Sparky's Scales

Sparky's Scales Sparky's Scales is a small, hobby breeder for corn snakes.

Stolen from a group I'm in haha:
12/16/2023

Stolen from a group I'm in haha:

12/10/2023

Gave the reptiles some clean water today, and caught Houdini drinking...

Honestly thinking about turning off his grow light. Everything in his viv has died, so no point in subjecting him or me to this light... OR I could plant more plants, and see what happens, hmmm....

Trying to reorganize the room, and get everyone fed today... May even move Dru to her bioactive enclosure in the living room, not sure yet....

BUT enjoy this video of Houdini, Liam, and Maxine...

Okay! I *think* I have ironed out all my pairings for next year! These could change, depending on what my females look l...
12/10/2023

Okay! I *think* I have ironed out all my pairings for next year! These could change, depending on what my females look like come spring.

Because of health problems, I fell behind this fall, SO I am not hibernating this winter. This will be my first time NOT hibernating, so we'll see what happens haha. I've been told it should just elongate my breeding season, and mean I have clutches more spread out haha...

I am ALSO repeating a fair amount of pairings, simply because they didn't produce as many offspring as I was expecting -- I think due to my incubator malfunction -- SO I'm hoping this year I'll have better luck!

BUT here are my proposed pairings for next spring!! And it looks like I'm gonna be Tessara heavy, SO those that were looking for tessaras this year, I should have them next year haha!

CALYPSO OFF
VERUCA OFF

DOYLE X APHRODITE

charcoal het amel ph anery X amel het anery

SPIKE X WILLOW

Opal ph anery X Ultramel Bloodred

MALCOLM X APRIL

Bloodred het charcoal PH Sunkissed X charcoal het bloodred sunkissed

D'HOFFRYN X FAITH

Hypo her anery ph amel charcoal X anery charcoal ph amel hypo

D'HOFFRYN X DAWN

Hypo het anery ph amel charcoal X ghost ph charcoal bloodred motley

WESLEY X MS. SCHNER

Hypo motley Tessara het amel Sunkissed ph anery charcoal bloodred cinder X caramel miami het sunkissed ph amel cinder

WESLEY X NATALIE

Hypo motley Tessara het amel Sunkissed ph anery charcoal bloodred cinder X ? Tessara het amel cinder motley ph caramel hypo bloodred

WESLEY X SHEVA

Hypo motley Tessara het amel Sunkissed ph anery charcoal bloodred cinder X classic het motley sunkissed

PRIMORDIUM X TAMMY

Blue motley ph amel X blue motley het hypo

-- back up OZ

-- Hypo het diffused ph anery motley X blue motley het hypo

CLEM X TINA

Butter (possibly ultramel caramel) X Butter Tessara het motley anery ph Sunkissed

-- back up WESLEY

-- Hypo motley Tessara het amel Sunkissed ph anery charcoal bloodred cinder X butter Tessara het motley anery ph sunkissed

OZ X WINIFRED

Hypo het diffused ph anery motley X stripe het amel anery hypo

I have to say, while it took awhile to write everything out -- including what years my females were paired -- having a physical visual copy was SOOOO helpful in figuring this out.

I do have 13 males that won't be used, so I am honestly thinking about taking a look at what my 2025 pairings may be, and then *gulp* possibly letting go a male or two 😭😭

That moment when:1.) You have two charcoal males of the same age2.) They're next to each other on the shelf3.) BOTH thei...
12/09/2023

That moment when:

1.) You have two charcoal males of the same age

2.) They're next to each other on the shelf

3.) BOTH their tags have disappeared....

BUT you think you know who is who based on their patterning and attitude... Warren is DEFINITELY his father's son 😂

This guy, sheesh!After spending several hours in the reptile room cleaning and feeding snakes, and then feeding the Leo'...
11/25/2023

This guy, sheesh!

After spending several hours in the reptile room cleaning and feeding snakes, and then feeding the Leo's and beardies, I turned off the lights and left the room.

Thanks to my ADHD, a few minutes later, I went back in, because I had forgotten something.

AND find Liam like this...

Almost as if he's thinking, "I escaped once, maybe I can do it again...."

*Sigh*

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving, no matter who you're with or how you choose to celebrate!Before heading of...
11/23/2023

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving, no matter who you're with or how you choose to celebrate!

Before heading off to my family's this afternoon, I am FINALLY getting Houdini back into his bigger enclosure. The door is mostly fixed (it cracked during our move, but that's not how he managed to escape).

The grass seed I put in didn't do as well as I'd hoped, SO gonna have to do a second seeding, BUT wanted to get him back into some bigger digs. He's been in "jail" long enough haha.

The purpleish light is a grow light, to help the grass and any other plants I put in here grow. He also has a UVB lamp and a CHE for his heat needs, in case this room drops in temp for some reason. I highly doubt it, as even near the window, the temp gun is reading at 79.8 degrees haha... No wonder my plants love it in here! AND just for s**ts and giggles, as I had to close the curtain to get a decent pic of my plants, I took a temp of the closed curtains. A balmy 118°! While I'm glad it's not that hot outside, it's certainly better than the mid-40's haha!

I am a HUGE podcast fan, and I tend to hyperfocus on one for a bit while I do just about everything, and then switch.Lat...
11/15/2023

I am a HUGE podcast fan, and I tend to hyperfocus on one for a bit while I do just about everything, and then switch.

Lately, I've been listening to the "Holdback Rack" podcast, and yes, it's mostly about ball pythons, which I know very little about, BUT there's still some good info for general breeding. For example, I have learned a TON about Nido and other reptile viruses, and testing for them.

Except the episode I'm listening to today is making me realize I could NEVER do this as a business haha.

They're talking about how you need to upgrade your breeders, and sell off the ones you no longer need. Don't get attached.

Um, excuse me??

JUST because I now have Warren, who is charcoal het bloodred Sunkissed, and is Malcolm's son, who is technically still Bloodred het charcoal PH Sunkissed because even though we are 95% certain he IS het Sunkissed, I haven't been able to *prove* it, Malcolm is NEVER going ANYWHERE.

Malcolm was Love at First Bite. I looked at 65+ babies that day, and I kept going back to Malcolm, because he was spicy. He taught me so much. AND he is the last of my first three snakes.

Honestly, when he passes, I will probably seriously consider selling everyone else and NEVER owning another reptile for the rest of my life.

I won't, because I'm attached to every single one of my snakes (and the reptiles too) haha, BUT there will probably be two days where I convince myself I am done.

I get attached quickly. I love all my snakes. And yes, I use the clutch number system so I *don't* get attached, or else I would have 500 animals and never be able to sell a single one haha. As soon as they have a name, I'm attached haha.

So, if you're wondering when I'm going to quit my day job and do this full time? I guess the answer is sadly never 😂🤣. As much as I may dream of that, I will probably need that day job to provide for all the snakes I can't bear to part with.

I bought bugs at the expo, and I was *trying* to be nice and feeding the beardies and Leo's.BUT Beatrice decided to try ...
11/06/2023

I bought bugs at the expo, and I was *trying* to be nice and feeding the beardies and Leo's.

BUT Beatrice decided to try and escape....

Why I'm surprised I don't know. She is going to be Houdini's mate once she's big enough (and named after Houdini the magician's girlfriend.)

I opened her little feeding bin (sometimes I feed her in it so I can count how many of an item she has eaten) and she climbed out, jumped OFF the shelves onto a lower level, tried to climb up my leg -- my trying to grab her the entire time -- and then why I grabbed her and got her to my chest area, she then tried to run up my chest to my shoulder before I caught her again and got a good grip...

And look at that face. No F's given...

Here's some excitement from the Expo 🤣😂20230729-01 shed! AND I caught almost all of it on camera!!I would probably keep ...
11/05/2023

Here's some excitement from the Expo 🤣😂

20230729-01 shed! AND I caught almost all of it on camera!!

I would probably keep it muted, OR turn your sound off... It is *loud* in here.

Gonna post some fresh skin pics first, so the sound doesn't startle you haha...

Oh, I guess I can't post photos and videos at the same time? SO I'll post the video (which doesn't seem to be the entire time???) In the comments!

So glad I bought a new receipt book! This was a PERFECTLY logical place to put my old one after the last Expo haha....
11/05/2023

So glad I bought a new receipt book! This was a PERFECTLY logical place to put my old one after the last Expo haha....

All set up at the Reptile Expo in Manchester!!!If you're going to be at the Expo, come say HI!Psst: we have a secret gue...
11/05/2023

All set up at the Reptile Expo in Manchester!!!

If you're going to be at the Expo, come say HI!

Psst: we have a secret guest at the Expo, hanging out behind my booth! It's her first expo, so she's a bit overwhelmed, BUT I'm hoping soon she'll be an old hat and help with MY expo anxiety/overstimulation.

You're welcome to say hi to her from a distance, but she's not accepting sniffs or pets unless we're outside and her vest is off.

Okay, so this is frustrating haha....If you remember, I took photos of everyone that was ready to go. Then I edited them...
11/04/2023

Okay, so this is frustrating haha....

If you remember, I took photos of everyone that was ready to go. Then I edited them. And put them in an album.

Then ADHD happened haha. And I had surgery. And I decided while I was hanging out in bed, I could AT LEAST get everyone on Morph Market.

BUT some had gotten sold, so I made a list of everyone.

And the list didn't match the photos I had....

The four on the top right are the 2023 babies on Morph Market. ONE of the 2022 babies are on MM, not all 3 that are remaining.

I have nine animals listed on MM...

AND yet 8 of the babies that have gone to expos before ARE NOT on Morph Market (the two left bottom stacks) AND there are 5 babies that have FINALLLLY switched from parboiled and had enough meals etc to be ready to go to new homes.

SO I have 20 babies ready to find new homes; I only have 9 listed on MM, BUT of the ones going to the expo, it appears only 5 of them are listed on MM....

OMmFG....

If I have less hair the next time you see me, you know why 😂🤣😅

So, I've been WAAAY behind updating things on here. Not a great excuse, BUT I had minor surgery on Oct 6th, so I haven't...
11/04/2023

So, I've been WAAAY behind updating things on here. Not a great excuse, BUT I had minor surgery on Oct 6th, so I haven't spent a ton of time in the reptile room; I've spent a lot of time in my bed, recuperating haha.

I am FULLY planning on being at the New England Reptile Expo tomorrow. I'm prepping babies now. AND I will have plants, including some GORGEOUS holiday cacti that have *buds*

Even though my three kinked PET only babies have had the required 5 meals to find new homes, they're not gaining weight the way I'd like -- probably because of the mild neglect everyone went through the first two weeks after my surgery 😅. So they will NOT be at the Expo.

*Editing to add: this is MY requirement; other breeders may not have this requirement. I just like to know that kinked babies are eating and pooping regularly before I send them to new homes. Being kinked shouldn't change their life expectancy or anything, and their kinks are minor enough they probably won't even be noticeable once they're adults, BUT I still don't want to send babies out onto the world that are failure to thrive.*

This will probably be my last expo for the season, AND with how cold it's getting, we won't be able to ship much longer, so if you're thinking about getting a baby, this may be your last chance until it starts warming up.

And sadly, speaking of my mild neglect, our tiny 2g boy didn't survive my first recovery period. I feel really bad about this, even though I knew there was a very small chance he would survive....

AND because I hate ending things on sad notes: last photo is Inara, fresh from a bath because she got gross while at the dog Park recently 😂🤣😂.

Okay, back to cleaning and weighing snakes! Hope to see y'all at the Expo tomorrow!

When your shed is interrupted by a snack!!I am honestly hesitant to even list how old this snake is, because I don't wan...
11/02/2023

When your shed is interrupted by a snack!!

I am honestly hesitant to even list how old this snake is, because I don't want any negative comments thrown my way.

He was given to a former friend of mine, who got me into snakes, and when they got out was given BACK to me about a year ago. He is from my first even clutch. Yes, he is a 2017.

I've gotten him to take a medium, BUT can only do those infrequently, because if I push him, he will regurge. He is happiest taking multiple fuzzies and hoppers multiple times a week 🤣😂.

Hendrix II. Someday, he may be big enough to breed haha. If not, hopefully he'll still have a good, long life regardless!

11/02/2023

Everybody is champing at the bit for dinner tonight..... You would think I never fed them 🫣😅

Spending some time in the reptile room before D&D. Realized I haven't posted much about any of the geckos lately.Beatric...
10/31/2023

Spending some time in the reptile room before D&D. Realized I haven't posted much about any of the geckos lately.

Beatrice is getting a soak tonight. She is in shed, and having a hard time differentiating tongs from food haha.... She seems to be enjoying it?

Even though she is STILL not a fan of me 😓

Me on 9/11: okay, let's photograph all the babies ready to go!*Me going to one expo on the 24th, and selling one baby.*M...
10/21/2023

Me on 9/11: okay, let's photograph all the babies ready to go!

*Me going to one expo on the 24th, and selling one baby.*

Me on 10/5: okay, let's make a list of who I have left, so I can get the photos up on Morph market!

*Me losing said list until 10/19.*

Me on 10/20: wait ... I took photos of 23 babies... Why are there only 14 on my list?? What is going on here? Which list is wrong?

*Me pulling my hair out*

*Singing softly* "one of these things is not like the other... One of these things just doesn't belong"

Today is kind of a bittersweet day. From the moment this little sweetheart hatched, I didn't know what she was at first,...
10/14/2023

Today is kind of a bittersweet day. From the moment this little sweetheart hatched, I didn't know what she was at first, but I'm wanted her to be mine.

Sadly, she has a few kinks that make her unsuitable for breeding, and it would put her life in danger to do so.

SO, she is going to a wonderful pet-only home today.

I'm still gonna miss this little blizzard girl.

Only tangentially reptile related haha:Decided to come into the reptile room and play with my vines tonight. Rearranged ...
10/13/2023

Only tangentially reptile related haha:

Decided to come into the reptile room and play with my vines tonight. Rearranged two, repotted my peace lily (not pictured, because not vining 😝), did some dead-leafing (and gave those to my croatian giant isopod colony), AND hung some of the vines on the wall/ceiling.

This has always been one of my dreams: having plants crawling up the wall and across the ceiling. We are slowly getting there *squee* haha

10/11/2023

AND because I haven't done one of these in awhile

(And numbers won't add up to previous ones, as some have gone to new homes etc):

I currently have:

- 2.8 that are holdbacks (ugh, I don't need more boys!!)

These are two anery boys that I've been debating for months; a hypo Tessara female from last year 😜; three amel het motley females from Tabula Rasa/Calypso; my ultra female from Willow; and a phantom female.

- 3.0 left from last year (Wes/Zoe)

- 0.3 kinked PET ONLY babies, that as two of them have now had four/five meals, are available. One is an amel, one is hypo. The remaining one is also amel; she has only had three meals, and will be ready to find a new home once she takes 4/5.

- 12.2 babies who have been eating consistently and are listed in the Available Album. I am NOT listing them all out 😜

- 5.0 that have FINALLLY taken 3 consecutive meals, and will be listed eventually 😅.

This group consists of 2 amels, a normal, am anery, and a platinum.

- 0.1 amel who has taken 2 half meals, and 2 regular meals; she needs one more meal to be fully established.

- 1.2 that ate great, and then decided to be stupid 😅.

Male masque took 4 meals, then took his 5th, was in blue, regurged, and has taken one since then. Female charcoal took 5 meals, then refused, and has taken one meal. Normal female ate, regurged, ate four meals, regurged while shedding, and then ate... Some might consider her established, BUT I'm on the fence...

- 1.0 anery who ate, refused, and maybe has taken 3 meals? He is missing details for two meals... Wtf Karen??

- our tiny 2g boy! He refused, was forced three times, and then was assist-fed once (aka I forced him to eat a mouse tail, AND while he was swallowing that, I put a pink head in his mouth and he ate that too!!) And he has had one meal with NO assistance!!!!

- 2.1 that have taken 3 parboiled meals, and I'm going to try on less-boiled next meal. Once they can take three regular f/t meals, they will be established!!

The anery charcoal male *may* be a hold back? I DON'T NEED MORE MALES... Oh, and one of my holdbacks girls should be in this group; she's taken 3 parboiled meals, and will be slowly switching.

The rest are... A mess haha...

- 1.1 that took a PB but refused next one
- 1.1 who was F, then took a PB
- 1.0 took a live, then 2 PB
- 1.0 that took live, refused PB, then took a PB I think? Bin was NASTY haha...
- 1.0 who took a PB, then I think took a PB, because another nasty bin
- 0.1 that I think FINALLY took a PB, but bin was nasty...
- 2.2 that took a live but hasn't taken anything since
- 2.0 I did a force, but won't take anything since
- 1.0 that hasn't taken anything

Fun times, right?

CW: mentions of animal 🪦.We are getting to that time of year when I have to make hard decisions. It is a hard time of ye...
10/11/2023

CW: mentions of animal 🪦.

We are getting to that time of year when I have to make hard decisions. It is a hard time of year, and I don't like it, and usually put it off as long as possible.

Which usually means I end up losing a few babies, before I realize, "crap..."

I still have multiple babies that haven't taken a single meal since July. I have tried f/t, live, parboiled, braining, you name it.

I have babies who have refused 7+ meals at this point.

I have some babies I have force-fed, and they are still refusing.

And I have to make the decision: is it worth trying to get them to eat? Is it worth putting them through this continued stress? Is it worth letting them slowly pass? Or is it better to let them go painlessly?

When we play Mother Nature, when we put snakes together for breeding, and then incubate the eggs, we need to be ready to ALSO play Mother Nature and decide when it's just not worth the stress on the poor babies.

While cleaning today, I had to start making that decision. AND I realized I couldn't find my tiny 2g boy.

WELL (and here's where this post gets happy) I FOUND HIM! He's now taken two unassisted (half) meals, even though he is STILL teeny tiny. He may still not make it.

BUT because he is no longer a force feed, he has moved up a few shelves -- which is why I couldn't find him, and I was so worried he had passed, and I hadn't clued into it...

This is the side of the hobby breeders don't often talk about publicly; the side where we have to decide if we continue to try, or if we decide that the quality of life has diminished to the point where it's better to let them go.

It is NOT that time for my little 2g baby though!

Since I have had multiple people ask me this question -- and trust me I DO NOT mind answering it 100 times, but where I'...
10/10/2023

Since I have had multiple people ask me this question -- and trust me I DO NOT mind answering it 100 times, but where I've gotten it 2-3 times in the last 2 months, figured I'd share my answers here, in case there's anyone afraid to ask:

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR A BABY CORN SNAKE??

VERY basics (and before any experienced keepers come after me, this is VERRRY basic).

- an escape proof "box" of your choice with airholes. This could be a glass tank with locking screen lid. This could be a plastic tote with holes drilled in it. BIGGEST issue is it's not so big baby feels SOOO insecure it won't eat, and also is NOT easy to escape from.

- some source of heat. Most recommend belly heat, so an UTH (under tank heater) pad, connected to a thermostat, BECAUSE those can get so hot that they'll cook your baby if they're not regulated. This (the thermostat) is 100% mandatory if you decide to go the plastic tote route, OR if you're going glass tank with paper towels/other thin bedding.

BUT if you're going with a glass tank, you could also go with a heating light. Make sure it is OUTSIDE (like on top of screen lid -- AND do not make the mistake I did and put it ON the glass!!!) because you don't want baby to be able to touch the bulb and hurt themselves.) I would also recommend a thermostat, BUT there will be a LOT more space between snake and direct heat, so it *could* be a secondary thing. Not recommended, BUT if we're talking, "s**t, I saw this snake and it followed me home, what do I NEED?" Situation.

ONLY issue with a heating bulb is that they dry out your area/enclosure. BIG issue for snakes who need higher humidities. BUT Corn snakes have a HUGE range of natural environment (Florida to New Jersey) and thrive in 20-80% humidity, SO unless you live in a desert already, you shouldn't have too many issues with humidity. Worst case, put in a humid hide if you see that your snake is having issues shedding.

- bedding. And this could be as minimum as paper towels or newspaper, OR you could go Aspen bedding (DO NOT DO PINE, or CEDAR. If you're going to do wood chips/flakes, ONLY Aspen) or you could do cocoa fiber and some sand, spagnum moss, organic potting soil mix etc. This would be the route if you want to do bioactive.

BUT super simple? Paper towels. That's what all my babies start on and stay on for the first 4-6 months of their lives.

- food.

NOW, seems like I'm missing s**t, right? JUST YOU WAIT!

ACCESSORIES:

- you're probably going to want at least one hide, depending on the size of your enclosure. The bigger the enclosure, the more hides you want to make baby feel safe.

AND I'll tell you a secret -- because my bins aren't that deep, AND I keep my bedding thick, many of my snakes don't have hides. They use their bedding to hide in. BUT if you are putting a baby corn in a 12" tall tank? You NEED a hide, or it's going to feel unsafe.

- you're going to need a water bowl, BUT I've used deli cups from takeout soup, I've used condiment cups, I've used dog bowls. Do you NEED to buy an expensive water bowl? NOPE.

- a food plate. Depending on what bedding you're using, you may want to have a food plate to put the food onto. Will it stay there? NOPE. Will baby drag the food through the bedding? Most likely. BUT some people like having them.

BUT if you have a mismatched small plate (are they called tea plates?) Or a lid to a piece of Tupperware where the bottom has gone the way of all your left socks? Guess what? That works!

- fake or even real plants. Depending on what type of bedding you're using, you may want enrichment, like plants. If you're doing cocoa fiber and potting soil etc, live plants ARE a nice look, BUT they need to be reptile safe -- in that they don't release a sap that will harm your animal when crushed. Because your snake WILL crush them. If you want a list, let me know.

- if you're going bioactive, you're going to want a clean up crew.

ALSO something to keep in mind: the bigger the enclosure, the more space you're going to have to search when you are afraid the little s**t has escaped.

I am attaching a few photos of when I only had three corns -- Cordelia, Malcolm and Hendrix, and what they kinda looked like in their glass. They were all on paper towels haha, and WERE NOT FANCY.

Hope that helps y'all! AND if you think I've missed anything, feel free to comment!

Me: well, I'm just hanging out on my Mom's couch recovering from surgery, so I should update babies on MorphMarket...Als...
10/09/2023

Me: well, I'm just hanging out on my Mom's couch recovering from surgery, so I should update babies on MorphMarket...

Also me: well, I can't find my receipt booklet, SO I don't remember which single baby I sold at my last expo...

SO, I have babies available (and hopefully this link works to the album). There is ONE that isn't available, but I can't confirm which one until tonight (or possibly tomorrow) when I get home. I think it was an amel, but don't quote me on that haha...

BUT if you're interested in one of these cuties, let me know!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=708584044619512&id=100064037673379&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f

Updated 9/21/2023. EVERYONE is FINALLY updated!!! Well, okay, there IS one hypo tessara boy from last year that I keep forgetting to get his ID number, so he isn't in here yet, BUT everyone else is!

There are a few that are *almost* ready to go, which I will be updating as they are finally fully established!

I have two that are currently on HOLD, and will also update that as well as things progress!

My first ever clutch! Now, this is from my personal account, since I didn't even HAVE a page yet, BUT crazy how time fli...
10/09/2023

My first ever clutch!

Now, this is from my personal account, since I didn't even HAVE a page yet, BUT crazy how time flies...

I still have two of these babies...

I've been down with a sinus infection, so everything is behind schedule, including snakes getting fed haha...BUT saw thi...
10/01/2023

I've been down with a sinus infection, so everything is behind schedule, including snakes getting fed haha...

BUT saw this and had to share. Every single time I feed, I have to recount.... Number always seems to change, and I either pull too much food, or not enough 😂🤣

Two babies went to new homes today!! I haven't been updated what the little normal's name will be, BUTi have been inform...
09/27/2023

Two babies went to new homes today!!

I haven't been updated what the little normal's name will be, BUTi have been informed the bloodred will be called Sriracha!!

Sad to see these two buds go, BUT so happy that they've gone to good homes!

I will update the "available" album to reflect that these two are no longer available later.

All set up at the Show me reptile show in Derry NH!Come visit me, I'm almost in the back corner haha!
09/24/2023

All set up at the Show me reptile show in Derry NH!

Come visit me, I'm almost in the back corner haha!

CW: mention of medical proceduresHey!!! I haven't checked on this project in a few days, (or I think posted about it AT ...
09/23/2023

CW: mention of medical procedures

Hey!!! I haven't checked on this project in a few days, (or I think posted about it AT ALL haha) and OMG!!

I planted some seeds in the bioactive vivarium I'm setting up for one of my retired (super early) breeders, Drusilla; she is from my first ever clutch, SO she is super special to me. She pr*****ed during her first time laying, and ended up needing surgery to put her reproductive tract back in. Some of the tissue had died, so it is not safe for her to ever breed again. Only one of her eggs survived, and her son, William, is ALSO very special for that reason.

I decided to plant some greens in her viv for the beardies. In true ADHD fashion, I did it late one night and thought, "I'll get the grow light set up for this tomorrow."

WELL, I don't remember exactly when that was, BUT the seeds have come up haha! And are obviously seeking their grow light!

They now have a grow light, and I put the heat pad underneath, but I'm thinking she may end up needing an actual heat lamp in the winter (even though that will screw with her humidity) whether that's a UVA (which gives off light) OR a CHE (ceramic heat emitter that doesn't give off light, just heat).

Right now, the viv is reading at around 68°F, so that is DEFINITELY too cold for her to digest. Me closing windows and turning in the heat will help as will the heating pad, BUT it being under 2" of dirt may not give her enough heat unless she burrows (which I AM honestly expecting her to do, but if she wants to be up and out, I'm okay with that too.)

AND yes, this viv IS small for a full sized corn that is six years old and almost 500g. She has been living in a rack her entire life and I'm honestly not sure how she will transition to a viv, SO I'm starting with this, and if she does well, I have a 40g breeder she can go into later on, probably in the spring, or maybe next fall?

A rack system kinda mimics a burrow/den that a snake may have. In the wild, they tend to spend 80-90% of their lives in whatever hole they can find, only leaving that hiding spot to find food. This viv will obviously be very much more open, so where she has spent the first six years of her life "hiding," I'm expecting this change to stress her out a bit.

She's NOT in here yet, because I want to let the plants get a bit more established before she lays on them and destroys them 🤣😂 OR burrows into their delicate root system haha. BUT we have Kale, peas (which may grow too big and I'm not sure how they'll get pollinated, may do that with a q-tip?) Mustard greens, Collard Greens, and Swiss Chard. All things the beardies love to munch.

I will place a hide in here before I move her in, BUT I also want the plants to be bushier and fuller to give her more security, and hopefully she won't stop eating during this transition.

I also haven't decided if I will a.) Keep hibernating her now that she isn't breeding and b.) Leave her in her viv to hibernate, OR move her. I need to do more research, because bioactive enclosures are still relatively new for me.

I MAY thin some of these out, and put them either in the beardies' vivs to munch, OR maybe in the leopard geckos', so that some more survive the beardie destruction 😂🤣😂. The beardies don't seem to let anything live in their enclosures for very long... they were the first ones I tried bioactive with BUT they ate their clean up crew as well as their live plants, SO we're trying again haha... but first, I am colonizing their clean up crew, so I can replace any they may eat 😂🤣

I'm hoping in a few weeks, I'll be ready to put Dru in here, and she'll be happy with her new digs!

And yes, the grow light gives it a weird, purple glow. Just another reason I may put a UVA bulb, to give it a more natural whitish/yellowish lighting.

All the babies that are fully established are FINALLY in here!FB is being weird, and not letting me edit the photo info ...
09/22/2023

All the babies that are fully established are FINALLY in here!

FB is being weird, and not letting me edit the photo info for some of them in the big screen with all the photos, and I am not going into each individual photo and editing them that way, sorry. If you have any questions about the pairing/clutch, please either comment on the photo OR PM me.

NOW I just need to upload all these guys to Morph Market haha!

I WILL be at The Dover NH Expo this Sunday, so if you are interested in putting a hold on anybody to pick up at the expo, please send me a PM.

Updated 9/21/2023. EVERYONE is FINALLY updated!!! Well, okay, there IS one hypo tessara boy from last year that I keep forgetting to get his ID number, so he isn't in here yet, BUT everyone else is!

There are a few that are *almost* ready to go, which I will be updating as they are finally fully established!

I have two that are currently on HOLD, and will also update that as well as things progress!

09/22/2023

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