Snake of the Day 09-01-18

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These two Leucistic Gray-banded Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis alterna) hatched last week, and are the only two we’ll produce this year. After several feedings of frozen/thawed pinky mice, they’ll be offered for sale. I haven’t even checked their genders yet. Note the classic BUGGY eyes SOME Leucistic serpents possess?

Snake of the Day 08-30-18

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Thank you, Jason Hood, for this beautiful neonate male Phrynonax poecilonotus (Bird-eating Snake).  I just had to acquire a pair at NRBE in Daytona Beach earlier this month, after seeing the adults, and from numerous discussions with Jason.  No, they will never eclipse corn snakes as a wildly popular species in our hobby, but I look forward to witnessing their highly dynamic metamorphosis through maturity.  BONUS  PICs . . .

Snake of the Day 08-28-18

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Thank you again, BARBARA VELTHUYSEN for discovering the MicroScale mutated gene in corn snakes and to TARA SMALL for making it possible for us to hatch this rare corn snake triple-mutant (MicroScale, Amel, and Caramel).  This SMR MicroScale Butter hatched earlier this month.  Like the relatively lackluster neonatal colors of all Butter mutants, this snake will get more and more yellow with maturity.  He/She was only a week old when this picture was taken, so it has filled out since eating twice for me so far (have not yet determined gender, since I don’t care which it is).  I’ll keep you pictorially updated on its color transformation through maturity.   BONUS  PICs . . .

Snake of the Day 08-27-18a

Show & Tell

First, thank you, Tara Small, for the opportunity to work with these awesome (if not ODD) looking corn snake mutants.  Formerly called MicroPave, the MicroScale corn snake mutants have what you’d expect; noticeably small and misshapen scales. Not unlike the Scaleless corn snakes, MicroScale mutants have scales that are small, irregular in shape, orientation, and body zone locations, but of course, many many more such scales than Scaleless corn mutants.  Virtually all of MicroScale corns are missing many scales around the head and neck regions, and because many of the head scales are missing, like Scaleless, their eyes look a little buggy, even though they are the same size as any other corn snake eyes.  In the next two DAYs I’ll be explaining some of the genetic mechanics of this fascinating mutation.  AND, I’ll show the world–for the first time–our triple mutant MicroScale corn snake that hatched recently; two color mutations, plus MicroScale. 

Snake of the Day 08-27-18

Show & Tell

First, let me thank Barbara Velthuysen, who discovered the MicroScale mutation, originally calling them by a name I wish she had kept; Micro Pave.  Congratulations, Barbara for this amazing corn snake mutation. Amazing corn snake mutants by any name.

Macro views of some of the scalation of a MicroScale corn snake.  Outlined in blue are the actual scales, but the pattern zones between these blue-outlined scales are bare skin.  I used to think that MicroScale corns had more defined pattern because they had twice the number of smaller scales (higher dot pitch resolution?), that is not the case now.  Not only are the scales highly variable and always atypical for most serpent scales, but they don’t shingle (overlap) as much as the scales of most serpent species.  There are many spaces of bare skin between scales, as you can see in most of toDAY’s pictures.  Like the eyes of Scaleless corns, the eyes of MicroScales are relatively the same size as the eyes of any corn snake, but since the facial scales of classic corns always overlap the eyes, the absence of those scales around the eyes of Scaleless and MicroScale corn snake mutants results in the eyes having a “bulging” appearance.  Thank you, Martin Baker for providing the tall image of the sloughed skin of a MicroScale corn.   Per mm / inch more scales are missing on the head than any place else on the body of a MicroScale mutant.  Tomorrow, (August 28), I’ll show you two different color mutants of this amazing corn snake scale mutant. BONUS  PICs . . .

Snake of the Day 08-26-18

Show & Tell

First, thank you, Tara Small, for the opportunity to work with these awesome (if not ODD) looking corn snake mutants.  Formerly called MicroPave, the MicroScale corn snake mutants have what you’d expect; noticeably small and misshapen scales. Not unlike the Scaleless corn snakes, MicroScale mutants have scales that are small, irregular in shape, orientation, and body zone locations, but of course, many many more such scales than Scaleless corn mutants.  Virtually all of MicroScale corns are missing many scales around the head and neck regions, and because many of the head scales are missing, like Scaleless, their eyes look a little buggy, even though they are the same size as any other corn snake eyes.  In the next two DAYs I’ll be explaining some of the genetic mechanics of this fascinating mutation.  AND, I’ll show the world–for the first time–our triple mutant MicroScale corn snake that hatched recently; two color mutations, plus MicroScale. 

Snake of the Day 08-25-18

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Here are some of the the last 2018 clutch of High-white Reverse Okeetees to hatch this year.  Naturally, their mature coloration will be very similar to their mother’s (in the next pic), so don’t judge color by what you see in these hatchlings.  They will be published for sale after a few meals.  BONUS  PIC . .

Snake of the Day 08-24-18

Show & Tell

A yearling corn snake that escaped in the Nursery Building a few weeks ago. Place the trap on the floor next to the wall, since most errant snakes will follow walls. I dumped out what attracted it to the Funnel Trap (some used mouse cage bedding). He ate the two fuzzy mice that were also in this double 2-liter bottle trap. If desired, a funnel on both ends and an extended barrel (using two bottles) sometimes enhances capture success. Details and s . . .