Reptile & Amphibian Forums

They remind me. Newborn BRB's are nippy, sometimes VERY nippy. I started pulling the Wilma x Fred babies from individual tubs back into a communal tub for a group picture and like always several nipped me. I stopped when I realized not only were they nipping me, they were nipping at each other. Only six in the large tub and when I opened it four practically flew out including one escape to the floor. So, change of plans, I put each in a individual deli cup.

Sexing was also a clear reminder. As I selected babies to sex, of course I started with the more colorful ones and of course most of them bit me. The real reminder was that the more colorful ones are typically males. Example being the first four I sexed - all males. I was getting a little worried I had a male heavy litter. Nope, ultimate count was 6.8 babies.
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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 (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Congrats on the litter, your post made me think of a few different things...one being that I have horrible luck at having male heavy production, glad for you that this litter had a couple more girls in it.

I've discussed something a little with another breeder recently and I'm curious to your thoughts...does it seem like to you that almost entire litters usually have the same attitude, whether fiesty or friendly? It seems to me like they are and I don't think I believe it has that much to do with the parents, I've done repeat pairings of crb's before and one year have a litter of demon worms that want to bite anything close and the next year it's the nicest most friendly little bunch you could imagine.

Then there's also the topic of gloves...even the really thin disposable ones to me seem to be a major help if I'm pulling a litter. Problem is there's usually the instant excitement of "omg, babies!! grab grab grab"...and somewhere along the way, getting bitten and already covered in slime, it's kind of an afterthought that "there's a box of gloves up on the shelf that would have been nice to have had on a pair of right about now..." lol

Glad to hear your season is off and running with a good start!
Charlie