Snakes and Stones

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Is that something new, packing snakes in cotton? Snake looks great! :D And I love the decal.

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I don't know if putting them in a snake bag and then surrounding them by polyester filling is normal.
I suppose I would need to buy more snakes to find out. ;)
I feel bad for the guy though, I think I can read ball pythons pretty good and I've never seen one so bewildered in his new enclosure.

Not this one though below, he is totally going to bite me...I was ready for it...
Photo #378
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_e7u3h0.jpg
66% Het Lavender Albino/50% Het Piebald with some agatized pieces of...something...
Those deep pits in the stones look like they may have housed organic material at one point...but, I couldn't say for sure...

Photo #379
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_zjnlfh.jpg
A low expression Orange Dream/100% Het Piebald (in first shed) with a piece of local granite I tumbled/polished.
I originally thought this snake was strictly a 100% Het Piebald, but, I do barely see the OD. (Parents: Piebald x Orange Dream)
Still going to vend this one as a Het only. :)

Someone asked me if I wasn't producing visible piebalds this year.
Lololol That wasn't the plan...but, both my piebald and axanthic crosses were using females on the young side-I cannot fault them for taking an extra year to mature.
As it is...I did get 7 piebald orientated clutches:
-1 of them was a 50% Het that failed to prove
-2 of them were 50% Hets that did not have enough eggs to prove
-1 is another 50% Possible Het proof clutch that has not hatched
-2 of them were only bred to produce 100% Hets
-1 will have visible offspring-in the process of hatching now (Clutch #19).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ted_sbu6xb.jpg

Also, I noticed there have been a lot of guests, but, not a lot of members.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ers_i9bphq.jpg
Being a member does not cost anything.
Sign up and feel free to say Hello, or go one step further and be a hero and take a picture of your ball python with neat stone(s) and post it here. :)

Photo #380
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_v3xftb.jpg
I was told this is epidote in matrix that was collected off the coast of Lake Superior...I'm not sure, but, I can tell you that is very difficult to photograph as the green crystals scatter light.
Ball python is a Spider/66% Het Orange Ghost/66% Het VPI Axanthic.

Breeders Note: Trying to figure out my breeding schemes for next year. Things were a lot simpler when I didn't have to factor in 2 or 3 levels of possible recessive genes...:)

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Breeders Note: Trying to figure out my breeding schemes for next year. Things were a lot simpler when I didn't have to factor in 2 or 3 levels of possible recessive genes...:)

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If anybody can do it, you can.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

If anybody can do it, you can.

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No pressure now! ;)

Someone in the rock forums had asked me to show my clutch #20 when it hatched. I figured I would share the photo here too. Parental cross was Clown x Enchi/66% Het Albino:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_eksmwc.jpg

While I'm delivering random news: My clutch #11 just started hatching after 85 days @88F. Pretty crazy eh? I thought they were goners. Just imagine if I tried to cut them at Day 60...:evileye:

While some of my clutches deteriorated badly: all have hatched and I've lost none in entirety so far (regardless of my expectations).
My Clutch #17 has fared the worst though and is down to one egg--given the type of yellow mold that is invading, and how the consumed eggs completely collapsed flat like they were hollow-I think they were nonviable.

Photo #381
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_ptom7y.jpg
GHI/Lesser Ball Python with a Granitey-Quartzey type stone I find in my area, difficult to polish-even in a vibe tumbler.

Update: My new male Super Blade ball python I received on Thursday 29AUG2024 is eating already--I thought it would take at least a month or two.
I've got him scheduled for breeding with 9 females for the 2025 season...so he better rest up while he has the chance!

Sounds like the new guy's doing great already...hope it bodes well for the future projects.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Sounds like the new guy's doing great already...hope it bodes well for the future projects.

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Yes, we'll see.
I have my breeding schemes for 2025 adjusted for the possibility that he does not care to breed for the first year. 9 females is on the low end of what I would like to use from my collection.
In the past I've had success pushing the number of female ball pythons mating to one male to much higher numbers, but, I've seen diminishing returns with regards to a sharp increase in non-viable eggs (duds/slugs).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_yczrmq.jpg
As mentioned previously: Super Blade/Het Clown/Het Lavender Albino :)

Photo #382
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_gcdjxq.jpg
A good sized piece of Blue Chalcedony from Idaho, USA, with a 66% Het Lavender Albino/50% Het Piebald ball python (in shed).

You will notice I'm doing a lot of snake photos with one or two stones...this is partly because I want a more detailed image of the snake/stone, and this is partly because I am hard pressed for time.
Once I sell the majority of my hatchlings to distributors then I will have more time to take more intricate photos of my remaining holdbacks. :)