Mutts need love too.

[EL Ziggy]

Oh well I had another relapse. I saw this girl and had to have her. She arrives on Tuesday. I haven't verified the lineage yet but she's supposedly a Cover to Cover Jag x Highlighter Jungle. I have no plans to breed her but she'll look great next to my jungle male. Now all I need is a female Diamond x Jungle and I'll be good to go!
http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/13022235_993920370697122_494753843_n_zpsuz77s9dp.j pg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/13022235_993920370697122_494753843_n_zpsuz77s9dp.j pg.html)

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/13059895_993920427363783_1651362073_n_zpsiry0ofzx. jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/13059895_993920427363783_1651362073_n_zpsiry0ofzx. jpg.html)

[Minkness]

Lol, I knew you wouldn't settle for 2 males without females!

She's a gorgeous one though! Congrats!

[EL Ziggy]

Yeah Mink you called it. My obsession with balance got the best of me. I thought I had it all under control and was finally cured of this addiction. I really had no intention on getting anymore snakes but the more I kept looking at forums, FB, and all the classifieds my defenses eventually failed. In the past I would've felt shame, guilt and regret but I'm not going to beat myself up about it this time. I'm just gonna pick myself up, dust myself off, and do better going forward. I learned a valuable lesson and I know now that it's a battle I have to fight daily. I've decided that I'm going to add a female diamond x jungle to the team but after that my collection is CLOSED. I mean it this time!!

[MDT]

Um...why would you not breed her??? She's gorgeous.

[EL Ziggy]

@ MDT- I don't have any idea how to breed snakes. I really just enjoy keeping them. I like to match them up in pairs just for hypothetical breeding scenarios. They'd make a nice looking couple is my thinking. :)

[Albert Clark]

@ MDT- I don't have any idea how to breed snakes. I really just enjoy keeping them. I like to match them up in pairs just for hypothetical breeding scenarios. They'd make a nice looking couple is my thinking. :)

Amazing pick up EL! That animal looks like it's 10 feet long! Breeding is very simple. You can do it. This is a great book to get. It might be in the public library but I purchased my own copy. "Breeding and keeping snakes" by Dr. Dieter Schmidt. Once you start reading this book you will feel compelled to start a breeding project. Start with 1 small project as practice. Well, once you start on the readings you'll see.

[toddnbecka]

Beauty there, definitely looks older/larger your males. I got The Complete Carpet Python written by Nick Mutton and Justin Juliander from Amazon shortly after I brought home my first baby carpet. Nice reference book to have on hand, and it does cover breeding the different species as well as captive husbandry. Might be worth picking up to give yourself some idea of what's involved, nothing too difficult from what I've seen, though I really don't plan to breed carpets myself.
As for your collection being CLOSED after one more female, never say never. (Particularly once you do breed them, and just can't bear to part with a few of the best offspring... lol.)

[MDT]

I would second the Complete Carpet Python. Really really (really) good reference and in depth info about carpets.

And Zig...TnB is right....your collection is NEVER really closed! That's just something you keep telling yourself to justify your most recent purchase!!!!

Awesome looking snake man!

[EL Ziggy]

Thanks y'all. I've got a signed copy of the Complete Carpet Python. When you buy 3 carpets from Nick Mutton you might as well get the book. There's great information and amazing pictures in there.

[macandchz]

dear el ziggy, beautiful new addition. i don't know much about snakes, but can't you just put her in a box with a male and let nature take it's course? lol!

[EL Ziggy]

@ mac- I'm pretty sure that's the biggest part of it but there's a few other factors. There's a cool down period, cyclical feeding, knowing when to introduce the male to the female, etc. Not to mention what to do after the eggs arrive. I'm sure it's probably a rewarding project just not my cup of tea. :)

[gebon]

Wow, beautiful Snake!

[macandchz]

dear el ziggy- that doesn't sound like my cup of tea either! Mac's going to be a confirmed bachelor whether he likes it or not!

[toddnbecka]

@ mac- I'm pretty sure that's the biggest part of it but there's a few other factors. There's a cool down period, cyclical feeding, knowing when to introduce the male to the female, etc. Not to mention what to do after the eggs arrive. I'm sure it's probably a rewarding project just not my cup of tea. :)

One reason I wanted to breed the DRMB's, no eggs to incubate. I'll venture into all that at some point with the colubrids, but not with the carpets.

[Aaron_S]

@ MDT- I don't have any idea how to breed snakes. I really just enjoy keeping them. I like to match them up in pairs just for hypothetical breeding scenarios. They'd make a nice looking couple is my thinking. :)

Well, as humans we all kind of know the idea of how to breed already even though no one shows us or really teaches us.

Snakes are the same but probably better off at the start. You put two snakes together and BAM! eggs.

That's a really simplified version of it but it's pretty much it. If you do do it, do one pair only. Carpets have like 20 - 30 eggs so it's enough to deal with for a first timer.

[trailblazer295]

Teen pregnancy rates would indicate they get results the first time.

[EL Ziggy]

Just verified the lineage info with the breeder Bryan Hummel who says he produced and sold the animal last year from a cover to cover jag x highlighter jungle pairing. The pictures he sent me of the parents makes me think my girl will turn out pretty nice. Only 3 more days til she arrives. ;)

[trailblazer295]

You're making me jealous ziggy lol still have an empty tank

[EL Ziggy]

You're making me jealous ziggy lol still have an empty tank

Get rid of the empty tanks or you'll have to fill them Blaze. I had an empty 40g tank and an empty 60qt tub sitting around for months and now I have 2 new occupants that I had no plans on getting. :wacky:

[trailblazer295]

It's the tank for a carpet. Still sticking with your original statement? Lol

[EL Ziggy]

It's the tank for a carpet. Still sticking with your original statement? Lol

So what are you waiting for? Let's get that new critter home. :)

[Pogie]

Nice snake! I am with you Ziggy, I just enjoy having them. But me thinks you will be breeding them soon :) Just a hunch rotfl.

[trailblazer295]

So what are you waiting for? Let's get that new critter home. :)

Well 2 things in waiting for my plants to grow. This is my umpteenth attempt but it's going well. Also no expo until June. Skipped the last one for the plants if they die then I'll throw in the towel and go fake. But even with a mister and a CHE I've learned I maintain 58-61% humidity so primed to go just need cover. I've expanded to jungles or jags too not just pure IJ

[EL Ziggy]

I actually took the last of the fake plants out of my enclosures today. They looked nice but I got tired of the snakes pooping on them and having to clean them. None of my snakes seem to miss them. :)

[AwesomeGuy376]

God the pattern on that snake is amazing, really nice snake :D

[MDT]

God the pattern on that snake is amazing, really nice snake :D

Yes indeed... Zig, I'm not buying the "mutt" comment! ;)
Highlighter genes and Cover genes?!?! No mutt involved.

[toddnbecka]

Colors look similar to my first carpet, that one is a mutt of unknown lineage. Mine has some black spots on the yellow patches though, I've never seen any in pics like those. Here's a few recent pics, bugger escaped the tank and I'd left the door to the mice open. Found him on the side of a tub, with another dead pregnant female about to be swallowed, though I don't know where it was supposed to fit. Already 5-6 adut mice down the hatch, more than half my breeding stock in one shot:
The huge bulge from the load of mice already eaten, barely enough neck left to hold that female:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060886_zps37i3nl09.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060886_zps37i3nl09.jpg.html)
He's not normally this big around:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060887_zpsgyha8imx.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060887_zpsgyha8imx.jpg.html)
Barely fit back into the ceramic cave:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060890_zpstxxi4hti.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060890_zpstxxi4hti.jpg.html)

[EL Ziggy]

Your carpet looks great TnB! Looks like there might be some diamond influence there.

[EL Ziggy]

My new girl arrived safe and sound today. She was super mellow for the few minutes I held her. It looks like she's gonna go into shed soon and she has a little pepper in her yellows but I don't mind. She's still a pretty girl to me.
http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103129_zpsldowxrmv.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103129_zpsldowxrmv.jpg.html)
http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103212_zps62wyjz6x.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103212_zps62wyjz6x.jpg.html)
http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103254_zpszbqw8djo.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160426_103254_zpszbqw8djo.jpg.html)

[trailblazer295]

Good looking girl for sure. Can't wait until I secure one.

[EL Ziggy]

Trinity had a pretty large meal yesterday. She had a rat pup and her first chick. I feed my snakes pretty liberally for their first 2 years and then I start dialing them back to a more conservative feeding schedule.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160512_233841-1-1_zpspi5dww07.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160512_233841-1-1_zpspi5dww07.jpg.html)

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160512_233859-1_zpsmcrt9auj.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160512_233859-1_zpsmcrt9auj.jpg.html)

[MDT]

Dang man....that pattern/coloration is beautiful.

[Albert Clark]

Very nice EL! I see you breeding carpets real soon. Haha. It's a no brainer. Welcome to the club. I just put my candino possible het pied male with my albino girl.

[EL Ziggy]

Thanks gents. She's a really sweet girl. Not defensive at all. I'm hoping she'll continue to color up nicely. She's gonna be moving into a larger enclosure soon. I want to put her next to my male jcp but that means the Bredl goes back in the tub or I have to order a new enclosure which I'm going to need eventually anyway but I could put it off until the top of next year if I wanted. I'll see how they grow over the next few months. Best wishes with those breeding projects guys. I'm expecting great things from you two. ;)

[toddnbecka]

Looks quite like mine did after he/she got out and feasted on a tub full of mice. Here's a caught-in-the-act pic, already packed away 6 )mostly pregnant adult females) and I wasn't sure where this 7th was supposed to fit.:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060886_zps37i3nl09.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060886_zps37i3nl09.jpg.html)

[EL Ziggy]

She's not all the way there yet but she's starting to grow on me. All 311g of her. :).

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160521_193230-1_zpsjjjy0yna.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160521_193230-1_zpsjjjy0yna.jpg.html)

[gebon]

She's not all the way there yet but she's starting to grow on me. All 311g of her. :).

If you (for some reason) want her to grow as h-. Frequent feeding and heat around the clock. K. Brothers explains:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ4-UEivZkQ

[EL Ziggy]

If you (for some reason) want her to grow as h-. Frequent feeding and heat around the clock. K. Brothers explains:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ4-UEivZkQ

I love K Brothers videos. I'm not planning on breeding this girl so no need to bulk her up quickly. She's eating a decent sized meal every 5-7 days. Sometimes she gets 1 prey item and other times she'll get 2 food items.

[MDT]

Zig... 2 things...

1) they started to pip :) i'll send some pics as they emerge.
2) you need to look into Reptilinks.

[EL Ziggy]

@ MDT- great news on the pips! Keep me posted! What are the benefits of the links vs. rodents/chicks?

[MDT]

I'll pm you the deets :D