Fail (Not for the faint of heart)

Well, I didn't get to do as much as I wanted to do for the Website, but the snake room is IMMACULATE!

That is something to feel proud of...

And I am!

But with the fact that I accomplished some, I didn't accomplish all.

I hope that today after work I can actually get in there and make it happen.

I have been slowly organizing so that it will happen.

There is a lot of background work that is required before I actually have everything ready for the website, as you can understand.

.....

And to top it all off, the Bunchi het Hypo to Spider clutch is hatching, and the babies are mostly deformed, with one Stinger Bee dead in the egg.

I'm not sure what is going on, but the eyes are bugging out, short jaws, and the tail is completely curl kinked on one of them.

This was a sad realization, and I honestly have not had this bad of luck with a season as I have this year.

I am trying to remind myself that this is part of what happens when you breed animals, but it still sucks really bad. I am not even sure if this guy is able to see, much less eat and function properly.

I am stuck trying to figure out what to do, which right now I'm not sure.

There is at least one more animal that has the same eye problem, but I haven't seen it out of the egg yet, so we shall see what else is going on.

As for me... I'm going to try and suck it up.

It happens, it is part of life, and although this is not ideal, it happened.

Handle it, Heather.

And to those of you out there that may not have experienced this yet, if you do this long enough, it will happen. And it's not fun.

Remember that this is part of life, part of breeding animals, and not everything comes out perfect and beautiful. There are the special cases that make you do some soul searching as to what to do. 

What would YOU do to this little baby?

Have a great soul searching day, my friends.

Clutch #3 and WOOT

So of course, now that I am back, things are rocking and rolling like crazy. This little female has been a problem child for me over the past few years, and I finally managed to get her to hold on to some eggs!

Put in a Pastel Het TSK Axanthic male with her, and they were golden! So here's to five Pastel Axanthics popping out of the shells in two months.

The egg on the side rolled a bit, so I am hoping it still is viable. It looked good, but you never know.

There are two eggs of the Albino clutch that are going bad...
Sadness already. But YAY for new eggs and new chances!

And I finally got a chance to catch a few more lockups today, with the weather turning into rain tomorrow.

Here we have the Firefly male with a Pewter female. Fingers crossed for a large clutch on this one. Sterling Fires? Awwww yeah.

And of course the two males that are in ugly stuck shed style too busy to keep up with themselves...

Above we have the Spinnerblast male and a Mojave female, and below, the Super Pastel Lesser with a Spider female.

These should be excellent pairings and results. Fingers crossed!

Here's to the 2012 Season!

Have a great day, my friends!

It has Begun

Yes, I have been slacking.

But on the pre-couple-o-monthiversary of my wedding, I found two clutches of eggs to celebrate the day with!

The first one I found was this gal, a virgin Pastel that I have had for several years. She never bred for me until this year, and I'm kind of disappointed in the results.

She is being a very good mother, of course. So much so that when she was gravid, I didn't really want to bother her, so left her to her own devices in terms of shedding.. Eeewww.

Anyway, she got a good bath after I took her off of the eggs, but much to my dismay, here were the results.

She was bred to a Pastel Butter Spider.

Three good eggs, three slugs. Could be better, could have been worse.

I will take it.

And then I found this gal...

This is my Albino het TSK Axanthic female. I gave her a year off last year, and I'm very glad I did! She gave me three eggs last time I bred her. 

And this time?

SEVEN!

She was bred to the Spider het TSK Axanthic ph Albino, so I really hope that he proves to be Het Albino this year.

Last year was a crap shoot.

This year, we will find out for real.


So with that, I bid you a good season if it has started for you already.

We shall be back tomorrow to discuss!

Have a great day, my friends!

What does the Future Bring?

Well, I have no clue.

And I have a feeling you don't know either.

And if you do know, feel free to share with me the winning Lotto numbers for this week, please.

I could use them!

 

A friend of mine asked me what I wanted to get this upcoming season.

This is always the question, every year.

What do you want to get or acquire for the collection for the future?

Every year, I think on it, I debate with myself...

This year has been especially hard seeing as how I have not really focused on my breedings as much as I would like in terms of what the final outcome for my own personal collection.

Yeah, I'm breeding cool stuff.

But I'm not sure what I am breeding that I want to keep!

And that, my friends, is part of the problem.

All the possibilities of what I am pairing up, expecting, etc...

I am not quite sure what I really want to keep back from all of it. 

There are a few "Duh" animals, like if I hatch out an Axanthic Bumblebee, or if I get a Quintuple female of some kind. 

But even of what I can't create myself, there is very little that I want to get. 

And that is rather sad to me, in a way.

Sure, I could get a Champagne combo male.

An Ultramel would be cool.

A combo Clown male that actually breeds would also be pretty sweet.

I could get a Desert something, but that doesn't appeal as much as it used to.

Bananas are super awesome, but out of the price range for now.

There are very few new gene animals that I feel like I need!

 Maybe I'm just not thinking hard enough about what to add that will be worthwhile.

I need to press pause and really THINK about it.

What about you guys?

What do you want to get this upcoming season?

What does the future bring?

The hell if I know. 

The only thing I know is:

More Snakes

And I am totally 100% fully okay with that.

Have a great day, my friends!

Too Cool!

As you may know, I ship exclusively with FedEx. I am shipping several boxes this week, and was wondering about the temps over on the East Coast.

So I googled "FedEx Hub" and I found this awesome little video of a day in the life of a standard FedEx flight.

I thought it was so super cool, I wanted to share it with you! The main hub is in Tennessee, and if you watch, you can see why.

Anyway, back to the grind.

My friend Anonymous asked me last week about smaller females and how small I breed them.

"how young do u breed your females? i have a bunch that are 1,200-1,300 grams and just recently went off feed, should i toss a male in? or wait til next season what are your thoughts"

I breed my females no earlier than 2 years ONLY if they are large enough. I do not breed females at 18 months, and I do not breed females smaller than 1200 grams. I like to try for three years old on females, and sometimes that is just the way it pans out.

I understand that some people out there are impatient, and I have been one of those people too. The call of getting eggs can and will be just too much to bear sometimes, and I have to admit that I really like the idea of getting eggs from females that I just hatched out the year before.

Tossing a male in with a female can spur up feeding responses in some animals, but can stifle others. It can trigger breeding, and sometimes it doesn't.

BUT... it can be costly. Some females will slug out, some females will not take, some females will stop eating in response to being bred. An already small female stopping growth due to early breeding? Not really worth it in my humble opinion.

But you CAN do it.

You just have to weigh the pros with the cons. Figure out in the long run if it is worth it to you.

Handle it, my friend Anon. I believe in you.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! 

Wierd Weather and breedings

Pastel Super Mojave x Lemonblast

So of course, the weird weather here in Southern California has led to some very concerning breeding conditions, but I have been watching accordingly, and have captured a few breedings in the last few days.

Also, the problem with the weather is that the humidity has been very low, and lots of dry sheds have resulted. This paired with the fact that I don't like to harass my animals while during the breeding season as much as I would normally has basically shown itself in the stuck shed on the pictures for today.

Please forgive me.

Above, we have a new breeding and a new female to the loop. The Lemonblast female is a recent acquisition that just came out of quarantine. She has now been paired up with the Pastel Super Mojave, hopefully to make some stellar Super Pastel Mojave Pinstripes. Fingers crossed for this pairing...

Vanilla het Hypo x Pastel

And here we have the Vanilla het Hypo male with a Pastel. Nothing super fancy, but I'd love to have a few Vanilla Pastels to work with in the future. Here's to a bunch of combos in this clutch! He is a stud of a breeder, so hopefully there will be some good Vanilla stuff in this upcoming season for sure.

Spider het TSK Axanthic x Pastel het TSK Axanthic

Last but not least, we have my favorite pairing of the blog. I have been shooting for Axanthic Killerbees ever since I saw them from NERD back in 2006. This is my big chance to make some Axanthic Bumblebees, which I could then pair up with the Pastel Axanthic that I produced last season. Fingers crossed for something AMAZING out of this pairing, since this is my only shot this season at it.

So there you go, my friends. I hope that this gives you a glimpse into the possibilities here at Heather's Herps in 2012. I am getting excited, and although I expect this to be a late season for us due to the weather, it should still be an awesome one!

Have a great day, my friends!

Power Males

A lot of people who are getting into the hobby try and figure out what is the best avenue to go..

Should I get a bunch of co-dom females and a cool male, or a cool female and wait to get a cool male for later?

Both of these things work out in the end, and the question really is, what is it that you have in your arsenal to begin with?

If you are just starting out, a few females and a cool male would be a great way to go.
If you are more patient, a great female to grow up is an excellent choice because when she is ready, you can get a great male and make super great babies out of that pairing.

For me, though? I have always been the type to keep the cool females, grow them up and get a super cool male.

So what do I mean by a super cool male?

Well, these photos on the blog are of the Sterling Mojave male that I hatched out this past season. I am very excited to have him here, as I have plenty of cool females to pair him with.

It did, however, take a long time to get there with the collection. Patience is not one of my strong suits, but I have managed to get a bevy of cool females every year to hold back and make work.

So what is best to do?

Again, its up to what you think is best for you....

I know what works for me, and what I intend to continue to do.

Can I find more amazing males to add to the collection? Absolutely!

Is that the plan? You bet your sweet ass it is.

Will you see photos of them eventually on the blog?

Yeah, you know you will... I can't keep anything from you guys... That's why I do the blog at all!

So think on it, share your experiences in the comment section, and have a great day, my friends.

The Reptile Super Show and Breedings

Well, we finally got it done, my friends. The photos exist! 

It was not, however, very outstandingly amazing. There were only a few photos, and honestly, they are all Ball Pythons for the most part.

Let us begin.

Here we have one of my wants in life. The Killer Clown Male.

He doesn't look like the one in my dreams, but if someone gave him to me for free, I wouldn't say No. 

RAWR!

 Here we have a new creation, so new, in fact, that it isn't even outlined as to what it is! 

This isn't to say someone out there doesn't know what it is... It is just that they won't tell anyone that isn't paying for it. 

All I can say is, it looks viciously awesome.

RAWR indeed. 

I want one.

And although I am not quite sure where I stand with the Desert stuff, I have to say that this Pastel Lesser Tiger female right here is amazing. 

AMAZING.

This photo was done without flash, and she still looks awesome. The colors in person are to die for, and I have to say that I wouldn't mind one of these in the collection as well.

 And of course, my new found respect for the Champagnes has garnered a photo of a Pastel Champagne male. I am still trying to decide what Champagne male I should incorporate into the arsenal, but until then, I can stare at this photo at least.

The Buttery Nipple, created by my friend Josh Marki, is the Butter Hypo Champagne. It looks pretty sweet if you ask me...

And of course, what would the show be like without some kind of weirdness?

Apparently, someone brought an Opossum.

It was super cute, and a rescue from a local vet hospital drop off.

Lewie immediately wanted one. I have to say I kinda did too. 

If you have met me before, know that I do not like to leave my table for much of anything. I just like to work when needed. So of course, I was behind the table, hanging with my friend Bob the Albino.

Bob the Albino is my "go-to" educational snake that I bring out for the children to touch and handle.

He is the tamest ball, most kicked back snake ever.

I am honored to work with him as a Snakey Ambassador for our hobby.

The problem, however, was as I was having him around my shoulders, he decided that my braid would be a great place to delve into. 

Yes. 

I had an Albino Ball in my hair.

Can many other people say that? 

I kinda doubt it. 

But that's alright. 

I still love you, Bob.

So that was all of the interesting show photos of the weekend. It was a good time, good friends, and I had a great time seeing people and meeting new ones.

YAY

Anyway, I took these shots last night of the breedings that are happening.

Things are heating up here, finally... It's cooling down again in Southern California, so breedings are actually happening.

 Here we have the Pastel Super Mojave with a Cinnamon female.

And here we have a Vanilla het Hypo male with a Mojave het Hypo female. Fingers crossed for some Hypo Vanilla Mojaves. That would be SWEEEEEEET!

So on we trudge thru the first month of the year. Here's to more breedings and more photos to share.

Have a great day, my friends.

Dang... but YAY!

Well, apparently the camera that we used to take photos of the show is acting up and we cannot download the photos as of yet.

We will keep trying!

But right now, I can update you on some pairings..

This here is my Silver Bullet, Lucky, with a Pastel Lesser female. She had no interest in anyone so far, but Lucky got lucky and made it happen.

This here is a pairing that I was debating on doing this year, but since the opportunity arose and they seemed interested, I paired them up.

These are siblings from back in 2010, my Double Het Albino Pieds...







And just for confirmation, look! There is a lock.

There is one more female that I may pair up with him. I'm not sure exactly what I plan to do as of yet, as this pairing was not planned anyway...

Hmmmmmm

This pairing is another sibling pairing, a pair of Spotnose het VPI Axanthics... If I hit on the VPI Axanthic Powerball, that will be SWEET!

Fingers crossed on that one.

And last but not least, a non-related pairing this time. Mojave Spider male with a Cinnamon female. I am not a huge fan of the Cinnamon Spiders, but a Mojave Cinnamon Spider should be pretty sweet. We shall see, eh?

Anyway, that is what is happening so far... Nothing super outstandingly amazing, but nothing too shabby.

Last clutch of the season should be popping up in another two weeks, and then I can turn the incubator off for a few months.

It will be a relief for a bit not to worry about eggs and to worry about breeding.

Have a great day, my friends.

What Next?

Sterling Mojave

Things are actually going a bit slow right now here in California, as we have been getting some amazingly HOT weather. This past week we have been averaging 75 degrees Fahrenheit, including Christmas Day.

So what does this mean for Heather's Herps?

It means that the males that are supposed to be breeding are getting a bit confused.

It's too hot for them to really get it on, and I have not been seeing as much action as I would normally around this time of year.

I am kinda disappointed, but what am I going to do? I can't control the weather (although that would be awesome if I could...)

So what next?

I am pairing up as much as I can, but giving more time for males with females than normal.  Will this effect the output of this upcoming season? I hope not, but there is a possibility.

The other possibility is a later season than usual, which means hatchings and eggs coming later in the year than usual. When is usual? This past year, we got eggs in the end of April. This year, I anticipate eggs in late May.

We shall see.

California usually does get later clutches than the other eastern states, as I have noticed.

And as for the upcoming pairings?

Yeah, I've changed my mind a few times already (again), but things are going somewhat smoothly.

I hope to get a few new things in the collection, but with everything going on, we will see! Fingers crossed for some awesome new things, and not so late of a season.

Here's to a good season, and the last Reptile Show of the season before the new babies hatch.

Pomona Reptile Show, here we come!

Have a great day, my friends!

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!

Breeding and Blood

As a living, breathing creature, you have blood and you have reproductive organs. Sometimes, these things end up mixing together. It's not the best situation, when your reproductive organs are bleeding, but... it happens.

Rough and tumble, bad angles... etc.

It can and will happen.

This is especially true of male ground dwelling snakes. Sometimes, they drag their junk around before it is even needed, which tends to cause a bit of bleeding and redness.

Now, as a female, I don't want to make any sexist assumptions here, but I would like to point out that if the males are doing it to themselves and they haven't stopped it from happening again, I would be a little less concerned. They can feel pain, and they should have a basic instinct not to destroy themselves.

BUT, as animal caretakers, we must limit this exposure when possible.

YES, Ball Python males drag their junk around the floor when introduced to a female. YES, they can and will cause themselves slight harm.

Is this horrible and terrible and worth putting snake diapers on them?

No...

It's part of the magic of reproduction. Sometimes you don't get it right the first time.

So if you see the blood on the vent, just pop your males and make sure there are no infections or internal foreign materials that have been absorbed by exposing and absorption. If there are either, then please take care of it, be it clean it up yourself or take him to a vet.

Blood around the vent is bound to happen... It even happens with animals that aren't even in breeding rotations.

If it is more than just a very slight crusting, I would be concerned. Any swelling, foreign objects, puffiness or hestiation to pop out a pene are all bad signs.

Blood in general is not a bad sign unless there is a lot of it. A lot will be quantified by being able to scab over something. That is a bad sign. Before that is a warning sign...

Bottom line is if you are vigilant with your males, and know what is normal and what isn't (slight crusting is normal), you should have no problems.

Keep breeding them the way you have been breeding them, but at any sign of foul play, separate and diagnose.

I hope this helps those of you out there with the same questions.

Check some of your animals and you will see that blood does tend to accumulate oddly on some animals around the vent. Take note at the amount. I will see if I can get a picture of someone soon for you all as well.

When in doubt, send me a picture and I will help you figure it out!

Have a great day, my friends!

Distracted...

I know I had questions to answer... and I have completely been distracted by getting things back in order for the 2012 breeding season, my friends.

So if you asked me a question and I haven't answered it, please ask again!

I will be revisiting making an egg tub as soon as the last few eggs are laid in the next few weeks, so that I remember... But other than that, I am sadly lost.

Sorry guys...

I am not trying to ignore you at all. Just discombobulated and distracted.

Easily distracted, actually....

Ooooh! Look! A Bunny!

HAH!

In wake of that joke, I really am very sorry for not getting back to some of you in terms of your questions.

But I am getting some more breeding plans going, and I feel that a few of the pairings are really excellent. Some, not so much...

It is based upon my males, that are proven and have produced babies, and those that have not that I am counting on that much more for.

Like the clown last year... He turned out to not like the ladies last year. I am really praying to the Ball Python Gods that he is over it and will give me the clowns I have been so desperately craving to hatch since I began.

There are a few other males that are in the same boat. It's difficult to plan a season when you are not sure if the males you intend to use will actually get work done.

THIS is where the Mystery Clutches came about, and honestly, I'd rather go for broke than try that again this year. I don't have time to worry and fuss over what "it" could be.

So the two solutions are to just breed like I planned and just see what happens, or pick up a few more proven breeder male morphs. Problem is, nothing out there that is available is anything I don't already have... So I am stuck.

It's not a fun place to be in, but I think I'm stressing myself out too much over things that I can't change. And this upcoming breeding season is already going to be complicated as it is, seeing as how I will be insanely busy with other life goals, such as school and work and wedding.

Why does it have to be so complicated?

HAH! I like the challenge.

The spice of life, as it were.

So I will be introducing some of the newly transitioned males and hope that I can catch them in some kind of act to justify using them this season as breeder males.

So keep an eye out, and ask your questions, and enjoy your day, my friends.

It's that Time AGAIN...

I know we discussed breeding and plans a month ago or so, but I am going to tell you, I have not really thought about it since.

I have thought maybe briefly about something here and something there, but not sit down and PLAN kinda thinking.

And now, here we are, a few days past my birthday, which is usually the time where I have already planned things completely out and have started pairing up.

Hey, guess what?

I haven't started pairing up.

So I need to get my act together and get things planned and going and ready, because apparently, it's breeding season again.

Recall that I still have one or two clutches left to be laid...

Yes.

So therefore, I'm not quite mentally prepared to start a new season when the last season hasn't even finished yet!

But... It has to happen, or I may loose valuable breeding time that cannot be retrieved.

The tubs with markers for animals that will breed this year have been up since the last time we discussed, but I really need to get cracking on who goes with who. And of course, stick with that one pairing. No more mystery clutches if I can help it.

Have you guys already started pairing? Have you already planned who to go with who?

You have any suggestions for what you'd like to see next year out of the Heather's Herps menagerie? 

As always, I feel like I am late, but the East Coast tends to have earlier clutches than the West just by default seasonal changes.

So off I go, to print out spreadsheets and plan pairings.

And this time, I'm going to do it for REAL.

Have a great day, my friends.

Goal Snakes and Goals in General

Every breeder out there, big or small, has a goal snake.

This goal snake is what caused them to get into breeding in the first place... That one animal that they want to produce more than anything so that they can have it for their very own.

Sometimes it changes, sometimes it's easily achievable. But it is there, and a constant reminder of how awesome these animals can be.

So the question really is.. What is the goal of all of this?

What is your goal?

Some people have it in their minds to make a ton of everything and make it big.
Some people just want the little things, to make a bunch of stuff they want to make.
Some people want both.

My goals?

Honestly, as the wind blows, so do my goals.

I have a few that are settled, plans for breedings and things to implement into the collection.
What are they?

The Snow Spider, the Mochi Pied, the Axanthic Killerbee

Things that I can do, and that I have been aiming for, trying to work towards, mostly recessive, mostly hard to come by, absolutely fun.

There are of course many things that are close to the vest, like all breeders. Projects that if given away may give people the one up on you. This is a sad thing, to be concerned about someone else stealing your thunder, but such is the way of the industry sometimes.

Am I working on the Mojave Pied? Sure! Am I working on Crystal stuff? Sure! Am I working on the Crystal Pied? Well... yeah, by way of working on the other!

I'm sure I'm not the only one. But people don't talk about it. It's interesting, really. But I just put it out there.

There it is.

Is that a Goal Snake too?

Absolutely.

But like I said, I have many...

What about you?

Not done yet!

Chubby Female Pastel

Well, the season is coming to a close, but I'm not even done yet! I know we have mentioned that planning for the next season is already underway, as I tend to start my next breeding season on my Birthday, but this time it may not happen.

With everything going on, my Birthday actually falls on the Saturday of the Sacramento Reptile Show, so while we will be snake-ing that day, I will not be able to pair up any animals. 

I am expecting two more clutches to lay, one from the female above and another late female as well. The incubator is still on, and I doubt that it will be shut down until January at this point.. 

But that is alright!

It doesn't mean that things aren't going to happen, it just means that things are going to happen a bit later than usual. 

Black Pewter

I'm also trying to get around to taking a lot of new pictures of critters, as the collection variety has expanded.

I fully intend on getting a few more things done, as well as photos and introduce some new topics to discuss, a few of which have been requested.

I am also doing a few auctions on my Facebook Page located here. If you are on Facebook, check out my page and like it! If you want to be involved in the auctions, you must like the page. Some great deals happen over there, including discounts on purchases and fun games!

Anyway, have a great Monday, my friends.

Planning

HAPPY OCTOBER! (My favorite Month of the year!)

This next season is coming up way to quickly.

I have made the list of possible breeders, although it is not complete, and it has yet even be established who is going with who really.... It has been made.

The real serious stuff begins when I actually start weighing critters to see if they make the cut.

1200 grams is my minimum cutoff for females, and honestly, for some projects that are more important, it is 1500 grams. 

Green (last year) stickers for the females that are ready to go, Yellow or Red for those who are not quite there. I may change it up, since my Stoplight Color Scheme works only depending on the colors of the year.

Let me explain.

Every year, there is a new dot color... New in the sense that it wasn't used last year. Last years color dots stay up for the current year as a quick reference for what was bred to that female last year. This year, the color has to be obviously different.

I have been able to use a different color EVERY YEAR I have initiated this system, and yes, I go out of my way to find new color labels.

This past season, the color has been Orange.. A Nice Neon Orange to get the eyes focused.

This year, I have yet to determine.

And THAT will be when the seriousness begins. 
When the color of the year is chosen, it's on like Donkey Kong.

Maybe a nice cranberry or chartreuse?

HAH! No, it will be based on the availability of colors of stickers at the local office supply store.

And those stickers will be the first indicators of what male goes where.

THESE are the initial records for me to keep track of what males have been in what tubs. I usually write down every male, but with the craziness of this past year, Mystery Males were prevalent.

Note to self: Write shit down.

Every year there is something, and this year coming up is going to be a tough one too. With life coming around and getting in the way of serious snake business, it will be interesting to see how I can juggle everything and keep the organization up to par.

It's going to be a challenge, but I'm sure it'll be great fun.

And it begins with the color labels.

And getting my act together. And writing shit down.

Yeah... I better get on that.

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!

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.