Snakes and Stones Pr. 2

Photo #574
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_xq8spw.jpg
BP = Het Piebald/Het VPI Axanthic/50% Possible Het Orange Ghost
The snake is starting to go into shed for the photo. They shed a lot when they start growing fast. :)

Stone = A piece of dyed Brazilian Agate that was formerly a broken bookend.

Breeders Note: 7/16 females I am mating with my Super Blade Male have significant follicle development at the moment. The gals are doing their job...after no success from my male last year--I would be happy to get one solid clutch of eggs this year... :yes:

Also, the price of everything has gone up significantly. I will not be buying any new tumbling rough anytime soon...which is fine because I hoarded plenty pre-C19. You will be seeing a lot of the same types of stones though in 2027 unless the 'cost of living' improves...

Photo #575
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_i0unnx.jpg
BP = Spider Highway (Spider/Gravel/YB)
This ball python is losing its pattern in bright-out as it grows older.
The stones are Jasper from the Mid-West USA, and Iron-Stained Quartz from Massachusetts.

At #575 this is my last hatchling/snake photo from my 2025 set.

2026 may be an interesting year:
I am still within range of some of my morph breeding goals, but they are at 1/16 odds...so I'm not holding my breath.
I usually get 1 or 2 early egg clutches in May, and then nothing until July.
I can already pick out one of the females who is going to lay in May. :)

Yesterday my partner was complaining I had already turned on one of my incubators.
Hahaha yeah, I didn't expect eggs until at least mid-May...but some of my pythons seemed like they were pretty far along...
Good thing I was proactive:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...-01_j7hwqt.jpg
April 30th is the new record for my earliest clutch...of course this gal is going to have share that title...
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_nxbugf.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_um7yjp.jpg
Usually I buy a coin for scale each year, but I wasn't expecting eggs so early...I just used a Sharpie for size reference (for now). :)

I turned on half of my incubators today in advance because it seems today like I will potentially have multiple females that are going to lay early.

I was also scrambling to make a new watermark for my 2026 photos.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...zed_mvnfgi.jpg
I thought it might be neat to have a more elaborate design, but I don't like the watermark standing out too much...
I'm going to go back to my old method:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...zed_qqcgfp.jpg

:)

Wow, already? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Wow, already? :D

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Yep! I'm going to have to check for eggs every day...

So many of my adult breeders all stopped eating at the same time...I am drastically over producing rodents by a factor of hundreds/week right now lololol

- - - Updated - - -

And just for fun:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_i0fxis.jpg

I was looking for a coin to use for scale in my snake photos for 2026.
I thought my decorative coin from 2025 was too large and I wanted something smaller like the size of a quarter.
I looked online and I thought the prices for decorative snake coins were ridiculously high.
When I was a kid I randomly collected some cheap foreign coins I came across.
I thought this Great Britain Half-Penny was about the right size for my purposes:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_p5tdne.jpg
It is 0.5mm larger than a quarter, but the brown color should not distract from my images as a reflective coin would.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_xip2gg.jpg
It is a little dented up on the sides, but, whatever! :)
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_zpkatq.jpg

Below is my Leopard/Pastel/100% Het VPI Axanthic/Yellowbelly that gave me all ivory hatchlings last year from an Axanthic Female (un-ID'd yellowbelly lol).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_lvlxci.jpg
He better not give me all ivories again this year against various Het Axanthic females: if he does...I will scream... :)

He won't hear you anyway....:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

He won't hear you anyway....:D

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Hahaha, this is true. :P

I'm looking at my Spider Highways I produced in 2025.

I was hoping my Dark One would hold its color (on left)...but no such luck...fading out rapidly...still a little bit darker than the one on the right.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_frnmy1.jpg
I'm not sure how I feel about the Spider gene whiting out the coloration.
On a regular Highway morph there is the blushing up the sides, but the snake retains more of a yellow color...(adult shown below)
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_oltha7.jpg
Maybe if I mix Pastel in to created Bumblebee Highways that will bring back some yellow?
I just looked up some photos of Bumblebee Highways online but they were only hatchlings and still looked like they were going to 'white-out' as adults.
Hmmmm...I may try adding in Mojave in with Spider to see if that will add more definition to the Highway.

As for anyone new who may be reading this: As I said in my original thread (Snakes and Stones): I do not recommend anyone start breeding Spider ball pythons. I've been selectively breeding my Spider Line to reduce wobble for 25+ years, and with all the various morphs available now: I can tell you it is totally not worth the trouble for someone just beginning.

I can understand your curiosity & dedication, but honestly that whole look does nothing for me. Just saying... they have nothing on "normal" BPs, IMO. :snake: