the stripe specialist

Time To Wake Up!!

January 29, 2011

Fred-Rosy Bloodred, left. It’s almost spring, and the snakes that have been brumating for the past six weeks came back out into the light and warmth today. Brumation is a period of dormancy in reptiles in which the metabolism slows down and the animal “sleeps,” waking periodically to drink water. Brumating the snakes may increase fertility, and will set them all on the same schedule for the spring breeding season. It’s difficult to brumate them here in Florida because it just doesn’t get that cold. I’m hoping an abbreviated brumation will still be beneficial.

Lily, right, and Fred will have another chance this season at producing a clutch of Bloodreds het Lavender Kastanie. I’m hoping another year of maturity, plus the brumation period, will result in fertility this year! Fred, who is on loan from Colorado Corns, will also have a chance with Penelope, Hypo Lavender Bloodred. Fred loves the ladies, and I’m sure he will be up to the task!

El Wray, bottom left, Huddleston Miami Motley. El Wray and Cherry produced some beautiful hatchlings last season, in a last moment, probably too late for ideal fertility, breeding. So beautiful that I kept two, which I hadn’t intended to do. As an additional surprise, both parents both turned out to be Het Amel!! This year Big Daddy El Wray will breed with Milksnake Phase Cherry again, and most likely with Zora, the Fully-Striped Miami Mot. There could be some _wild_ hatchlings from that pairing!!

Last but not least is Pepper, bottom right, Rich Hume Avalanche Stripe. Pepper and Katie Haluska’s Buzztail produced a beautiful clutch of Granites and Bloodreds last season, whopping 8-10 gram hatchlings. Most have gone off to new homes now, or are waiting for warmer weather to travel. I love how they turned out! Wonderful diffusion in both, and bright, rich red in the Bloods. This year, Pepper will be paired with a different female, Annabelle, RH Hypoblood Het Snow Stripe. She’s on loan from Colorado Corns. Maybe my dream of hatching Avalanche, Fire and Granite Stripes will finally be realized this season!! I hope so- I’ve been working on that project for four years, and it came to a screeching halt when Ruby probed male. Oh well, back to the drawing board! (The Projects Page has up-to-date news on all the pairings planned for 2011, as well as photographs of all the snakes!)