This week Living Gems gives a 21-month update on its 2011 holdbacks. From that season, we kept back four babies, two males (Everest and Kilimanjaro) and two females (Heliodor and Morganite). We will profile two per week over the next two weeks. This is part one of the series.
Heliodor
Born in September 2011, Heliodor was the personality star of the litter right from the start, friendly and outgoing. Little did we realize she would be a knockout in the looks department as well.
Here she is in a preshed shot shortly after her birth in September 2011:
From that, she blossomed into a stunner. Here she is in a one-year shot in September 2012, looking absolutely glowing:
Over the past few months, however, she has hit an adolescent hiccup -- still strong, but no longer the unquestioned female star of the litter. Here she is as of her most recent photo session in March 2013:
Outside
Inside
That said, I have lesser snakes bounce back to heights of glory from a lesser base and worse adolescent slump, so am by no means discounting her. She absolutely has the genes and has shown the looks.
Heliodor currently weighs 548 grams, and is now feasting on small rats every other week. I look forward to her development over the next year, and a final decision on whether to keep or sell her.
Everest
Born in September 2011, Everest was an early top contender as well. He is also the snake that most inherited his Dad’s “climber” personality, happy to clamber on me right from day one. Here he is in a preshed shot shortly after his birth in September 2011:
From that, he too blossomed into a stunner. Here he is in a one-year shot in September 2012, looking absolutely glowing:
He has thankfully maintained this edge. Here he is as of his most recent photo session in March 2013:
Outside
Inside
Everest currently weighs 551 grams, and is now feasting on small rats every other week. I look forward to his development over the next year, and maintaining him as a next-generation Living Gems breeder male.
Thank you for reading,
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