Breeding season is well underway, and in fact, almost over for
several species here with many Boas and Pythons already being
gravid or have already laid eggs. We expect the majority of babies to
start showing up in the next month or so and it's looking like a
it'll be a steady flow right through until Fall this year.
That's part of the excitement in keeping so many different
species with different breeding
times/seasons
and gestation periods.............though I do find that I still
look forward to the winter slow down. Among the expected
offspring for this season we are looking forward to several
"firsts" for us including several interesting Ball Python
pairings (multiple gene crosses as well as the "usual" fun
stuff), Boa morphs and localities, and possibly a few other
surprises.
In between all the
pairings and related activity I've been slowly working away to
get to new caging I've been planning for ages into reality.
First up was the new Chondro cages complete with light cycle
units that simulate sunrise and sunset and an automatic misting
system. Now that most of the bugs are worked out, I'm very
pleased with how this project has come together. It's only
getting better as the live plants mature and fill in a little
more naturally.
In March I had the opportunity again this year to travel back to
the Tortuguero area of Costa Rica with my good friend Dave.
This came as a well needed break and despite coming home with a
bit of a flu bug I did feel more relaxed and mentally
rejuvenated. It's always such a pleasure to see reptiles
in their natural environment and I even find myself often caught
up taking pictures of common pet trade species such as
Aveiva's,
Basilisk's, and Iguana's. The Leatherback Sea Turtles were
nesting on the beach again this year during out visit, though
due to legal reasons I was unable to take any pictures. We also had a photo
opportunity with a fair sized male Terciopelo (aka;
Fer-de-lance - Bothrops asper),
who remained rather cooperative for quite some time before
disappearing into the underbrush. The colony of Boat
Billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) that
are known to occupy
a small mid-jungle pond surely didn't disappoint. We
counted upwards of a dozen at least, compared to the pair with
three fledglings we saw last year. They also shared their
pond with a fair sized female Spectacled Caiman (Caiman
crocodylus) and her recently hatched youngsters. In
addition to the many plants, insects, birds, Monkeys and Sloth
it was again a very memorable trip.
Time always seems to fly by, and I can recall starting to
consider the plans for another incubator in my head
late last Fall. Well, it wasn't until a few days before
the first clutch of Ball Pythons were due that I realized I
needed to get a move on! I had just finished
working the bugs out of this new design after running it for a
few days, and with my other incubator already
full and the next
clutch being laid as I worked, it was not a moment too soon!
I don't know why, but I seem to work best with a little last
minute pressure ;) This new incubator is basically a
larger version of a successful design that I developed several years
ago, so I wasn't overly concerned about running into unexpected
problems. It is now up and running and starting to fill
with eggs.
The summer is shaping up to be extremely busy
between babies hatching and being born, a relatively steady flow
of eggs being laid, and planned projects around the house. I have
already found
myself spread a little thin. There are a few projects that
I would like to dedicate more time to specifically, as well as
keeping up on all of the "usual" activity so this will likely
result in the thinning out of a few breeding projects.
Most of the Central American Boas will be first on the chopping
block. There are always tough decisions when downsizing,
but I feel it's a necessary move at this point.
I've reason to believe I may have been
experiencing email problems. If you are or have been
attempting to contact me by email or through the contact form on
this website and don't receive a timely response, please call by
phone. Though I do often have my hands full and can't get
to the phone in time, I do return all calls in a timely
fashion..........the only catch is you need to leave a message
;)
I hope the year is progressing well for
everyone else and we're looking forward to seeing everyone at the first
Canadian Reptile
Breeders Expo in September!
- Jon Kendrick |