[Zoodulcis]

I have to admit that he does look as though his salad days are past.  But he seems to be enjoying retirement!

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So the young man eats vegetables and crickets.  What sort of vegetables does he prefer?

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Let me refer this issue to the grand poobah (Keymaster) to see what is showing up on his end of things and get his input on troubleshooting.

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Oh now that is precious!  And it looks like mom knows how to keep a swivel eye on that youngster.  When was the baby born (hatched)?

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Oscar does look like he has a bit of an attitude.  His expression is a little bit ‘go ahead, make my day’.  How long have you had Oscar the Grouch and was he always this way?

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I wonder why that is?  It is not generally true for dogs, although it can be.  Dogs bred specifically for a look rather than temperament often exhibit a degradation of cognition and personality.  I call Lady and the Tramp syndrome.  Decades ago, when the Disney movie first came out, people rushed out to buy golden cocker spaniels.  The puppy mill result of that was deeply neurotic and fear biting dogs that entered the rescue stream, pounds and shelters by the thousands.  Same with 101 Dalmations.  That’s why I find the color morph/superior personality correlation surprising.  I may try to look this up and see if any research has been done but there may not be, just people’s anecdotal experiences, which can also be full of interesting information and sometimes indicate a valid trend or phenomenon.  I know that if I ever get around to acquiring another Ball, I will definitely consider a genetic stripe!

[Zoodulcis]

If these guys are over 15 months old they could start breeding anytime, but the eggs may not be fertile.  If you decide you have your heart-set on cute little mini spinies, then I would start brumation in September to encourage a breeding cycle in early spring of 2020.  Can’t wait to see those promised photos of the happy couple!

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That is, I completely agreed.  Sorry, it’s early on a Sunday morning in Colorado and my fingers are not fully awake yet.

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Although Eliot is a bit young just yet to determine the sex, in a couple of months you might want to try the techniques listed in on this site.  Like the author, I completing agree that probing should be out of the question, but the flashlight approach is non-invasive and may indeed prove to be ‘enlightening’ 😉

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People who have been to large Repticons say that they are an absolute hoot.  What was your overall impression?  Where was the one that you attended?

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Looks like Gizmo is being conscientious at a crucial as well as substantial time in your life.  Ah….the wisdom of the beardie.  He does look as if he is hoping his gracious pet parent notices his contribution to his parent’s financial well being.  How old is Gismo, that he should embody such enlightened tactics at securing those free crickets?

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He is adorable and looks healthy and happy.  Where did you get him?

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Do you find that these morphs tend to be more affectionate than more wild type colors?  Did you get all of your snakes from one breeder or from different ones?

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Hazel is lovely. She seems to be enjoying being on top of the world, at least for a little while!

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Good morning, here is the citation I promised.  Unfortunately, this article is very hard to come by for people outside academia, which I was reminded of this morning.  In short, the researcher found that when a study participant was asked to ‘just relax’ his cardiovascular response went up, indicating stress.  But when asked to stroke his pet snake of 25 years ‘Beaux’, a common boa constrictor to whom he was extremely attached, his heart rate and blood pressure went down.  This old study is one of the few that takes the human-animal bond between herp owners and their pets seriously, unfortunately.  It is interesting that it points out what so many of us already know, that attachment to our animals yields all kinds of personal benefits.  The citation is:

“RM and Beaux: Reductions in Cardiac Activity in Response to a Pet Snake” by Timothy Eddy, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, September 1996. Volume 9, page 184.  Even if you never read this article, knowing waht it says makes for a good conversation topic at your next cocktail party or bar-b-que!

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