Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This morning I was walking by the vivarium and had to do a double take; Eve had given birth. This was a bit of a shock as I really did'nt think she was carrying a litter. She has been looking huge (I temp gunned her two days ago at 83) but the last observed mating was April 22, 2007. She ate normally up until 9/28 then stopped altogether. She's been basking in the warmer temps but with the cooler temps all my boas do.
Her shed dates were 3/24, 5/11, 9/29 and 10/25 (going with the 5/11 shed as post ovulatory that would be 223 days after though I never noted a ovulatory swell). Anyway, mom is thin but fine.
Final numbers; 16 healthy babies, one slug (though mom may have already eaten some). Two babies were still in thier sacs so she dropped this morning. No escapies found so far! Eve had 14 babies in 2006, 15 in 2002 so this is her biggest litter yet.
Largest neonates were 35.4 grams, smallest 31.2, average was 33.5.
This time I actually got some pictures as they were found. Enjoy.


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Happy holidays everyone.
Paul

Awesome Paul and congrats you deserve and I remember when you posted a long time ago saying maybe next season but you weren't even worried about getting babies now you have them Think Abel fathered them and what is happening with the litter?
Bob

Thanks Bob,
Hard to say for absolute certain but I'd put my money on Adam as the sire. He was locked up with Eve for 3 straight weeks. Not to say that Abel did'nt sneek one in there...one of the problems with maintaining a group together; hard to say who's done what.
Got the little ones separated now. I'll wait till after they shed before giving them thier first meal of pink rats. After two or three sheds then off to East Bay Vivarium for the group purchase (ok, might keep one, the female I kept from the 06 litter has turned out rather brown so I'll unload her at EBV at the same time).
Paul
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Well, I can tell you from experience, EBV won't give you jack for them!!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Dave,
Honestly, I don't really know what a good price for wholesale is. I do know when I took 9 of my 06 litter down there I had'nt gotten my offer out of my mouth before he said OK (50.00 each). I took two more down a month later and asked for 65.00 and again they did'nt bat an eye. I'm sure I'm asking too little for them but I figure that people coming to the EBV know what they are looking for (at least as far as a snake) so I'm hoping they are going to good homes whereas the pet stores here in Sacramento are probably getting more reflex buyers.

With my business sense I'll keep my day job.
Paul

$50's not too bad, of course $65 is better. I was thinking they'd offer you like $40. There are a few buyers in the classifieds looking for wholesale and I have a couple of buyers already lined up for my wholesale side of the "business" When I have enough to warrant selling some off wholesale.

You could check with Jeremy at upscale reptiles (oak Grove I think), tell him I sent you.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Major congrats and we'll all be waiting for more pics!!!!!!!

I think you win the latest litter of the year award??
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Thanks Dave,

It was a great way to start my vacation.
Paul

Congrats on the babies!!!! That is an awesome gift!
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Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

...

Paul,

Congratulations on sneaking one more clutch in there. I think it's safe to say that you won for the last clutch of 2007. I got your stats. thanks for posting them. I'll include them in the second annual "stat post" early January.
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

Mike,
Check my last post before finalizing your stats. The last three came in at 32.6, 32.6 and 34.
Thanks,
Paul

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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

Congratulations! How have you been? You must be in the lead for out of expected timing births!? Glad to see you here.

Linda

I've been great. I've got just one bath to finish and our new house can be called 'done' (yeah, right). Just started a vacation today and could'nt have expected a better way to start!
This litter has really surprised me. I'm still pouring over my files trying to sort out the details of this pregnancy. I can kick myself for not paying much attention to the details on this one (my excuse, I just did'nt think she was pregnant). Usually I monitor the temps closely. I'm wondering now if she stored sperm from the April breeding and allowed fertilization when conditions were right (can they do this, maybe Mike or someone can weigh in on this).
Needless to say I'm thrilled. Now I've got to run out and get some more rubbermaids (got two in one sweater box and three in another).
Nice to hear from you Linda. Though I don't post much I'm always checking in on the doings around here (man there are alot of doings!!).
Paul

sperm and I think Mike or someone else had slugs one year and the female was with no male that year but was the year before but my memory is questionable Paullol
Bob

Paul,
...Congratulations on this interesting and different litter. Your shed versus delivery dates do not fit with the dates that others found with their litters this year and your time from last observed mating does not fit with any of my experiences. Like was mentioned this may be a case of retained sperm. Those are big babies which may have something to do with the female eating so far into the year when she was obviously a couple monbths gravid. Gestatiuonal temperatures higher than some of us provide may also be causative in the larger size of the babies. All of us breeding BRBs provide subtle differences in caging and cooling and heating that apparently account for very big differences in our results. The only rule that seems to be universal is that all the rules are variable. BYW, I was probably the biggest doubting Thomas about your snake being gravid this year. What the heck do I know?
Jeff

>>This morning I was walking by the vivarium and had to do a double take; Eve had given birth. This was a bit of a shock as I really did'nt think she was carrying a litter. She has been looking huge (I temp gunned her two days ago at 83) but the last observed mating was April 22, 2007. She ate normally up until 9/28 then stopped altogether. She's been basking in the warmer temps but with the cooler temps all my boas do.
>>Her shed dates were 3/24, 5/11, 9/29 and 10/25 (going with the 5/11 shed as post ovulatory that would be 223 days after though I never noted a ovulatory swell). Anyway, mom is thin but fine.
>>Final numbers; 16 healthy babies, one slug (though mom may have already eaten some). Two babies were still in thier sacs so she dropped this morning. No escapies found so far! Eve had 14 babies in 2006, 15 in 2002 so this is her biggest litter yet.
>>Largest neonates were 35.4 grams, smallest 31.2, average was 33.5.
>>This time I actually got some pictures as they were found. Enjoy.
>>
>>
>>.
>>Happy holidays everyone.
>>Paul
>>

Jeff,
I too did not think Eve would go this year (especially with the way she ate throughout); even with the wild mating that was spurred on by Abel coming of age. With the setup these snakes live in a 'quicky' can happen without my ever noting it. Poor note taking this summer left some valuable information on the table; I can kick myself for that.
'The only rule that seems to be universal is that all the rules are variable'. Ain't it so.
Thanks,
Paul

Congratulations on this interesting and different litter. Your shed versus delivery dates do not fit with the dates that others found with their litters this year and your time from last observed mating does not fit with any of my experiences. Like was mentioned this may be a case of retained sperm. Those are big babies which may have something to do with the female eating so far into the year when she was obviously a couple monbths gravid. Gestatiuonal temperatures higher than some of us provide may also be causative in the larger size of the babies. All of us breeding BRBs provide subtle differences in caging and cooling and heating that apparently account for very big differences in our results. The only rule that seems to be universal is that all the rules are variable. BYW, I was probably the biggest doubting Thomas about your snake being gravid this year. What the heck do I know?