Linda,

...Congratulations on the babies. The connected zigzag pattern along the back is fairly common. Those partial stripes are not so common. Some folks will be in a hurry to pay extra for them. The ones with just small defects at the tip of the tail will do fine. Many people are happy to buy snakes with small defects for a little less than regular price. Many breeders think, and perhaps correctly that pattern abnormalities, spinal kinks and more serious defects are caused by incubation/gestation temperature not being right on. I am not sure about that theory but I think if you have enough baby snakes you will have to eventually see some with defects. I have had quite a few snakes with defects born here over the years. A couple with one eye, one with no eyes, spinal kinks, malformed palates and one two headed Colombian Rainbow.

Jeff



>>I really don't know what to think of this litter. They seem healthy and robust, but I'm disappointed in the way they look. I will not repeat this breeding. I don't know what to think of the connected dorsal ring thing. Just out of curiosity....if this exact breeding were to be repeated could I expect more of the same with more emphasis on crooked tails and connected dorsals? I am kinda going for a look here and this just wasn't it. Please don't get me wrong....I am thrilled to have a healthy, biting, fullterm litter but I have an idea (could be egotistical) of what I would to produce and I want to be moving toward it.

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>>anyway....must have been the batteries......

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