Funny looking and Wow!

I finally gave in to picking up another Clown. I really like her, and I am in Clown mode right now. I love that I finally have another one, albeit not as reduced pattern as the male, but pretty damned cool if I do say so myself. 

The head pattern is so cool! It's like a puzzle... Funny looking, but interesting.

She has a few years, but I have plenty of plans for her.

Fingers crossed for a quick growth spurt.

The Clown project is something that I didn't get into too strongly, and I'm trying to make up for it.

She's a start!

Pastel Lesser to Normal clutch blew me away after hatching.

NO NORMALS. This is redemption from last year and the double co-dom to normal ALL NORMAL fiasco.

Here they all are....

4.0 Lessers, 1.0 Pastel

And the gals...

0.2 Pastel Lesser, 0.1 Lesser

I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results, although I would have liked to have more females...

Lesser males, anyone?

Have a great day, my friends

Already freaking out

Well... Yeah

I'm already freaking out.

The season isn't even over for me, but I am already looking towards the future in terms of what to breed, what to accumulate, and who to try to get to size.

And yes, every year, it seems to be more overwhelming than the last year.

And it is.

I am flying by the seat of my pants in terms of what to do next season, with a few thoughts flitting thru my mind, but nothing solid, nothing guaranteed, nothing until the babies hatch from this season, really.

I like to think that when I know what I have, I will work on what I need to make.

This of course is a fallacy of sorts, as I make what I think is a good idea at the time, not necessarily what I NEED to make.

And of course, with life and work tending to take precedence over dreaming about snakes, I feel that I don't have enough time to plan.

So, like this past year, I just wing it.

I don't want to wing it.

Winging it is for lazy people who can't plan... like me!

But it's time for a change. A change for the better, a time to focus and get my act together.

But the question really is, what is the SMARTEST move on my part?

Get an amazing breeder male that I can plug into everything?
Get a few more adult breeder female somethings?
Get a bunch more holdbacks for this year to grow up?

ALL OF THE ABOVE???

Or none... And just work with what I have?

Sigh...

Yes, I am whining.

It's tough when you are so wishy-washy in terms of what to do. It's not that I don't have plenty to do, it's that half way thru, when the female has ovulated, I realize "HEATHER! You could have put her in with THAT GUY and gotten THAT MORPH instead of the one you just planned to do."

Regrets tend to come into play, although after the eggs hatch, it is less important.

So again, I don't wanna be that person.

I wanna do good things, make some amazing morphs for amazing people who want them.
(I know this will happen no matter what, but still...)

So off I go, to dwell in my thoughts with a glass of Merlot.

By the time you read this, I'll be at work, thinking about statistical analysis, machines and international time changes, but if you want to chime in to my predicament, I'd sure appreciate it.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Sterling Mojave clutch

Well, the Sterling Mojave clutch has shed out (mostly), and I felt the need to take some pictures. 

Here we have the only Cinnamons in the clutch, the two Sterling Mojaves and the Cinnamon Mojave.

I really like the Cinnamon Mojave, and when the Black Pastel Mojave sheds out (which is taking a while), I will do a comparison blog.

But until then, I will just share the individual photos. It will be really interesting to see the differences in color change and age for these guys, and I can't wait to put them in the rotation! So many possibilities...

Anyway, the first thing I noticed about the Sterling Mojaves and the Cinnamon Mojave was a difference in eye color.

Sterling Mojaves have silver eyes.. Not blue, but silver. The Mojave Cinnamon has brown eyes. It was very interesting to see! (And now you can see too!)

Honestly, I can't wait to see how these critters grow into their colors. Sterlings tend to be very light as babies, but develop some amazing yellows over a year. I anticipate this being the case for these guys as well.

I have been debating about keeping the male. I'm still not sure, so we shall see.

In the next few days, there should be some Lessers and Pastels and Pastel Lessers hatching out. The Caramel Clutch went mostly bad, with 1.1 Hets surviving...

The clutch hatching is slowing down, so this should be optimum time for questions, as well as planning for next season blogs.

ARGH! I'm not ready for that yet... But Fall is here, and its time to think about it.

Let me get thru a few more weeks first.

Have a great day, my friends!

Prayers Needed- Pro Exotics

Well, as you may or may not know, the Reptile Industry is a rather small community in the big picture of life. But if you have been around long enough, you get to know who has been around. People who have been in the business for a while, people who are just starting to get their names out there..

Lots of people with lots of things, making up an eclectic mix of reptile lovers and breeders.

So with that introduction, I want to dedicate this blog to a company that has been around for a while (way before I came onto the scene), one that has been devastated by a tragedy yesterday morning.

Pro Exotics Reptiles, an industry leader in the Desert game, had a horrible fire at their facility in Colorado, and lost their entire stock of animals as well as the building, which they shared with several other businesses. Over 3000 animals were lost in the blaze.

Read the Article here (Forgive the Bald Pythons...)

Watch the Interview with Chad and Robyn here.

It's a sad day when that many creatures lose their lives, as well as for the Breeders themselves. Chad and Robyn have been in the industry for almost 20 years, and they have managed many successes, many firsts. Now those animals are gone...

How would you feel if that happened to you?

I know I would be devestated, as well as heart broken.

So with that, please send all the healing and loving thoughts you can, prayers and well-wishes to Chad and Robyn at Pro Exotics.

Don't take anything for granted.

Have a great day, my friends.

Hatchling Issues

Well, as in every season of breeding, one gets hatchlings (hopefully). When you are lucky enough to have viable hatchlings, the next step is to get them going.

And sometimes, it just doesn't work.

Here are some problems that one finds as a breeder.

1) Non-Feeders:

Some critters have extra yolk to absorb compared to others, and therefore don't need to eat for a few weeks after being hatched out. This is the best scenario, as they just are fatties getting a little less fat before switching from the mother's "milk", so to speak. Other situations become apparent when babies are skinny, you can see their spines, and they just have no interest in any food item.

How do you resolve this issue? Assist feeding. Pre-kill a small prey item (mouse hoppers tend to be a good choice) and put it into the mouth. Usually this is enough of a stimulant to allow for a response, and the snake swallows. Sometimes it is not enough even then, and the animal doesn't respond to anything. In this case, water and patience is the only way to go. Force-feeding should be a last resort, and is not fun for anyone.

2) Problems:

I just had an animal pass away that did not appear to have a well functioning digestive tract. Her stomach and vent area were bloated, and the material did not pass quickly if at all. She ate fine, but eventually succumbed to the lack of regular body flow and passed.  Other animals hatch out with kinks, physical problems, and even missing parts. These are par to the course when dealing with live animals, and it should be something that you as a breeder are aware of. It's again, not fun... but it happens. And you have to come to terms with it.

3) Non-Shedders:

This is a small problem for some, and honestly, it is not that big of a deal depending on the situation. Shiny babies are cute and all, but if they stay shiny, there may be a physiological problem with them that you can't see other than the lack of shedding. The best bet is to treat them like normal, and when they grow by feeding and age, they will eventually shed out, given there are no other hidden issues.

So what do you look for in problem babies?

Well, as I just addressed..

-Non-shedders
-Non-feeders
-Bloating, digestive issues, lack of waste passing
-Color change... (If your baby goes from a white belly to a yellow, this is not a good sign)
-Poor muscle tone/movement (If your baby can't move well, that is also a bad sign)

If any of these are the case, you need to put that critter on watch. If you are concerned, take it to a qualified reptile vet. All of these things are things to do to keep your babies healthy and thriving. Do all you can do make it so.

But realize in the end, there are sometimes fights you just can't win.

Have a great day, my friends.

SATISFACTION!

I finally got it kinda sorta done, folks.

I have updated my available page with everything I can think of that I have that I am ready to sell.

Kinda...

Things are shedding and other things are going to be hatching, and I have some animals in the holdback rack that more than likely could be sold if I wanted to put it up... BUT!!!!

For now, I have most all of it done.

And it feels great.

I have to say, it is a huge undertaking to update a list that is constantly changing, with photos of constantly growing animals and things that you may or may not want to sell looming on the list...

THAT, my friends, is my biggest problem.

But, with four pages of availability, I think I'm safe for right now.

My holdbacks are in the rack, growing and eating and pooping and stuff, like they should. I should go and stare at them more often, and maybe then I will be less inclined to go out and buy another something for the collection.

Tunnel vision...

And of course, like most collectors and addicts, I can always come up with good reasons to keep awesome animals..  Like this female above. She is awesome. Beyond awesome... Like, I wouldn't mind keeping her awesome... But... I don't need to.

And Joel tends to remind me of that.

I already bought another few hatchling racks to put up, even though I'm not sure where they are going to go...

It's a fun time, but I have to say, I am very satisfied with myself for accomplishing something that has eluded me this past month, and has prevented many a customer from seeing information and photos clearly. (The information part I have to go back and edit, but... bear with me)

So we go into the weekend completed (mostly).

And things are looking good.

So have a great weekend, my friends. Enjoy it! Be satisfied!

Flavors...

I love the fact that some critters in the Ball Python world are named after food.

Caramel... Chocolate... Butter... Cinnamon.... Champagne... Banana... Candy... Sugar...

Hell, with all of these ingredients, we could bake a cake!

But the ingredient I am interested in today is the one I acquired a few weeks ago.

Welcome to the fold, Vanilla! (He is also het Hypo)

Maybe Vanil-ypo?

Anyway, I have never had a Vanilla in the collection, and like many people after the Vanilla Creme hatched out, I craved them. So I found this guy for sale, and scooped him up as soon as I could. He is a side project for sure, and he will be great fun to play around with.

His color is amazing! I honestly think they are somewhat nicer looking than Fires in a way.
He is much brighter than some of mine, but then again, he is also Het Hypo, which considerably lightens the tone of most creatures.

And I love his head! He was not cooperating as well as I would have liked, but I did manage to get a few photos of his bright head.

He was playing coy.

I can't wait to combine him with some of my Fire stuff, as well as a few other things. Hypo Mojave Vanillas? Yeah, baby! It should be a fun time playing around with this gene... And like many things, I am sad that I didn't get involved with this gene sooner. But c'est la vie! I have this guy now, and I'm going to rock it!

What would you put with him?

Have a great day, my friends!

The Future...

So I was having a conversation with my new friend Jesse, and he asked me straight out what I thought about the future of Ball Pythons.

And as someone who has seen the rise and fall of the Boa market (and other markets) due to legislation, I want to discuss it with you all.

I think that Ball Pythons are still a safe bet. They are great pets, small enough to not be intimidating to most people, docile, and easy to take care of. They don't require that much space, and they are just pretty to look at. People tend to like them, even those that are new to the world of reptiles.

While all of this is true, it is still a good idea to be wary of new laws and propositions that are going to affect the ability of the public to own reptiles, as this will affect you and I drastically.

But again, Ball Pythons are safe for now. I don't see them as being the "bad boy" of the reptile world, considering they are one of the three go to pets for most new people that own exotics.

What are the three go to reptilian pets in terms of ease and care?

Corn Snakes, Leopard Geckos, and Ball Pythons.

You can add Bearded Dragons, Pacman Frogs and Red Eared Sliders to the list as well. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but those are the most common pet reptiles I see around.

But I digress...

Ball Pythons are a great pet, and I really do see the market for the animals continuing on the basis of combinations and new traits that keep happening to pop up. There are plenty of new things to create and combine, and I like to think that there will not be an end in the foreseeable future.

I do see that this year has been a slower year than most, as many people are still struggling to maintain in the current economy. But I also see it slowly but surely increasing, and that is a good sign.

What do you all think?

We can all see that the basic co-dom market is dropping, as to be expected, but as are recessives.

Do you think it will even out? Do you think things will keep dropping? What are the things to keep looking towards?

These are all things to think about, to share, to converse about. It's an interesting topic for sure, and I think it will be a great thing to get a better idea of what the general community thinks.

Share your thoughts, if you can. I'd love to hear them!

Have a great day, my friends.

~New Males~

Well, there were a few males I have picked up over the last couple months, and this guy finally decided to shed out and be presentable for photos.

This is my new TSK Snow male.

Yes, I know that he looks like a faded Albino, but he is a Snow. Apparently Snows tend to get lighter as they age.

This guy is a year old, and he is going to get better with age.. Like Wine!

I can't wait to use him!

I know he isn't the nicest All White snake in the world, but I honestly think for a double recessive, he is pretty kick ass.

How can you be upset at an Albino Axanthic, right?

And you can't expect something like that to be solid white.

You know what he reminds me of?

Jelly Belly Popcorn Jellybeans.

They are super gross tasting, but the colors are very similar. 

Maybe I will call him Jellybelly.

Maybe....

I have a few more males to share, but time will have to allow for it.

Until then, I gotta update the available page, the collection page, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Wooosahhhh.

Have a great day, my friends!

How Pretty!!!

There was a huge response from last Friday's sexing blog, and I plan on elaborating on a few things when I get a chance tonight or tomorrow. 

But, without having a second pair of hands to take photos, hatchling photos will have to do. 

My Super Pastel Mojave to Pewter clutch hatched, and I am very pleased with the results!

I got 1.1 Sterling Mojaves, 1.1 Pastel Super Mojaves, 0.1 Pastel Mojave, and 0.1 Cinnamon Mojave.

I love it! I have never hatched out Sterling Mojaves, and I have to say, I really like them! I look forward to seeing them grow into their colors.

Even the Pastel Mojave is awesome! It looks almost Super, although I doubt it is... The Cinnamon Mojave is stunning as well. I don't need to keep her, but I kinda want to...

Of course the Black Pastel Mojave will be held back, so maybe this Cinnamon Mojave girl will have to be as well. It's an interesting comparison that will be photojournalised very soon.

Aren't the Sterling Mojaves fantastic? I can't get over how awesome they look. I can't WAIT to see them shed.

Yay for an awesome clutch and some kick-ass odds.

Here's to a few more by the end of the year.. Fingers crossed!

Have a great day, my friends!

SEX! (ing) -Popping Ball Pythons-

ALRIGHTY!

I finally got the photos to a place where I want to share, and although I need a manicure, I think it is finally time to touch on sexing again.

Popping Ball Pythons 101

Are you ready?

YEAH, baby.

So for the sake of exposure, and for the need to allow the snakes to not just be exposed for their private parts, I have included an introductory photo of who I was popping at the time.

Exhibit A: Pewter het Red Axanthic..

For those of you who follow the blog, you know what sex this animal is.

But for the sake of arguement, let's pretend we don't know right now.

Here we have some private parts, aka junk being popped out.

Note the red nubbins popping out of both sides. They are RED.

This is an immature male.

Exhibit B: Cinnamon (het Pied)

Such a pretty critter. I really like this one. Almost a solid stripe... Kept it back for a reason. I hope that some of its babies are similar in scope.

Anyway I digress.

Note the purpley-er (yes, it is a word today) penes, darker in color and more pronounced. In a fully mature male, these will extend completely out, and taper out into a flower-like structure at the ends.

This is again an immature male, but nearing maturity, if not already developing slight plugs.

That white stuff is not plugs. It was urates.

Exhibit C: Pastel Mojave

I love this creature. The colors are amazing the older it gets. 

Makes me want to hold back a few more...

Note the lack of red.. There is pink, there are nubbins, but nothing blood colored, and nothing protuding out very far at all.

This is a subadult female.

Exhibit D: Super Pewter

LOVE this morph. End of story.

Note the lack of blood red, and the nubbins. Females have nubbins, just not very big ones. They are called hemipenal homologues, which means in lamens terms: Fake Non-Functional what would have been a Penis Copies that didn't quite pan out.

Side note: The Clitoris in females is a Penile Homologue in humans.

So, after that massive dose of almost inappropriate information, we return to the topic at hand.

Females will have bumps, but they will NOT be deep red (unless you are pressing WAAYYY too hard), and they will not extend very far at all.

You can also see a casting of something over the vent. That is NOT a sperm plug. It is just a dirt casting, similar to smegma in humans. So... Snake Smegma. Gross.

Do not be fooled. Sperm plugs look like nuns hats. Really.

Well... Mostly.

Top right is a proven breeder adult male sperm plug.
Bottom right and left are developing males that have yet to prove out.

So you can see the possible confusion over a basic casting of a female... So be careful.

There you go, my friends. I hope you learned a lot. I hope this was worth the wait.

Anything else you want to see? Shoot me a note/e-mail/comment and I WILL get to it, I swear. I do read them every day.

Have a great weekend, my friends.

Shades of Spider and Fire

I have been coming home late, but trying not to shirk on the need to take some awesome photos to share on the blog. Today is no exception. I decided to compare some Spiders for everyone, in different flavors to get a general idea of how things work with some of the more subtle morph combinations.

Above, we have a Spider Fire and an Enchi Spider. Both morphs of Fire and Enchi are subtle in their own way, and when combined with a Spider, they get much more so. When I hatched out my Enchi Fires, I wasn't 100% sure they were Enchi Fires until they shed. They have a gorgeous undertone of gold and orange, and a very cool pattern to boot.

Fire Spiders are just melty. Yes... Melty. Fires tend to be melty on their own, smokey in a way. You can see that the color is granulated, blends together, and is much lighter than that of a normal spider.
I really like what Fires do to things, and Spiders are no exception.

Now below, to the left we have the Mojave Spider. Mojaves aren't particularly subtle on their own, but when blended with a Spider, it takes its own form. Spider Mojaves more often than not are SPOTTY. Mojaves have that pattern, and it carries over into the combination. The overall color tone is muted greens, purples and golds, again that of the Mojave. A very cool morph, and a very cool combination.

So all of these photos and color descriptions to what end, Heather?

To assure you that Spiders are awesome, colors are fun, and there are tons of things to be done with Spider combinations in the future.

And Fires?

Well, Fires are awesome. They are one of my favorite "hypo" lightening up morphs for all that they can do, and here are two sisters that just shed out for me.

The Firefly female and the Fire female are looking amazing. They are the best I have hatched out so far in terms of Fires. Look at them glow!

You can tell they are related, based on the blushing and flames on the back and sides.
Seriously.. Fires are amazing.

I'm done sharing these photos for now. More photos tomorrow, hopefully of penes and lack thereof. Gotta make sure Joel gets home in time for me to remember to nag him. HAH!

Have a great day, my friends!

Determining Breeders

Every year, Breeders looking to upgrade their collections and manifest new projects tend to reevaluate what they have, what they want to do, and the animals they are currently working with. Do they have enough space to keep everything they had previously? Do they have the resources to keep fifty more animals from the cuurrent year without moving anything out ?

These are the questions, and the answers are most of the time very difficult. The longer you do it, the more things get complex.. I can attest to that.

The thing that really is important to figure out is... Is it worth it anymore?

Is it worth it to feed that animal and use it next season for breeding? Males or females? Large or small?

Things floating around thru the community and in my own mind as well.

For example...

Are normal breeder females not worth the effort to have anymore?

They are still females producing eggs, but is it better to sell your breeder normals and het stuff that isn't easily create a morph, or do you keep them? Do you keep all of the newest and coolest females that you produce and replace the normals with them this year, or next year, or at all?

For me, every year is a bit more difficult... I am moving out some of the last of my breeder normal females, and it pains me to see them go. The same with my breeder males... It's one of those things that I feel guilty about, although it is a difficult decision, it is the best thing for my space and my collection.

And of course, the feeling that some people do not appreciate the breeders I am selling doesn't help the situation. This is not to say that my customers who get my breeders don't appreciate snakes.. That is not what I am saying at all. What bothers me more is the market for a breeder anything seems to be not much more than that of a hatchling... and this is the norm. So why buy hatchlings at all? (Another topic for another day)

But, it is part of the equation of being a breeder. Things loose value, other things are more interesting, and things change often.

The market is finicky, but the snakes are awesome. That is the bottom line.

So I clear out space for more snakes, more awesomeness, and next year the problem will again be where to put what I want to keep so that I can keep progressing in my goals as a breeder.

How bout you?

Have a great day, my friends!

Pinstripe and Lemonblast het Red

Well, the Lemonblast to Het Red clutch hatched, and I have to say, it's really easy to tell when you have a Pastel het Red or a Lemonblast het Red. They are just a duller yellow, muted even, with a tinge of red brown.

I managed to hatch a Pastel het Red and a Lemonblast het Red, both males.

Here we have the Lemonblast het Red Male, and I really like what he looks like! Do I need a male though? I'm not sure yet...

And above, we have what I think is a Pinstripe Het Red with the Lemonblast het Red. It has an interesting tinge to it, and I think it will be more obvious when it sheds.

Here are ALL of the Pinstripes, Het Red or not. 3.1 of them, to be exact. This clutch was a particular sausage fest...

The one I believe is a Pin het Red is on the far right. The rest... I'm not sure.

All I can say is is that they are really fun to look at. 

What do you guys think?

From left to right, numbered one to four... Which are also Het Reds?

I'm going to reserve judgement for sure until they shed, but until then... Share your thoughts!

Have a great day, my friends!

LATE!

Sorry, everybody. Things have been a bit hectic, and I didn't get a chance to write up anything fun today yet. I will be doing so tonight.

Lots of fun things to see!

Sorry for being late..

ACK!

After a show, there is always chaos, and I have had not enough time to delve into it completely.

I am admitting that the available page is not up to date, the snakes are not organizing, and there is a bunch to still do.

ACK!

And of course, I am working on a few other life things right now, so it's rather hard to shove organizing anything into that time.

Oh well.

Hopefully this weekend I will have time to get things done, as well as get those sexing pics less blurry.

Fingers crossed for some good shots... cause last time I got complaints.

And to get my available page up to date would be great, since I am referencing it with customers that can't see photos. It is a chore in itself to get pictures and things updated... Some people forget that. I don't, cause I am reminded of it every time I look and think that the page is not right. Cause it's not.

I need a clone.

Anyway, I hope to get down to business during the weekend (Sunday night) to get things finally solidified.

AND... Joel and I are trying to plan out vending at Sacramento for my Birthday.
Crossing fingers that it works out.

October 29th and 30th... Should be a good time.

Anyway, I'm off to study.

Have a great weekend, my friends! Mine will be full of Chemistry.

Clutch 39 and Mojave Combos (again)

Welcome to the world, Clutch 39! There are five eggs from my Special female to a Mystery male. This should be a fun clutch! I just need it to hatch without any problems... Fingers crossed!

And although I am trying to compile some photos for the sexing blog, I'm not quite there yet, so here are some pictures of a new pick-up and comparision.

Welcome to the fold, Jigsaw!

I really love Pinstripes with a solid stripe, and this gal has it all going on! Jigsaws are Mojave Pinstripes, and this girl has an extra genetic bonus of being Het Hypo as well.

She should be a great addition to the group.

And of course, I had to do my famous comparison photos...

Mojave Spider against the Mojave Pinstripe.. The colors are similar, but there is more yellow in the Spider combo than the Pinstripe combo. It's interesting to see the change within a genetic combination by changing pattern. I love pictures like this, and I hope you do too!

 

I managed to pick up another critter at Anahiem, a long awaited addition, but it is in shed, so we will have to wait for the unveil until after it sheds.

So tomorrows blog should be the sexing blog, and hopefully a few other things will be covered as well. 

Have a great day, my friends!

Clutches hatched

All of these clutches have hatched out over the last few days, and I have to say I'm happy-pointed.

Yes, that says Happy-Pointed. Happy and dissapointed all at the same time.

Let's begin.

This clutch is the Possible Double het Hypo Albino female to the Albino male. Guess what? This is disappointment. This is the third year she has not proved out to be either Het Albino or Het Hypo. She is now a normal, and she is up for sale. I always get beautiful babies from her, but with the space issue becoming more of an issue, I'm willing to let her go.

And then the happy part...

This unexpected clutch from my Blurry girl to a Mystery male turned out to be the Firefly, and all of these critters are beautiful females! A Firefly, a Fire and a Normal.

And another bout of happy! The Spider possible het Albino proved out, but did not produce a Spider Albino for me... Disappointment.  But much more happy than disappointment...

So.... Happy-ment?

1.0 Spider het Albino, 2.1 Albino, 0.2 Het Albinos

I love it. Now the next clutches to hatch are a disappointment clutch of two normals out of the four eggs left (two more went bad) from my Normal to a Mystery male, and my Lemonblast to het Red Axanthic clutch which has not pipped yet.

So I will get to the popping questions tomorrow, with a few other surprises and things to share. This week is going to be fun!

Have a great day, my friends.

Het Paperwork

Well, this weekend was a good time at Anaheim! I wasn't there on Saturday, but Sunday was slow but steady. Joel and I enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by to say Hello, and the weekend was a successful endeavor.

Don't I look super excited???

But of course, while I wasn't there in person, I had done a lot of things behind the scenes to make sure things were flowing smoothly.

One of those things was Het Paperwork.

Some breeders do not provide it.

I like to, not only for the customer to know that I fully support my creatures and am willing to back them up, but also for records.

At a show, people bring lots of animals. I myself brought something like 80. And with those 80 animals, some of them look VERY similar, yet carry genetics that may be important, aka Heterozygous for a certain recessive trait.

So I spend several hours before the show taking photos of each and every het that I have produced, and print out a paper with the information regarding that particular animal.

Why?

 Because again, it is mainly for the customer, but also for myself so that if happenstance occurs and something gets mixed up, there is a record of the animal in photographs that will allow me to identify the creature as what it is really.

It's a glorious thing, that paperwork is. It has saved me several times.

But it is a complete pain in the patootie to do.

How do I do it?

Well, I begin with a photograph of the animal, stretched out if possible so that the pattern is visible.

Then, below that, the title of the animal, including year of birth, the creatures entire genetic background, and the date of birth, if necessary.

Then, I list the Dame and the Sire, and something along the lines of:

"This paperwork confirms that the above pictured animal is a XXX (the morph of the creature) sired from a YYY and a ZZZ, and was produced by Heather Wong of Heather's Herps."

Sign and date the paper and KABLAMO!!!

It's a done deal.

Het paperwork is only as good as the breeder backing it up, however, so make sure to be aware of the guarantees that are being offered.

So there you go, my friends.

I hope that helps some of you out there on the quest to formulate your own paperwork.

Have a great day!