"Milagro" (translation "miracle")

[Bogertophis]

So, it's time for me to come clean & admit that ever since the 27th of August, I've been harboring a brand new hatchling rat snake, & her name is Milagro.

I have good reasons for not sharing my happy news with you all sooner: she wasn't supposed to be here...I didn't plan to have another snake but she hatched out of an
infertile egg, I assume the result of parthenogenesis. Snakes that have only one parent (are not the result of breeding) often have many defects that keep them from
surviving, but so far, she's doing great! I also know that you'll be mad at me for not posting pictures, but by now those of you that 'know me' here have no such
expectations, lol. So "sorry" in advance for that but there isn't much to see yet anyway*, plus my first priority will always be what's best for the snake, & right now
that's eating, resting, & growing stronger. *She is a typical Pantherophis alleghaniensis hatchling- blotch pattern in shades of muddy-gray that will eventually change
to adult yellows with different markings (dorsal stripes most likely), & she's tiny! Just 11" long & no fatter than a pencil, her head the size of a striped sunflower seed.

Milagro's mom is Lainey, one of my 11.5 year old Florida rat snakes (a blend of yellow, gulf hammock & probably some Everglades thrown in). I have 2.2 of these c/b
snakes...I've had them for about 10 years now, since their owner in Florida lost both his job & his home, sadly had to re-home the snakes he was working with & move
up north. They've never been together, yet every year both females do double-clutches of eggs, which is why the males are so much bigger than the females. Their
1st clutches have been up to 27 eggs, & their 2nd clutches are typically around 18. Many of those eggs are obvious slugs that I toss, & in the past I've used some of the
nice white eggs for "show & tell" but only this year did I actually try incubating them.

You can imagine my shock when I walked past the eggs one morning & saw a tiny chin peeking up out of it, & blowing bubbles in the goo. Sometime that afternoon
she made it out of the egg & was exploring; I quickly fixed up her own place to live. The only defects I can see are a very minimal bump in her neck, & a tail tip that's a
bit more blunt than it should be. She has no siblings, but there have been at least 4 fully-formed hatchlings (from either adult female) that did not make it out of their
eggs even after they made made some slits in them. There are only 5 "good" eggs left incubating, & only from Lainey's second clutch (not due yet), none from the other
female. Now I am not by any means an expert on parthenogenesis...the only other possibility is that these snakes were put together when young by their first owner, &
that somehow they managed to mate at that time. I don't think that's the case, & even if it were, it would mean it's been at least 10 years since that mating. Unlikely.

So no matter how Milagro came to be...it's pretty amazing. At one day of age she was chasing the motion of my finger so I gave her a live pinky mouse, which she ate.
After that, she went into 'shed' & after shedding on 9-4, she easily took a f/t pinky, then again on 9-7 and again on 9-13...so she's off to a great start. She's active in
her cage when hungry, and climbs pretty well, but she's also not above slipping face-first into her container of damp moss after 'posing' from the side, lol. I've often
caught her peeking & watching me...very typical of rat snakes, but mostly she's hiding & resting/digesting. (I'm assuming she's a "she"- I've not checked.)

I've bred plenty of snakes but it's been some years, & I've not been wanting to add any more snakes...but I have to admit that I'm pretty stoked about having Milagro in
my life. I've often said my best pets have often been the ones I didn't plan or choose, so here I go again.