So I'm up at 6:45 AM on a Sunday morning checking to see if I had babies yet. My Double het for Pastel Sunglow female is actually due tomorrow. I go through each of the isles turning on the heaters manually as I like to do. All my remaining gravid girls are in the back isle now. First I check the most important one bred by the Key West Boa. She is fat and sassy taking it easy away from the heat. Then I check another and another... Next I check one of two that were all over their cages yesterday. She is up on the shelf in the Heat Conservation Position. Then the last one, and the one that I figured was going to deliver next. There she is up on the shelf in the "lock and load" position. Meaning she is all stretched out and kinked up a bit like she is ready to have them. I pull up a stool and watch. Well, we both watch. She is peering over the edge of the shelf and has moved her head toward me about 8" wondering why I won't mind my own business. She isn't doing anything. No contractions, but I know that position means the babies will be coming soon.
I go back upstairs, eat my daily portion of Shredded Wheat. The kind with the frosting. That unfrosted stuff is for horses, just like hay it is. Yuck! I eat my Shredded Wheat, make a quick pit stop in the rest room and head back down. It's about 7:15 now. I come around the corner and shine my little head lamp, which is in red light mode, onto the far left corner of the shelf. Nope. Still no babies, not a one. She has the Aspen all piled up at the front of the shelf. It was like that when I checked earlier, but this time I decided since she wasn't doing anything, I would pull off some of that Aspen out of the way, so I would have a fighting chance at getting some great photos and video of the immanent birth. As I pulled several handfuls of the piles Aspen down to the floor below, she turned to see what on earth I was doing messing with her little work of art. I quietly yet quickly closed the door and using that red light got a better look on the shelf and at her. Her tongue was flicking wildly now and I could see that she was still in that same position although looking a bit agitated at me with absolutely nothing out yet. So I retreated. Back upstairs.
I hop up on my tall chair at my desk and check the forums I frequent looking for valuable Boa news. After literally maybe 15 minutes, 17 max, I figured I'm going to see if she is thrashing that tail back and forth a bit yet. I am hoping to catch it this time, and get some great footage of the birth. Down the stairs I move, I walk with determination down to long main isle to the last isle where I take the left turn I have taken about 15 times in the last 24 hours. Again as I come around that corner with that cage on the last stack on the left second cage up and at waist height, I shine in my ever present red light. Oh no! There are a whole mess of babies off the shelf on the floor below and a ton of them on the shelf too! Oh no! I forgot my stinking glasses! I can see everything but it’s blurry! One of the benefits of aging eyes you know… Back upstairs to get the glasses and I make a quick post declaring that I missed the whole event which took less than 20 minutes total.
I was back in a flash and with camera in hand I watched as the last baby was being delivered near the left rear of the cage. Bummer. Well not entirely a bummer. There is a nice sized litter of beautiful babies! All gooey slimy babies soaking in goo with a single slug. I was actually very happy with the litter all in all. The father is a Pastel Sunglow and the mother is a Pastel Double Het. There were 33 babies total of which 11 are yellow. A low number for an Albino to Het breeding, but I'll take it.
Here is the scene with clearly visible babies on the left shelf, below and the Momma looking over the shelf on the right. You can see where I had cleared away the Aspen on the right side where the heater is a couple months ago so she could sit right on the heat.:
Here is a little closer shot at that left corner I kept coming around. You can see the Momma is still ringing all she is good for to evacuate all the products of conception:
Doesn't that all look absolutely yummy!?!?
FOr those who have not gotten a really good look at a slug. Here is the single slug from the litter up close and personal:
Here is a shot of one tub of some of the babies after I removed them:
A little shot of some of the Albinos and Sunglows in the litter:
A few more and mostly Double Hets. Those are some really choice Double Hets too! All the Hypos are possible Super Hypos too by the way as both Mom and Dad are Hypos.
Oh, and another shot:
I especially like a couple of the little guys:
Oh, and this one must be my favorite!
That's all for now! I'm going to check on the again for about the sixth time since I pulled these puppies!!! Can you blame me!?
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK
Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site
