>>Well, it finally happened. After long long LONG months of waiting, Zuul finally gave birth this morning. I was lucky enough to catch her in the act when I came home this morning at 5:15 AM. Some babies were already out and cruising the water tub, but she still had several more to go.

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>>What a sight! I was amazed by how fast it went. The last 5 or 6 babies came out within 10 - 20 minutes! Perhaps this is why it is so hard to catch them giving birth.

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>>12 total were born, but 2 died about an hour after birth. One of them was all kinked up, so I was not surprised. So final total is an even 5.5 if I sexed them correctly. Will double-check after they shed.

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>>I was elated to see that all but 1 of the babies have cool aberrant patterning! Of course, the kinked one had the best pattern.... almost NO dorsal blotches! Will definitely be trying to breed for a healthy version of that one!

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>>So yeah, this aberrancy is now proven to be a genetically reproducible trait. Just now have to learn whether it is line bred or recessive or whatnot.

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>>The other half of the genetics I was hoping to prove out does not appear to have happened. I was wondering if the adults may have been Hypermelanistic to some degree, but all the babies look normal. Though, I was told that both Gozer and Zuul looked normal as babies, but became darker by their first year. So who knows... the dark pigment is probably more polygenic.

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>>Ok, here are the pictures!

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>>-----

>>Aubrey Ross

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>>�

>>www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

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