First Litter Has Arrived

[toddnbecka]

Monday afternoon I found that the larger of my 2 pregnant female Dominicans had given birth. So far 12 have shed, 6 not yet, still dull and slimy.
Had to move them into a 10 gallon tank immediately, don't have a spare enclosure for the mother on hand:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070062_zps873gmfm7.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070062_zps873gmfm7.jpg.html)

Took them outside to change the paper towels, much warmer than in the basement. The 10 gallon tank stays inside the mother's enclosure for warmth, these will be moving them into the tubs/rack soon, now I need another rack asap:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070068_zpsizvh5hky.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070068_zpsizvh5hky.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070067_zpsehx8bqzt.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070067_zpsehx8bqzt.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070066_zpsktrn4y1i.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070066_zpsktrn4y1i.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070065_zpsuybnenzy.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070065_zpsuybnenzy.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070063_zpsp9etaf7k.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070063_zpsp9etaf7k.jpg.html)

[dannybgoode]

Wow congratulations. That's a great litter. Doesn't help with my desire for a Dominican though!

[Albert Clark]

:shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked: Nice! Reptile reproduction is the best. Grats T&B.

[Minkness]

Wooo! Congrats guys! Yoy must be so proud! =D

[dave himself]

Congratulations folks on your beauiful snake babies :)

[Andy_G]

Awesome! Congrats! Those are really difficult to get up here...very rarely available... I'm jealous. :)

[marvelfreak]

35836Congratulation!35836


Nothing sweeter than breeding. It like Christmas morning when you walk in and see they have their babies or laid their eggs.

[toddnbecka]

There was one newborn that got squished under the mother when I was trying to get them moved out of the enclosure into the 10 gallon tank. No clue if that one was injured, though it seems likely it was at least bruised by the pressure/weight as she crawled along over it. I've been changing the paper towels in the bottom of the tank daily, and each time just one of the babies has struck at me. I suspect it's the one that got mashed, likely now associates my hand with the bad experience. I was shocked to actually feel pain (not much, but I felt it, lol) and see a drop of blood when that one hit my thumb today. None of the others, from yearlings when they arrived, to adults, has ever shown "attitude" or struck. Same with the other 17 in the new litter, just curious but not defensive when I reach for them. I'm really hoping that one wasn't badly injured, and will eventually get over the rough start and mellow out like the rest. As small as they are, they must have longer teeth than colubrids twice their size. Looks like just one still hasn't shed yet.

Mink, to be honest, there isn't much to be proud of. I just feed and water the critters, they do the rest, lol. One reason I wanted to work with the Dominicans is the fact they have live young. I don't have to incubate the eggs, though I will when the climacophora start breeding. Sort of comparable to breeding guppies, except the parents aren't liable to eat the babies if they can't find cover.

They're still relatively new to the reptile trade, but as more people breed them they will become easier to find.

[Tsubaki]

Congrats!! Beautiful litter :D

[Minkness]

I was thinking alobg the lines of being a proud pappa lol. But still, they are cool. Maybe after I am done collecting my top priority snakes (BRB, neon garters, jag ij) I will look into these guys. They certainly seem neat!

[Snakesitter]

Awwww congrats! And just one bitey baby? I envy you.... ;-)

[EL Ziggy]

Congrats TnB! Great job with the clutch.

[toddnbecka]

Awwww congrats! And just one bitey baby? I envy you.... ;-)

Remains to be seen how well they behave for probing in 6 more months. I've never done it, will need to find someone to show me how or do it for me in the meantime. Regardless, I'm very happy with the first litter. :cool: They've all shed now, and looking much better w/out the dark slimy layer, lol.

I found one that had managed to slip out under the screen top on the 10 gallon in the larger enclosure tonight. That was the first time I'd really handled one for more than a few seconds to move while changing the paper towels. Very calm and a little curious, even more relaxed than the adults. By day they were mostly on or under the paper towels, a couple were perched on the sticks. After the lights are off for an hour or so they're all over the tank, hanging from the rim and climbing wherever they can.

[Snakesitter]

Great report. 'Grats on the recovered baby!

[toddnbecka]

Sadly, one died, most likely the bitey baby that got mashed shortly after being born. It was the only one that hadn't shed. The 17 others are set up individually in 6 quart shoebox tubs now, will offer pinky mice Sunday. Here's a couple pics of a random baby, actually the only one I found on top of the plastic canvas. I hot glued pieces of that to the tops of some 4" drawer organizers I found at the dollar store, looked like a fair size for baby hides. Some of the others were inside their hides, the rest were just curled up on the mulch when I checked them tonight. The water bowls are 8 oz containers also from the dollar store, about $20 for the materials to set up the tubs, or $1/each. Cypress mulch for substrate to help maintain humidity and a Helix t-stat to regulate the heat tape.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070077_zpshu7m5k1s.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070077_zpshu7m5k1s.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/1e5b034e-9107-4634-9426-55689346c401_zpsy9bh6dqx.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/1e5b034e-9107-4634-9426-55689346c401_zpsy9bh6dqx.jpg.html)

[Albert Clark]

Terribly sorry for the loss! Digging that plastic canvas idea! Definitely will have to take a page out of your book with that one.

[Minkness]

What does the plastic canvas DO exactly?

[Albert Clark]

What does the plastic canvas DO exactly?

I think he is using it primarily for a perch or shelf like platform for the boas to use. I know they probably like the security as well bc it wedges them into a smaller space off the terrarium floor.

[toddnbecka]

Hated to lose that one, though not too surprised considering what happened to it. On the other hand the rest seem to be fine, and it was a larger litter than expected w/out any slugs.
Dominicans love to be up off the substrate, and the plastic canvas drains water so it doesn't puddle and make a wet spot where they perch. Shoeboxes are a bit small for actual arboreal perches or even sticks, and like Albert mentioned it also creates a fairly narrow space below the "ceiling" so they feel more secure. Also easy to clean up when they poop on it, lol. I use plastic canvas on rubber-coated wire corner shelves from Wal-Mart in a number of my enclosures to provide comfortable areas for smaller snakes to hang out. My carpets, candoia, and Jap rat snakes use the shelves as well, didn't put them in the king or bull snake's enclosures though.

[Minkness]

Ah, neat idea! Thanks for sharing =)

[JellyBean]

Nice clutch! (Is it a clutch or a litter?)
Sorry for the wee one.
Do you have pics of your corner shelves with the plastic canvas? Neat idea!

[toddnbecka]

Nice clutch! (Is it a clutch or a litter?)
Sorry for the wee one.
Do you have pics of your corner shelves with the plastic canvas? Neat idea!
Litter since boas have live young, clutch refers to eggs. Pic of the plastic canvas on page 1 of this thread.

Second litter was born sometime Wednesday, late afternoon or evening, while I was at work. Becky found them and moved them into the 10 gallon tank. There were 15 babies, 2 were dead, apparently mashed by the mother. She gave birth inside a pvc hide that was barely large enough to contain her, and most of them had moved out on their own before Becky saw them.
I haven't handled or even looked too closely at the new ones yet, but I did notice 4-5 of them in the 10 gallon tank in defensive positions and striking when I got close with flashlight to look at them. There was only 1 in the first litter that was defensive/bitey, and I believe it was the same one that was mashed by the mother when I was moving them out and died a couple days later. I'm hoping the defensive ones in this group aren't injured and will calm down shortly.

The one web page I found with care/breeding info states that the babies are 12" at birth. One random baby from the first litter was stretched out on top of a 75 gallon tank the other day, and reached exactly front to back, which is 18". So far only 2 of the first litter have eaten live pinky mice, the other 15 ignored them. I'll offer unscented live pinks again tomorow night, then try scenting the pinks with quail to see if that helps get them started.

[toddnbecka]

Here's a pic of something never before photographed, an extrememly rare baby Dominican red tree boa... on a stick (about the same diameter as a sharpie) lol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070100_zpsnbvvoev9.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070100_zpsnbvvoev9.jpg.html)

Bought a smaller scale to weigh the babies, my larger one (used for shipping) didn't even register when I tried to use it. Average weight was around 15 grams for both newborns and the nearly 3 week old babies.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1070098_zpsphbjq83u.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1070098_zpsphbjq83u.jpg.html)

When I moved the new litter into another tub temporarily to change out the paper towels today only one acted defensive and struck once at my hand, then calmed down when picked up. Looks like they're hale and hearty overall, and all have shed (unlike the first litter, 5-6 went for nearly a week before they shed.)

[dannybgoode]

Just gorgeous. I love the way just about any snake can pretend to be a tree boa or gtp. The way they just wrap themselves up there and don't fall off!

[macandchz]

what wonderful babies! good luck with them!