the stripe specialist

My Big Babies!!!

September 14, 2010

I can’t believe the change in the hatchlings! They are almost two months old now and are going through their second sheds. The color change in the second shed has been dramatic, to say the least! They are eating like horses and growing like weeds! The biggest ones will be eating double pinks at their next meals! I’m talking 16 grams and up! The Bloodreds are turning flaming red, and the Granites are to die for. Silvery beauties with excellent diffusion. As gorgeous as any I have ever seen. I am _very_ proud of them.

And they are just a joy to handle, too. Confident, unafraid. They’ll hold on, not go flying and flailing away. You’ll definitely get a tail rattle. Possibly a bite if you make them impatient, but they are not hatelings. You won’t have a moment of worry about feeding- they feed right away with no tricks. They are big and strong and healthy. You can set them down for pictures and have a reasonable expectation that they will sit and look around, not run away in fear. They have been handled. They are used to the routine of being taken out, weighed, cupped for feeding, asked to stay in a deli for pictures. They are not terrified of humans. They are curious and out-going.

Many have departed for new homes, scattered to all areas of the country, but there are still plenty of beauties left to choose from! You can see the For Sale Babies on the Available Page. Please take a look! Shipping is quite reasonable and the weather is nearly perfect now!

Gartersnake~ The Tessera!!

September 13, 2010

I still can’t believe my luck! It started at the 2010 Cornsnake Supper Club Raffle, in Daytona Beach, Florida. The raffle is a benefit for USARK, a science and education based advocacy for the responsible private ownership of, and trade in reptiles. This is the second year we have put on a very successful raffle! The Grand Prize this year was a high white pied ball python donated by Tom Crutchfield. I bought a number of tickets and divided them among a few prizes that I would like. I thought, what the heck- I’ll put ten tickets in for the Grand Prize! I’ll never win…Imagine my shock when the ticket was drawn and my name was called!

I collected my beautiful little ball python and was immediately overwhelmed, both by the unfamiliarity with the species, the newness of the out-of-egg baby, and the breeding potential! It wouldn’t be fair to keep him as “just a pet.” So I was moping around the National Reptile Breeders Expo the next day, unable to enjoy the awesomeness of my incredible prize, when I happened to bump into Don Soderberg. I told Don and his friend, who happened to be a ball python breeder, of my dilemma. Don said to me “Well, would you like to trade the ball python for a 2010 male Tessera?” Would I!!! It took me all of about five seconds to make up my mind. I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. Thank you, Don, for giving me the opportunity to own a cornsnake morph that was beyond my wildest dreams. Don, being the kind, generous person that he is, went on to give the pied ball python to a friend who dearly wanted, and couldn’t afford, a pied. Don’s friend was thrilled with the gift, and will provide an excellent python-friendly home for the pied. What a crazy way to acquire my first South Mountain Reptiles cornsnake!! I still can’t believe my luck.

So I’d like to present Gartersnake (yes- the fun name stuck!) 2010 M SMR Tessera. I’ve got some big plans for him! You’ll find out in a month or so when Gartersnake’s future mate arrives from Low Belly Reptiles! Carol and I will be hoping to produce a new Tessera morph- I can’t wait!

Why Yes, I Love Terrazzos!!

September 13, 2010

There was only one thing I was looking for at Daytona. I knew they would probably be there, the question was, could I afford them? The answer was yes! I had been researching Terrazzos for the last year, putting out feelers, reading everything I could. I had decided that I would like to get them from Jeff Galewood, JMG Reptile. I hadn’t even corresponded with Jeff- I just dropped by his booth and sure enough, there was a beautiful pair of 2009 Terrazzos. Better yet- they were in my price range! I called my snake mentors Carol Huddleston and John Finsterwald in for a consult and they agreed; the JMG Terrazzo pair was a must-have! I am thrilled to introduce Zeke, the male, on the left, and Zoey, the female, on the right. They should be of breeding size in 2012! I can’t wait!!