Snakes and Stones

Hahaha, I gotcha!  

I couldn't even begin tell you the nicknames I was given in my teenage years-because they were assigned by my rivals and are highly offensive.

Photo #356

Brazilian Agate with a 66% Het Clown/Lavender Albino ball python. 

Oh my, they are so cute! Thanks for sharing!

Photo #357

A Lavender Albino (+66% Possible Het for Clown) Ball Python with a very challenging stone from the Morenci Copper Mine in Arizona.
Non-Flash Photo with overhead light source below.

Lol, I don't tell people because the number does not equivocate to decreased level of care and attention that I provide...based on my posts though...you could easily guess triple digits.    

The point in time between all my hatchlings arrive and I get a few meals in them before vending them (usually en masse)-is where my population is the highest.

Thanks!

I'm not going to lie: In about 1-2 years as the snakes reach about 1200 grams-the colors are going to start to slowly fade and darken and get progressively dull.  This is often referred to as 'Brownout'.

While discussing brownout: there is a gene called 'Fire'. This gene cancels most of brownout and often results in the ball python becoming *brighter* over time.  I think this gene is woefully underrated because many people buy ball pythons when they are young (where this gene is barely noticeable)-so many breeders have little motivation to add the extra effort to include a gene which causes long-term color enhancement/retention.

I have had the Fire gene in my collection for many years, but, I had issues with my original Fire ball python and subsequent offspring being overly-aggressive...and I could not comfortably breed them for the pet trade.  It has taken a few generations of outcrossing before I have balanced out their temper to a point where I am now working to incorporate this gene into a wider portion of my collection.  In fact I do have a clutch hatching right now where 50% of them should be carrying Fire: 

Rock tumbling is pretty easy: I can check the rotary tumblers whenever, and while my vibe tumblers are more effort...I can switch them off until I have time to work on them. 

I joke with my gf that I am going to convert the Great Hall in my house into a snake breeding room which I can set up to house 800+ adult ball pythons.  She knows I will never do it: Because I am maxed out with what I have now.  If I ever retire...that might be a different story. 

Photo #359

Some local feldspar with an Enchi Het Clown.

That is a good question!

When ball python eggs are laid-the mother forms coils around them.  The coils keep the eggs shielded by her body...and depending upon how tightly she wraps them and/or rubs her scales against the eggs for friction-she can adjust the temperature.  Unlike bird eggs that need to be rotated during development-ball python eggs have evolved to develop in a stationary position.

When I collect the eggs I will write the number of the clutch on the top of every egg I can reach and then move them to my incubator bins.  I use a substrateless incubation method where they are sitting on a plastic grill instead of embedded in a media.  As the eggs develop they actually rock back and forth slightly and in some cases this is enough to cause the egg to turn over on the plastic grill and the embryo to drown inside the egg.  The straws are there to keep the eggs from tipping over as the embryos grow and/or I bump into the incubator (like a clumsy oaf).