My big female Northern pine just died a few days before laying 16 eggs(I performed a cesarean, post mortem). She had been fine till a week before her shed when she laid a slug. Then she didn't shed very well, the old skin only partially came off.
I found her dead yesterday.
She was born in 1992. I purchased her at a reptile show in Cleveland, OH. She laid her first clutch at three years old and laid good clutches of 16 to 24 eggs every year since, except for last year when none hatched. Usually all of the clutch or all but one hatched. She once laid a double clutch. All of them hatched.
She pleased and awed hundreds of people in her 17 years. She would sit on my table at the Colombus reptile show and watch the people go by for six hours without trying to take off. Many people of all ages would handle her all day long at the show and she never hissed or startled anyone, she seemed to enjoy it. She thrilled many children and adults who never thought they would get near a snake let alone hold one.
She was an extraordinary snake and will be missed(by me and her mate).
Russ P.
I imported him as a hatchling in 1995 and i loved the fella.I take solice in the fact he fathered some cracking babies over the years and some know form the basis of my breeding stock/future projects.
