Part 3: Combining shapes, braids, and textures! And utilizing parts and fros!
Normally I don't post things like this but I cannot stand by and not say my piece on this. The ball python hobby has been going down the shitter for a long, long time. Not the keeping part of it, no, the big minimalist breeders who see these living, breathing creatures as nothing more than a dollar sign in a plastic tote, are absolutely ruining the hobby for us. Jeremy Stone, owner and runner of boaconstrictor(DOT)com, was throwing ball pythons high up into the air, 'juggling' them, to show potential customers how 'docile' they are. Absolutely no respect to the animals, and with how much he dropped them I would be surprised if one or two of them didn't have a broken rib. If you want to watch the video, a screen grab was taken before he dirty deleted it. It's here. (Sorry its on facebook, I havent seen it on any other platform yet) Not only is he risking these animals being majorly injured, he is showing just how little most big ball python breeders actually care about their animals. Because this is how other big box breeders are reacting:
(Screenshots are not mine, but are shared with permission) NONE OF THEM SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT I am appalled and disgusted. I look at my babies, at Leliana most of all, and I could never imagine treating any of them with even the slightest bit of disrespect. These animals are so sweet, and so curious, and so special. And they're being treated like garbage. Adding on to that, now PETA and other places that exploit pet ownership for money will take this video and try to use it to end the reptile keeping hobby. Because they see this and can share it, and can make it seem like us small hobbyists, that actually love and care for our animals, are treating them like that. He is making us all look terrible. Needless to say, I am not breeding ball pythons anymore. I can't stand the thought of any of my babies going to someone like that. As much as I vet through people before they buy, I can't stop them from rehoming, and there is always a possibility that they'll end up in the hands of someone who only see them as a dollar sign. I'm not 'getting out of the hobby' as it were, they are my babies and they are here to stay. I just won't be breeding them anymore. I may breed other species in the future, but I can't stand the way the ball python hobby has turned out.
do you have any recommended care guides for Japanese ratsnakes? :O your posts for them have definitely put them on my "want" list, but I prefer to research care for any unfamiliar species long before i actually commit to getting one.
Unfortunately, they're not really common pets in a lot of English-speaking countries, and I haven't been able to find a care guide that I like for them. I definitely recommend doing additional research, maybe talking to a breeder if you're looking into buying one, but I can tell you what I do for mine!
I recommend a 4x4x2 minimum enclosure for adults. They love to climb and are super active!
They do best at lower temperatures, and can overheat easily. I give mine a hotspot set to 85 Fahrenheit, and the enclosure can taper off to room temperature at the cool end.
Mid-high humidity is best! I recommend 50-60%.
They do great in plastic tubs when they're babies. A 20 gallon tub for babies and a 40 gallon for juveniles is my go-to. Heat mats are a good heating choice when they're in tubs since they don't need high ambient temperatures.
Lots and lots and lots of climbing branches! They'll use them.
Like most colubrids, they can be quite skittish as babies, but at about 6 months old or so they'll really become more outgoing if you've handled them consistently and patiently.
They're really good eaters! Make sure to stick to a consistent feeding schedule; they WILL beg you for more food and they WILL eat every single day if you let them. Don't let them.
Good luck as you decide if a Japanese ratsnake is right for you! I think they're amazing pets if you want a very active snake that gives you that awesome ratsnake look without as much of the ratsnake attitude. I've never met an adult that wasn't a sweetheart.
Like I said, they're tricky to find info for if you live outside of Japan, but they're not too expensive and there are a few breeders, and I see more and more hatchlings pop up every year! I think they'll hopefully be seeing a rise in popularity, they deserve it!
Viviano Fall 2025 Ready-To-Wear
Hi!! I was wondering if you had any recommendations for corn snake morphs that are grey and yellow? The closest Iβve found is caramel but Iβm not very well researched. Thank you so much!!
I'm sorry to tell you that this is a bit of a tough (but not impossible!) order, my friend, and I'll explain why:
Corn snakes have three main pigment types: melanin (black), erythrin (red/orange), and xanthin (yellow). Most of the known color morphs will affect one or more of these pigments but they tend to be interrelated, so masking or removing one will often affect the others to some degree, and xanthin seems to be the first to go in many cases.
Most morphs are going to reduce or eliminate melanin (Amel, Hypo, Lavender, etc.) and/or enhance erythrin (Strawberry, Lava, Sunkissed) so you're going to be hard-pressed to find a morph combo that retains melanin without washing to brown but also eliminates erythrin while maintaining xanthin.
The Anerythristic A morph (aka Anery) removes erythrin and masks xanthin. Grey snake, but no yellow. Some adults will get yellow in the neck area but it won't be full body.
The Caramel morph, which you've already found, enhances xanthin and reduces melanin and erythrin. Brown snake.
There are other morphs and a potential selectively-bred yellow enhancement that you might explore that could accomplish what you're hoping for, but you'll be at the whim of breeders who, quite frankly, aren't likely to be focusing on this particular color combo.
For possible morphs that might fit your aesthetic, you could look for high-yellow Caramels, selectively bred Miami or Okeetee Caramels, Caramel Kastanie, or a morph called Dark Yellow which is a combination of Scaleless, Caramel, and Anery. I've also heard of a yellow-enhancing trait called Yellow Coat but I've never seen it and I don't know if it was a fluke, a selectively-bred trait, or a genuine recessive gene that has just fallen off the radar due to lack of popularity.
I would advise to look at adult photos and disregard baby photos, as baby coloration almost never stays the same. You might find that a muddy brown or grey baby corn snake grows into a gorgeous yellow and dark grey adult.
I wish you the best of luck in your search and if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, perhaps you can work with a breeder to launch a project, or if you have the resources you can start one yourself!
submitted by @edwardian-girl-next-door π€π©·
Chinese jade carvings: corn, grapes, cabbage, and bok choy. (cr η°ζ₯ηζ₯ηθ±)