boasandballs

The most anticipated clutch of ours this year. The Desert / Mojave clutch was due to hatch 9-14-2010. So on Wednesday, six days early. Theresa, my number one gal around here, and I decided to take a peek. I don't usually cut eggs early. I figure they have been coming out on there own for hundreds of years, and know when it's the right time. But Theresa would not be back for several days and this clutch, we were both so excited about.

You should have seen us. We were sitting on the floor in the incubator room, hovered over this clutch of eggs, wanting to see what was inside. I had a scalpel in my hand, and my reading glasses on so I could see better. I picked up the first egg and made a small cut. What was it? I handed it to Theresa, and she peeked. "Mojave I think" she said. "Yes it's a mojave" Now the next one. A Desert!! or maybe a desert mojave. Jack pot! We could not jump for joy, there wasn't enough room. And besides we were on our hands and knees. Another Mojave and then another light one, Desert mojave again? We were so happy. When we were done there looked like four deserts or desert mojaves and two mojaves. We were so happy we could hardly contain ourselves. Plans for the future breading spun trough our heads.

The next day I checked the clutch several times. Poking at the little ones wanting to see what they were, and if they were ok. On Friday, two days after we made the little slits late in the afternoon I went in to look again. I saw one of the heads poking out. "What! No, that is not normal". I said out loud for no one to hear but myself. I picked up the little egg and opened up the slit Theresa and I made the two day before, a bit larger. Still to my disbelief it could not be. A Spider. I took the little snake out of its egg, and sure enough it was a spider. I poked at the others ones we thought were deserts and sure enough they were spiders or maybe spider mojaves. Off the step stool I flew, and over to the phone to call Theresa. "How can that be?" exclaimed Theresa. "We only breed her to the Desert". I reminded her she was one of Emma's snakes. "Oh that is right" Theresa said with a sigh.

Back in mid to late April of this year, five months ago. Emma, a friend had to sell her animals. She had spent a lot of time picking the nicest ones she could find, some of them came from me and others came from friends of mine. I knew she would not sell them if she did not have any other choice so I bought them. We knew the pastel was gravid when we got her and she laid eggs two weeks later. But the Mojave had very small follicles, 15mm if I remember right. After a brief quarantine time I decided to breed the mojave female to the desert male and that is the only male I ever put in with her. In the back of my mind I knew it was possible but the follicles were small and I saw the desert locked up with her several times. I just never thought there would not be any deserts in this clutch. Goes to show you, you just never know what life will through your way.
Pics in a couple days.