Oh weather...

The weather here in Southern California is known to be somewhat odd, but it is getting a bit ridiculous already this year. The rains and the heat keep coming and going. Yesterday there was a heat wave, with highs in the 90s, while the week before, it was raining.

This concerns me more because of the females that are still developing or getting thrown off by the weather. I know I am. I dislike the extreme heat of Southern California, but this is where I live.

So I believe the heat will pass in the next few days, and we will get cooler weather again, and then it will get hot again. AWESOME! This may be the reason why the females I am watching to lay are "hinky" so to speak, as in off their timing.

It puts me in such a bad mood when it gets too hot out here. I don't like being too hot. Sweat is not my friend. And add working in a heated snake room to the mix? Not a good combination. Summers in Southern California are great near the ocean... Not too great inland.

But such is life, and we continue on with it, as we must.

Oh, by the way.... No eggs still.

Scar is now on my boo-boo list. I'm hoping for the eggs to come before the weekend, but I will give it until Monday. That is an almost sure bet. Am I putting any money on it? Not on your life.. Not the way things are going.

So of course, to go with my random ramblings, I have included random photos of animals. I hope you enjoy them!

I have been sharing a lot of the 2010s because they are just easier to photograph. I need to get in there and get some better pictures of some older stuff. Maybe tomorrow... I've been moving critters around and am not sure who to pick first.

Have a great day, my friends!

Pattern or color?

Pastel Orange Ghost

I have been thinking about this since I started taking photos recently...

Which is more appealing?

Patterns or colors?

Of course the answer for me would be both, since I have a fondness for everything... but in general, I'm rather curious. 

Back in the day, when I first started, the big thing was Pastels. That, of course, was color... 

And then, it became all about Spiders... And that would be pattern. 

And then it was all about the Bumblebees.

i.e. both!

So let us review some of the base morphs and where I categorize them:

Colors = Pastel, Ghost, Fire, Sable, Mojave, Albino, Axanthic, Caramel Albino

Pattern = Spider, Woma, Pinstripe, Calico, Clown, Genetic Stripe, Het Red Axanthic

Spinner

Now of course you don't have to agree 100% with my categories, and as you can see, I didn't go into all of the possible morphs, but that is what I came up with. Did I miss some you guys can think of? 

I was not trying to come up with all of the combination ones, ala Lesser or Butter, which in my opinion is both a pattern and a color morph, but more a color morph than a pattern... so I left it out.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. Which of those groups is more appealing to you?

I'm intrigued and would love some feedback. 

So chew on that, and get back to me, my friends.

And have a fantastic day!

Black Rock Captives Revisited (and Steve)

I love the times I spend with snake folk, looking at the stuff they have, and relishing in projects that can be done, and the physical evidence of that that is possible.

Yesterday, I was over at Rodney Robertson's place, and I got to see some of his and our friend Steve Grosso's critters.

I had a great time, talking shop, seeing snakes... This is what it is all about, people.

And we begin with the photo session.

This here is one of Steve's VPI Axanthic Spiders.  They look fantastic, and I really like how they are clean with no spots. Again, the arguement with VPI line versus TSK versus the others is always in effect, but hey, I can appreciate an awesome Axanthic Spider anytime.

And of course, an awesome Pastel Yellowbelly. I can't get enough of the pastel stuff that is coming out, and to have just a great looking pastel to begin with is all that you really need.

This here is an animal I covet, the Mystic Fire. I saw it and knew that it was a powerful combo to have, but just imagine all the possibilities that it can do? Just throw it to a Mojave, and you are set!

Another animal I covet. I tried to run out the door with this one, but to no avail. This is one of Rodney's super awesome lucky clutch females. Why is that? Well, two years ago, he hatched out a clutch from a Cinny to a Lesser. He got 5 Cinny lessers and a Cinnamon out of five eggs. He hatched out 2.3 Cinny Lessers, one egg carrying twins!! Crazy good luck, and this gal is looking fantastic.

And of course, an awesome looking Flora and Fauna Calico. I really like these guys... I want a few myself, but for now, I'll just settle with admiring them.

 A killer Spinner het Ghost.. I LOVE Spinners, and this one was really nicely high white on the sides.

And last but not least, an Anaconda. She is BEAUTIFUL, and very docile. I had a lot of fun watching her wiggle around. Yellow spots are a big thing for me, and this gal had them all over!! They also have the wierd bug eyes, which are kinda cute in a way... I had a great time playing with her. But, they are not for me...

So there you go, my friends. I hope to get out and go photograph many other breeders collections for the blog, but I gotta get out there and do it! Apparently, my next trip has to be Virginia, so that is going to be in the works...

But until then, I will go home and take pictures of my own snakes. After seeing all these cool critters out here on the East Coast, I wanna go sit in my own snake room and relish my own...

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Creepy Crawlies

I have arachnophobia. I do. I think I've mentioned it several times over the years. 

I don't like Spiders. When I see them in person, I tend to get squeamish. 

But yes, we have a Tarantula, and yes, I see spiders around the house and in life often enough. 

But these guys? I can handle these Spiders...

This is my Spinner girl that I hatched out, a Spider Pinstripe. I really really really love this combination. I'm not sure exactly why, but I just love the way they look!

And of course, we can't ignore a bit of Pastel added to it.. This picture doesn't do this guy justice, but they are awesome!!! Pastel Pinstripe Spider for the win!

I have to say, I wasn't really expecting this combination to look so good, but it really does. This is a Pewter Bee, or a Pastel Cinnamon Spider. You can't really see the Spider in this combination as much as the others, but it is there. 

I don't, however, really like the Cinnamon Spiders. I don't have one to show off, persay, but I don't think they are that stunning. Kind of a interesting combination, but nothing WOW!

And of course, the Bumblebee, which in real terms has nothing to do with Spiders at all.. 

Spider Pastel combination, one of the cornerstone morphs that most people LOVE! I love them too!

This gal is one of my favorites, and I am really glad to have her here. I'm not sure what I plan on doing with her, but then again, that's why I get to wait a few years.

Spiders are a great morph to be working with, and they are creepy crawly and awesome!

So enjoy the pictures, make your plans, and have a fantastic day, my friends!

Some 2010 babies

 I have had a bit more time to relax, granted without my internet still...

But I have been trying to take it easy by taking pictures.

So I have been taking a lot of them.

Above is one of the Silver Bullet girls I hatched out. I absolutely love her speckling of black, and because yesterday I shared with you Lucky, the male that is a year old, I am curious how this gal will turn out as well.

This gal here is my Spinner female. The only one I hatched out, and who was actually having some feeding issues earlier, but now is a chowhound.

 I absolutely love Spinners for their pattern. I honestly can say they are one of the morphs I like the best.

Of course, Bumblebees don't look too bad either. I really like this one, and she is so clean and beautiful. And she decided to be shy in the picture as well.

And combine the Spinner with the Bumblebee? You could get this guy, the Spinnerblast.

Again, I am in love...

And last, but most certainly not least, the Pastel Super Mojave. I need to get a Super Mojave to put next to this guy to do some education on the subject, as some people can't seem to figure it out, and it is a subtle difference.

And the colors are as true as I could get them. See the yellow stripe down the back, and the faintly light grey head? And of course, blue eyes.

Gotta love them.

So with everything for you to enjoy, I hope you have a fantastic weekend, my friends.

We shall return with a photo journal of sorts. Be prepared!



Facility and new snakes

Well, I had an e-mail wayyy too long ago about photos of my Snake Room again.

It's been a while since I did it, so here we go!

I have shoved as many racks as I can into this room, as I have been warned repeatedly that I only get this room to work in. It's not that big, people, so I am trying to make everything work.

I use Vision, Animal Plastics, Boaphile, Jason's Jungle, and rack makers unknown. I have primarily Vision racks, due to the fact that they are local. 

I use Sanichips, and they get EVERYWHERE!

Yes, I use a labeler as well. I find it easier to find the animals with a bright white label.

I use Helix and Herpstat, but I prefer Herpstat.

If you have specific questions regarding my setup, feel free to ask! I will absolutely answer them.

So onward we go, my friends.

I am having a wierd hatching schedule for some of my animals, as there have been a few days inbetween pipping of this clutch and the lack of pippage from the other eggs.

But here is a guy that came out last night. I have three animals out, and four more eggs in the incubator not ready yet.

Welcome to the world, Spinnerblast male.

He came out after his Pinstripe sister and Spinner sister.

Here he is next to the Spinner, with the Pin hiding underneath the paper in the corner.

As much as I LOVE triple co-dom males, it seems like I am getting overrun with them!

What to keep, what to sell, what to DO????

I dunno. We shall see. He is ridiculous though.. I am very glad to have him. I LOVE Spinners and Spinnerblasts.

I'm glad this clutch actually made it to hatch, unlike my Queenbee clutch. You can't win them all.

And, for those of you who were wondering, yes, the Silver Bullets did shed out, or at least one did. This is my holdback gal. Not sure what I'm going to call her, but I like her!

She has blotches already, similar to Lucky, but he didn't have them as soon. She is going to be interesting to watch grow up.

Maybe her name should be Splotchy.

Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Happy Fourth of July

The Fourth of July for us was a big to do.

Two more clutches were on the ground Sunday morning, one of which I was waiting for, and the other I am waiting to see what happens.

Lets touch on the "waiting to see what happens" clutch.

This is a female I bought several years ago that is supposedly 100% het Caramel Albino. Problem is, I never got the paperwork on her, and she was sold to me because she was a poor feeder. If she does prove out, it would be fantastic, but I'm hesitant to call her a 100% het until I see what comes out of the egg.

She was bred to a Visual Caramel male, so even though she only gave me 4 eggs (yes, she was a small one, and is more than 3 years old), she should be a make or break het this season.

I found her originally with three and one more to lay, so this is right after she was done.

And then, there was the one I was waiting for.

I love Spinners, and I love Spinner Blasts. I have no Lemon Blast or Spinner females, so this clutch will be very important for the collection.

Lemon Blast male to Spider female.

She was a good Momma, and a first time mother as well.

This is one of my more exciting clutches for seeing what pops out. I can't wait, cause I LOVE Spinners, and Spinner Blasts just sweetens the pot.

KABOOOM!

What a fantastic Fourth of July!

Now to see these little gems hatch in two months.

Have a fantastic week, my friends.