming up pretty fast. 

Who do you think is going to go first?

And of course, a recap on the weekend.

Salsa-ing was a lot of fun, and I realized that we need to do it more often.

Then, we went up to Santa Barbara to take a look at a few things, and stop at the Zoo. 

Here are a few pics. 

Hey look, another lawn! 

And here are some animals.

This guy was one of my favorites. Giraffes are just too neat.

And this Crocodile was having too much fun sunning. He was that small, by the way. 

Yes. He was a teeny boy. 

And the Snow Leopard was having a fun time staring at us.

And apparently they rescued this Vulture from a certain death. Do you see that he is missing a joint in his wing?

He was showing off too. 

And Macaws, cause they are just pretty critters.

I love the Zoo. This one is really neat, and I look forward to going again soon. 

Anyway, off to begin the week. It's Monday, people. Have a great one!!

Trying to get out there

So I am getting ants in my pants for something egg-like to happen, and I am planning to get out there and do several things that are not snake related.

Yes, I will more than likely check in on the snake room more than once a day for the next few days just to see if I missed any females that should be laying soon, but so far, no luck.

So I'm going dancing.

Salsa dancing, to be exact.

Why???

Cause I need to get OUT and shake away some stress. And cause its FUN.

When you can't do anything else, you can dance.

So I am.

Hopefully we can get some photos to share for you on Monday, but there will be more as well...

I will be taking a day trip to Santa Barbara, also to get away and do something, so hopefully we will have some nice shots to share as well.

It's going to be a busy and non-snakey weekend, but I hope to come back and be able to share that there is something snakey exciting that happened...

But for now, no dice.

So of course, if you want to see a particular morph or topic highlighted over the next week, please submit your request in the comment area, as I do read them!

But until then... I shall dance.

WOOHOOO for the weekend!!!!

Enjoy it, and have a fantastic weekend, my friends.

FIVE HUNDRED!!!

This is my FIVE HUNDREDTH BLOG POST and I am THRILLED!

We began May 1st, 2008, and we are still going strong.

I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you readers out there, from the loyal every day at 6:00 AM reader to the occasional check-in with the blog reader. 

I try and make this as interesting and worth coming back to as I possibly can, and I appreciate your reading what I have to say. 

I never really thought I would get this far, writing every day of the week for 500 posts.

Because of Ball Pythons, I can write and post every day. 

They are fascinating, amazing creatures, and they are my muse for what I post up. 

I see an animal in my collection and I take my photo, and there is the blog for the day.

Sometimes it is less interesting than others, and with writing every day, there is occasional writers block, but I have to say, I find inspiration with my animals, and with you, my readers.

I ask you what you want to read and I try my hardest to get it to you. 

Hopefully it has been working so far. 

The randomness that I share has also been fun, and the serious topics as well. I hope that what I do here has helped you care for your animals better, and understand the world of Ball Pythons just a bit more. 

And of course, the family...

Sometimes they appreciate being involved, sometimes not. But its fun for me to relive the blog over the years with photos as well.

Most of the time, it bores them. 

Thank you all for putting up with me. 

It's been fun, and lets hear it for another 500x500 posts!!!

Have an absolutely fantastic Five HUNDRED kind of day, my friends!

Still waiting....

Still waiting.....

Apparently, some of us are too bored to wait any longer... It's nap time.

While they sleep, I will share some photos that I
took this weekend with you all.

Here is the last Cinnamon I have from 09', and I think she is a lovely example of the morph. She is not a stunning example, but an obvious Cinny and a great feeder as well.

I absolutely love the dark morphs in terms of the subtleness and the magic that they can provide in combinations. I think I've touched on that a few times in the blog, but every time I see a Cinny or Black Pastel, I am reminded again.


And Yellowbellies? Also subtle, but amazing...

I adore this female for her flames, and I really loved taking pictures of her. Ivories in her future? NO WAY! She's my combo gal... Now what combos? I'm not sure. Something that needs some flames on the side.

And of course, one of those that everyone loves, the Pied. This gal was my last 09' Pied, and I absolutely love her. She is my highest white pied that I have produced, and I really like looking at her. I hope to make more this season, and horde them all!

Hopefully Pastel Pieds as well, but we shall see. Add some yellow to this gal, and BAM!

Oh eggs, come soon please.

I can't wait to see baby snakes...

Oh wait, Eggs??? 

It's time to wake up! 

Bo-Bo the dumbo rat says "Have a GREAT day, my friends!!"

Spotty McGillicutty and his Parentage

Well, its been a few years now, and Spotty has grown from a little munchkin into a grown up.

He has been the only Bumblebee that I have ever produced so far, from a Spider and a Pastel in the 08'-09' season. He was a late boy, one of my last clutches, but I was glad to have him.

Here is his mother on his egg, as well as a few of his siblings. She has been a stellar breeder for me, and is currently in the works with the Sterling this year.

And this is his father, who currently resides on the East Coast somewhere. He was a great Pastel, and I know he will throw great Pastels and combos for years to come. 

Spotty is a studly animal, and I have to say, even in his growing into his colors, he is an awesome animal.

I can't wait to see what he produces this year in terms of his progeny.

He has been paired up with a few Pastels, a few Normals, and a Mojave.

Lets see if he gets the job done! There will be mini-Spotties soon (I hope) here at Heather's Herps. I can't wait!!!


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Passion for Pewters and Weekend Update

This blog is for my friend Pat. He asked me about my Pewters and wanted to see some good examples of some.

Well, I can help you with that, but some of the gals were not participating as well as I would have liked.

This is my favorite Pewter I hatched out last year.

She has crazy high sides, and is just faded out with blushing. I was really glad to see her hatch out, and even gladder to see her grow up so well.

Unfortunately, this is her sister, who was in shed last night. I tried to get her to at least show off her pattern. Both these gals are Cinny Pewters, which means a Pastel and a Cinnamon combination.

And this is the other twos half sister from another clutch. She is going into blue, but had some of the color (albeit dulled out) to show for it. She is also a Cinnamon Pewter.

And this big gal is my adult pewter. Apparently, I only have Cinnamon Pewters, although I'm working on changing that this year. This female was paired up with my Sterling in the hopes of Super Pewters. Shes building slowly, so hopefully I'll see an Ovulation really soon.

So there you go, my friend Pat. I hope that helps you in your quest for awesome Pewters. I think mine are pretty nice.

What do you think?

Anyway, on to the weekend updates. I PLUGGED IN THE INCUBATOR. It's empty, as you can well see, but its on and running and hopefully will have something in it in a week or two.

Had some company over and had a great time, and also had a few adventures of non-snakey nature.

Kona got spayed this weekend, and here she is looking doleful yet comfortable in her cone of shame.

Joel was upset that I took a picture of her when she was suffering, but how cute is she, right? And she was hopped up on pain meds anyway. She probably doesn't even remember my taking this picture.

Poor dawg. But she's much better and much more active now.

And then, on Sunday, we had a visitor of another kind.

Apparently this little guy was looking for food. He found some, and happily munched away at some dog food while Regal and Kona were stuck inside, watching it.

It is really cute... Joel wouldn't let me keep it.

Oh well.

Anyway, that is all for now, this has been a long blog considering.

Have a fantastic week, my friends. Happy Monday!