Family Time! (again)

My Brother and Mother are in town, so I am taking the day off from blogging to show them the sights.

Have a great day and weekend, my friends!!

Let's bring in the New Year right!!!

Pastel het Red Axanthic

Well, here we have a morph combination that is not often seen on the market, due to its abiguity of sorts. Het Red Axanthics are a "boring" base morph, and therefore do not get bred into many things. I know several breeders that work very closely with the morph, including myself, and hope to find some awesome never before seen combinations in the near future.

Now what makes a Pastel or even a base Het Red Axanthic?

First, it begins in the color. Het Red Axanthics have an overall darker tone, with less yellows and more browns. They are most well known for the common dorsal black back over the spine, but this is not the only indicator of the morph, and it also may not even occur on some Het Reds.

Note in the photos that there are odd shaped alien heads with squiggles.
These squiggles are located within the body of the pattern (in the alien heads themselves) and don't seem to fit anywhere else. Can you see them in the photo below? They are the random black side spots in an otherwise organized pattern. There is one right below the word "below".

You notice that these pastels are not as bright as some can be. Yes! That is true... Again with the Het Red morph being in play, the tone is more golden, not neon yellow as some Pastels can be.

They are, however, still stunning in their own right.

All three of these photos on the blog are of different Pastel het Red Axanthics. They can vary immensly, and if you are in anyway doubtful of a Het Red, just try and pinpoint what could be there as an indicator.

Again:

COLOR
PATTERN (w/squiggles)
BLACK BACK

I have heard from many people that some Het Reds rival that of Black Pastels. This is true, and that is actually how I became the first person to create the Onyx. I thought it would be an awesome idea to breed a dark "normal" to my Black Pastel to see what would pop out.

Of course, the rest is history, and the Het Red gained popularity. I hope with other combinations, it will continue to do the same. 

Have a great day, my friends.

Patternlessness

I'm spending more time in the snake room trying to get myself back on track. It's been a few days of being "off" due to all the things that are going on.

While centering myself and breathing, I like to spend time in the snake room taking photos. Beauty offsets any problems I am dealing with at the time for the moment.

So here we have a photo spread of some patternless animals I have shown occasionally, now more adult and more colorful.

Above we have a Silver Bullet, which is in this case a Black Pastel Cinnamon Pastel. I love the grey tone that this female exudes. The one thing I regret is not having a Super Cinnamon or something to compare the shades of grey, but I do have a Super Pewter below that is stunning.

Super Pewter is a great name for this snake, since it really is Pewter toned, almost silver.

And the yellow splotches, grey and black patches and white spots are all just icing on the cake. Just so interesting looking at such a "patternless" snake with a bunch of random dot pattern.

I really like looking at these two together. Just a brighter lighter grey between the two (Silver Bullet and Super Pewter) and the great comparison. Always a fun thing to look at. 

And of course, this gal here has not been shown often, but she was looking amazing. This here is a Pastel Super Mojave female. She is epically yellow right now, and of course her head looks fantastic as well. I had to take many photos, and how else to incorporate her into the blog but to add her with the other patternless critters. 

So pretty!!

Anyway, enjoy your day my friends. Have a great one!

Pastel Spotnose

I have been trying to get a good picture of a Pastel Spotnose for the collection, and so far there have been not many good opportunities. They (the two sisters from this year) tend to bite when the camera comes out, so this one was especially docile for about five minutes, so I took the opportunity while I could.

I have to say, Spotnoses and their combinations are really growing on me. I did not jump into the morph very quickly. I actually did it somewhat reluctantly, to be honest, due to a trade offer that I took up.

I ended up with 1.1 Spotnoses het VPI Axanthic a few years ago, and bred the male to a few of my females.

I bred him to a Pastel, and this female was one of the outcomes of that breeding. So yes, she is 50% possible het for VPI Axanthic. Extra bonus? Absolutely.

It has been a blessing to have these guys here, as making things "Pastel" seems to make things that much more outstanding! 

Just look at that head pattern. Spotted noses aren't really the best identifier of a Spotnose. The head pattern is. It is an odd patterned area on top of the head that is distinctive.

Gotta love it!

So there you go. I hope to have a significantly nicer photo for the collection page.

Until then, these will have to do.

Have a great day, my friends!

Sadness after the Holidays

I wish I had better news to report, but the Egg Bound Enchi female passed away Christmas Eve. She must have had some type of sepsis due to the egg removal.

I am very sad, as she was my first Enchi I produced, and I do keep track and care about things like that.

Rest in Peace, Enchi girl.

Lots of loss of life in the last few weeks. I think I need to do something to get things back on track.

Please forgive the short blog. I gotta go clean stuff.

Have a great day, my friends.

Merry Christmas

I am taking a few days off for the Holidays, so Merry Christmas!!!

Have a great holiday season, my friends!

Big girls, baby boys

As you know, I've been introducing new males into the harem.

A few of these boys actually showed some kinds of promise, so I snapped some pictures.

Above is my Pewterbee with a Pastel, and he was actually locked as I checked. He likes the larger girls, and I can't say I'm upset about it at all.

I am upset about the mess they made before I took the picture, but... it's hard to clean without not messing with them.

This guy below I've actually mentioned before, my beloved Spinnerblast.

He keeps trying to make things happen.

Problem is, you notice where his vent is? You can see per the picture what the issue is, but the thing is, he is trying! He is managing to lift the female's tail, and that again is a great sign, but no hemipene work at all so far.

Oh well... More to see soon.

Have a great day, my friends!

YouTube requests needed

I have never been the best at doing videos...

But I have done them, and someone has requested that I do a few more.

In the spirit of the season, I of course do not have very much time to sit down and think about all the cool things I should do.

So I ask you, my blogger friends...

What should I do?

I need topics of discussion, especially since I will be having a few days off from work to handle it.

Is there something that you are DYING to see from me?

Cause I am dying to share it with you...

Help a sister out here.


Have a great day!

Pastel Enchi clutch

Alrighty people, they are all out, and they are doing very well!

I ended up with an extra even sex odds as well as genetics odds.

1.1 Enchis, 2.2 Pastels, 1.1 Pastel Enchis.

I didn't end up with any Normals, which is even awesomer!

So they are all looking great, and the Enchis look fantastic. No spots at all, and will grow into great adults. The Pastel Enchis, which I have never hatched out before, are fantastic as well! 

I love the head patterns of the Enchis, and the Pastel Enchis have amazing head patterns with blushing as well.

This female is my only hold back for this clutch, and I have to say I am really amazed at how cool the Pastel Enchis look. I can't wait to see how she grows into her colors.

The rest will be at the show in January.

www.reptilesupershow.com

So with that, have a great day, my friends.

Pastels and Enchis hatching

The Pastel Enchi clutch is hatching, and although not all of the eggs have hatched, these two babies have come out.

This Enchi female is going to be AMAZING when she sheds out and grows up. I love her reduced pattern. She is not that high yellow, but she will grow into her colors soon.

And her little brother, the Pastel male, hatched out first. He is very nice looking as well. 

Hopefully tomorrow I can show you all the rest.

Sorry for the short lived blog, but I am trying to get things back on track in life. Please forgive me. 

Have a great day, my friends.

Rest in Peace, my Smooshy

I have mentioned Kona a few times in the blog, but as she is not really a snake, she hadn't been in a lot of things.

She passed away last night from Congestive Heart Failure. She was only three years old.

Joel and I are heartbroken, as we are avid animal lovers.

Please take this time to kiss your critters, and know that you may think you have plenty of time with them, when in fact it may just be brief.

We are honored and humbled by our time with Kona, as she was one of the most loving, funny, beautiful dogs we have had the pleasure of knowing.

I will be dedicating this blog to her today.

We love you, Smooshy.

BREAK!!!

I have been working like crazy for the end of the year, and need some time today to take a break.

Have a great day, my friends!

(Open for requests!!)

Candling

I know that some times I mention words that some people may not be familiar with.

Candling is taking a flashlight to an egg and illuminating the insides to tell if there are viable veins.

I like to use LED lights to keep it bright, and when there are questions, turning off the light does help. 

If the egg is all yellow, or if there is only weak veins, it may be a slug.

Usually when the eggs are like that, but fully formed, I incubate it anyway.

It usually does go bad, but when in doubt, go ahead and incubate. No harm in doing so at all.

In this egg, you can see the growth ring of the veins right after it has been laid. I would surmise at least six hours or more out of the cloaca. Usually by 24 hours, it is completely formed and there is nothing left to determine between where it began and where it ended. 

Here we have an angle where you can't see the line... But you can see strong veins.

These are all photos of good eggs.

I hope you can use them in your own candling endeavors.

Happy Candling!

Wishful thinking

Well, I put one of the males in the YPMBC club, my Spinnerblast male with a proven Pastel female... And he got to work trying! BUT, he isn't doing work. He is looking like work, but nothing actually functioning. So, let us make some wishful thinking occur...

Fingers crossed.

There are a few doing the same thing, but this guy was one I didn't expect anything from, so these good signs are making me excited!

And of course, when the camera was out, the photos happened!

Above is a Super Pastel Mojave female of holdback groups... I LOVE HER COLOR!!! I am very excited to have her in the group, and her younger sister should grow into these colors just as well.

And above this is a Spinnerblast female holdback from last year. I love how much she has grown into herself. Spinnerblasts are one of my favorite morphs, and this photo does her not enough justice. 

The last of the holdback group is my Pied het Hypo female that I produced this year. She bit me while I was taking this photo, but I have to say I love her pattern. Look at those four fingery projections of white! How cool is that?

Back to the grind, of course.

Have a great day, my friends.

H2O

H20...

The most glorious of all the chemical compounds, essential for living and a delicious part of the world as we know it.

We as humans are basically water bags, more than half of us made up of those wonderful three letters (and that one number isn't a letter, I know).

So why am I speaking about the glory of that clear liquid that we all know and love?

Because it is very important in the care of your reptiles.

There are some animals that can do without for a while, but most cannot. Ball Pythons included...

I know some people tend to not check on the water levels of their animals for days at a time, given the fact that they have large water bowls. That is no problem!

But it is when they are small animals, ergo babies or just small critters in general, they need more care and more water checks. This means once a week is more than likely not enough...

So what am I mentioning something so obvious for?

Because depending on the familiarity with some other creatures, one needs to remember to try to care for individual types of animals as they need.

What happens if a Ball Python doesn't get enough water?


Symptoms include:


Dry shed, wrinkly saggy skin, lack of movement and muscle tone, pronounced spine and tail, and wrinkled eye caps.

I realize that some animals (Uromastyx, tortoises, etc...) do not need much water at all, but Ball Pythons do.

Common knowledge, right?

Not when you care for other creatures and you don't change your habits...

But I digress.

What do I do?

I check the babies every two days, I check the adults every five..

My water bowls are large and obnoxious, but of course there are times that even large and obnoxious don't do enough.

So of course, I fill up often. And so should you.

Take care of your critters to the best of your ability!

Have a great day,  my friends.

Show Season and SALE!

Show season is almost over, but there is one last show of the season before it turns around again...

January has the Reptile Super Show, and I will be there vending.

I have to say that I haven't done as many shows as I thought I would this year, but this year has had a bunch of rollercoasters, much of which was not snake related.

And when real life that is not snake related gets in the way, it really gets in the way.

I feel kinda bad for not having enough time, but something has got to give.

But, I have time for this, and I am going to be there!


www.reptilesupershow.com 

It is January 7th and 8th, and at the Pomona Fairplex.

It should be a great show, and I have plenty of critters left to sell.

And actually, I am going to be having a special sale to assist in funding my real life endavours, specifically my wedding that is coming up.

For you blog readers, when inquiring about an animal, mention the word "Wedding" in the e-mail/inquiry, and you will receive free shipping off on your animal! This is a large savings for those animals under $300, and for those animals over $500, take an additional 10% off, including free shipping!

This sale is thru the month of December, ending Jan 1st, 2012, and only referenced here on the blog. Tell your friends!

I hope this helps those of you that are short due to the holidays, and are in desperate need of that one extra animal...

So with that, enjoy your weekend, and have a great day, my friends.

Pastel Crystal versus Crystal

I got an e-mail asking about the differences between a Pastel Crystal and a Crystal. And even with my most eloquent and flowery description, it didn't quite cut it, so I went and took pictures.

So here we go.. with more eloquent and flowery descriptions..

Above, we have a photo of the closeup of a Pastel Crystal adult head.

It is faded light grey to lavender, with blue eyes and a bright yellow and creme coloration.

Compared to the head of a regular Crystal, it stands out like a sore thumb. The head of the Crystal is deeper tones of grey and lavender, with a splash of yellow towards the neck area. Also, note the blue eyes...

 

The colors of a Crystal are a bit deeper, but not by much. It's a subtle darkness, mostly over the spine ridges.

The body tone is just a smidge lighter on the Pastel Crystal as an adult than that the base Crystal. And of course, nothing like that of a baby..

Can you imagine this turning in to that above? WOW! Pinks turn yellows, lavenders get deeper tones, and in general, they are just gorgeous.

I could stare at them forever, really... And I don't like pink.

So there you have it. Adults compared. I don't have a baby Crystal that is within the same shade tone as the Pastel, as they have at least three months age difference, and in that time, they turn into the adult colors..

Got to love Ball Pythons and their chameleon-esque changes..

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Shipping in Cold Weather

Well, it's getting to be that kind of year, and this is the time where most breeders don't ship.

Christmas time is around the corner, and Fedex and UPS tend to get more swamped now than any other time of the year.

What does that mean for us? It means more room for ERROR.

And an error in snake shipping could spell the end of the road for a beautiful creature just trying to get to its new home.

So, what do I do?

Well, I never ship below 35 degrees F, or above 90 degrees F.

I always check the temperatures of the hubs in between where I am shipping, especially if it is across country.

The main hub between Los Angeles and most of the East Coast is Memphis. If the temps are not good in Memphis, I don't ship.

Please keep in mind, although it may be more of a pain in waiting for an animal, it's much better to play it safe than be sorry about it.

When it is colder than 70 degrees, or hotter than 85 degrees, I put in temperature packs.

Heat packs (40 hr) for the cold, cold packs for the heat.

Simple, eh?

In cold weather, it is very important to use heat packs, as cold can cause your snake to get sick in transit, and possibly freeze.

Either too hot or too cold can kill an animal in transit.

You have to also remember that evening temps get much colder than what the weather predicts most of the time around this time of year.

Plan accordingly, and see if you get below the range even at night.

Cold weather (snow, rain, etc) and the time of year basically prevent me from shipping out until the first of the year, and even then, most places on the East Coast are covered in snow.

So what do we do?

We wait.

The ease for me is knowing that the snakes are safe, and can be fed and taken care of until the weather breaks.

It's kinda nice, actually.

So I get to sit back, enjoy the season, and play with my snakes a little more.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Jury Duty

I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent today.

I am proud to be an American.

I really am.

I have traveled around the world, and have experienced many other countries. I have been to China, Mexico, Brazil, and others...

Red, White and Blue.

United States of America is the country that holds my heart.

But I can say with all seriousness, I do not enjoy Jury Duty.

Yes, it is our right and duty as Americans to participate in the due process of the legal system. Yes, it is a great honor to be chosen for a jury. Yes, it is a very educational experience when you sit on an actual case.

But when you are stuck in the court room jury holding lobby for eight hours straight with more than 200 other people, it can get very tiresome very quickly.

Especially if those people are Angelinos (the term for Los Angeles county dwellers)...

New York has a bad reputation, and rightfully so. I have been there, I have experienced it, I know.
There are a few other cities, of course, but New York holds the title for me... 

But Los Angeles residents have such an odd way of anger about them, it is off putting to say the least. They are a close second when it comes to being rough around the edges and rude.

When one has to deal with one to two hours of traffic to travel 10 miles... people get a bit wierd.

I have lived in Los Angeles for 10 years now... I am still not used to it.

And I was reminded of that yesterday at Jury Duty. (I was also reminded why I like animals much more than people some days)

For the record, I was not picked for a panel.. I wasn't even called to be a part of a panel to be picked from. My iPad and I sat in that waiting room the whole time.

FYI: Free Wifi in the court rooms and access to Netflix is a godsend.

So I am now signed off and will not need to report for at least another 12 months to serve again on a Jury.

Am I sad about that?

No way, man.

I like Democracy and stuff, but I can like it while going to work, going home and doing what I need to do, far away from large groups of grumbling angry Angelinos stuffed in small rooms.

God Bless America.

Enchi Recovery

She's doing alright... skinny and sad, and I am just working on trying to get her back into the right place. Her eggs are already going bad, but at least she is around to tell the tale!

I am looking forward to getting her back on track.  She is not completely back, as she has yet to eat for me, and she is still a bit swollen, but I am ready to get her set and healthy again.

And the breedings this past week have not been all that bad. 

Here we have a Pastel Butter Spider enjoying his moment with a Pastel female..

The Vanilla het Hypo male with a Pastel female...

And the Mojave Spider male with a Black Pastel female.

All and all not too shabby, eh?

I hope to be able to get a bit of time and actually be able to write out something cohesive this week about stuff.

And Anonymous, I cannot do the Orange Dream blog, as I don't have one to share! If you have any other requests, please let me know.

Have a great day, my friends!

She's Okay

Short and sweet, as this week has been the week from down below...

Enchi female had three more eggs in her system, Vet took care of them. They are out, but they don't look good. I expect the entire clutch to go bad within the next few weeks.

But as she looks miserable and squishy thin, she is alive and fine. And that is the most important part. She will have a year off for sure, if not longer, to recover from this.

No internal damage, and all she needed was just a shot of anti-inflammatories to handle the puff that occured towards the cloacal end.

This weekend will be catch up weekend, as I really have not had an exorbitant amount of time for anything other than work and school.

So if you have requests, please ask for them now, so I can get everything prepped!

Have a great December-y weekend, my friends!

Egg bound female

Well... I thought it may happen, and it did.

Right now, life has been hectic to say the least, and then this happens...

My super exciting last clutch of the season ends up being a huge bust.

I have never had an egg bound female before, and this girl looks like she is in pain.

Her cloaca is hugely swollen, and three large eggs are still left to be laid. She laid two, one day at a time, and neither of them were fertilized.

I had high hopes for the other three, and then she ends up egg bound.

She is probably at the vet as you read this, being taken care of. I expect that the eggs will be aspirated (have fluid drawn out of the eggs to make them easier to pass) by the vet, and that the clutch will be a bust.

But as long as my first Enchi girl that I ever hatched is alive and well, I'm willing to accept the inevitable.

I just look at her and feel horrible.

I soaked her in warm water, and tried to help her passing, but her cloaca is so swollen and tissue is exposed (prolapsing), I didn't want to risk damaging internal organs.

I've helped other females before, but this is different.

So off to the vet she goes.

Again, these are the things you can't plan for at all, and just have to handle it accordingly. I'm sad I'm loosing the clutch, but I'd be much sadder if I lost her completely, which could be a possibility if I let her try for much longer on her own.

Wish us luck today as she goes into the vet.

I need her to be alright.

Have a great day, my friends.