Pink Lady Exotics
"Queen Quarantine"
Been awhile since I've been around here, definitely missed it. How have you all been? How are your collections/businesses doing?
I've been OK, the last 2 years have definitely been a rollercoaster. Divorced now, share custody of my daughter who will be 5 years old in April. My ex is out of the Army and lives here in Wisconsin, is going to school full time. We get along great, just had to get past the end of the relationship. I just made the decision to finally use my VA benefits and go back to school as well...just kinda stuck between a BS in Gerontology or a BS in Veterinary Technology. Animals are my passion, but I also enjoy geriatric healthcare and there is more money to be made there plus a very secure future. It's a tough choice.
This summer I got a message out of the blue on Facebook from Anthony McCain, wanted to see how I was doing. We started chatting again for a couple months, and I went down to Iowa for 5 days in October to check out his collection and help out with some chores in his snake building. Was a lot of fun, and I seriously never imagined I'd ever get to see/hold some of the rare stuff that he's got. At one point I had a pile of hatchlings in my hands, 4 regular crystals and 2 sulfur crystals. It felt surreal. The more we talked herps, the more he pushed me to give it a try again. I had really been against it since I lost everything, but he said it's been 2 years, it has been more than enough time, and even just 1 or 2 projects could be really enjoyable. So I thought about it for a few weeks. I already had a rescued female ball python that I adopted right before summer, and she's been thriving and doing well. I don't have a single tub or piece of husbandry left from the whole experience, not even a deli cup or a packing peanut. I trashed everything, so there's nothing left that could be contaminated. I also live in a new apartment, moved into the city. I always wondered if my new female had potential, so I decided on 2 projects. I picked up an awesome striped male lesser from Jason at Mighty Morphs to pair with my female next year, to see if they might throw some pretty babies. Anthony thinks she may be something like a mystic or phantom, and my friend Kyle thinks the same, but I'm just happy she's a pretty, healthy girl. And lessers are something I never got the chance to have the first time around. I also decided to work on a genetic reduced pattern super high contrast albino, as that's one of my favorite projects that I used to have. I used to be in love with the dark orange and crisp white albinos that Deb Northern produces, so I contacted her to see if she had any available, but unfortunately she was sold out. I hope to get one this spring if she has any females. John Quinones happened to have a proven genetic co-dom reduced pattern male for sale that was 50% het albino, and when I contacted him about purchasing him, he shocked me by offering to give him to me for just the cost of shipping. He was scammed by Damian Wyatt a few years before me, and knew somewhat of what I had gone through, so he wanted to help me out. He sent a beautiful healthy male that looks EXACTLY like the two co-dom reduced males I had in my original collection, so very likely the same genetic line. I absolutely adore him and couldn't thank John enough for his generosity. Then just recently, Outback Reptiles posted two of the most incredible reduced pattern HC albinos I had ever seen. I knew I HAD to have the female, as aside from being reduced pattern and super HC, she was STRIPED. And if you guys remember, I am obsessed with stripes. lol! So I contacted Josh, who worked out a payment plan for me. Put a deposit on her and should have her paid off in a couple more weeks. After looking at her, her brother, and the other clutchmates who all had the severely reduced pattern, Josh thinks there's a high chance it is genetic and probably co-dom, so if it is, and I hit the 50% het albino in my male, I may see my final result within the first clutch. Then I hope to refine it and further darken the contrast. I can only hope Karma may be that kind to me after everything I went through. My boyfriend lives in the bigger 2-bedroom apartment just down the hall from me, and we set up my quarantine in his bedroom, so that all new acquistions are in a completely separate location with separate ventilation from each other for a minimum of 30 days for animals from trusted sources, 60 days from anyone else. If they don't feed or show any strange signs, it gets extended until the problem is resolved. They don't move to my apartment until I completely feel comfortable that they are healthy and feeding well. I don't trust ANYTHING anymore.
Here's my normal gal -- she eats like a garbage disposal, anything and everything, which is awesome considering how skinny and weak she was when I got her. She was part of a large police raid on a drug dealer that had a small but decent ball python collection and other exotic pets. She had a couple other mystic/phantom/mojave-ish looking ball pythons at the rescue along with her, including one that was ALL blushed out, no background coloration at all, but he got adopted lightning quick. First pic is the one VaRR had on their website:
Here is the lesser male, who is almost 160g now and eats really great on live adult mice that I raise myself. He has the most curious and laid back temperment I've ever seen in a baby, not nippy or easily spooked, and very interested in being handled and checking out people's faces with a flicking tongue. (first 2 pics were Jason's ad pics, last 2 are my crap-ola pics) :
This is my AWESOME co-dom reduced pattern male that I am in love with, and he too eats like a garbage disposal. He is extremely gentle and very sweet, even likes to have his cheeks and head stroked and NEVER rears back or balls up. His personality reminds me of my Spoon, who I dearly miss. Check out that faded head and blushing! (first pic is John's pic, last 2 are mine which do him no justice) :
And last but definitely not least, the incredible female albino that is on payment plan with Outback Reptiles, and that shall soon be coming home. I'm so impatient to get her that I could spontaneously combust. (both Josh's ad pics) :
So yep, that's what's been going on with me lately.
I've been OK, the last 2 years have definitely been a rollercoaster. Divorced now, share custody of my daughter who will be 5 years old in April. My ex is out of the Army and lives here in Wisconsin, is going to school full time. We get along great, just had to get past the end of the relationship. I just made the decision to finally use my VA benefits and go back to school as well...just kinda stuck between a BS in Gerontology or a BS in Veterinary Technology. Animals are my passion, but I also enjoy geriatric healthcare and there is more money to be made there plus a very secure future. It's a tough choice.
This summer I got a message out of the blue on Facebook from Anthony McCain, wanted to see how I was doing. We started chatting again for a couple months, and I went down to Iowa for 5 days in October to check out his collection and help out with some chores in his snake building. Was a lot of fun, and I seriously never imagined I'd ever get to see/hold some of the rare stuff that he's got. At one point I had a pile of hatchlings in my hands, 4 regular crystals and 2 sulfur crystals. It felt surreal. The more we talked herps, the more he pushed me to give it a try again. I had really been against it since I lost everything, but he said it's been 2 years, it has been more than enough time, and even just 1 or 2 projects could be really enjoyable. So I thought about it for a few weeks. I already had a rescued female ball python that I adopted right before summer, and she's been thriving and doing well. I don't have a single tub or piece of husbandry left from the whole experience, not even a deli cup or a packing peanut. I trashed everything, so there's nothing left that could be contaminated. I also live in a new apartment, moved into the city. I always wondered if my new female had potential, so I decided on 2 projects. I picked up an awesome striped male lesser from Jason at Mighty Morphs to pair with my female next year, to see if they might throw some pretty babies. Anthony thinks she may be something like a mystic or phantom, and my friend Kyle thinks the same, but I'm just happy she's a pretty, healthy girl. And lessers are something I never got the chance to have the first time around. I also decided to work on a genetic reduced pattern super high contrast albino, as that's one of my favorite projects that I used to have. I used to be in love with the dark orange and crisp white albinos that Deb Northern produces, so I contacted her to see if she had any available, but unfortunately she was sold out. I hope to get one this spring if she has any females. John Quinones happened to have a proven genetic co-dom reduced pattern male for sale that was 50% het albino, and when I contacted him about purchasing him, he shocked me by offering to give him to me for just the cost of shipping. He was scammed by Damian Wyatt a few years before me, and knew somewhat of what I had gone through, so he wanted to help me out. He sent a beautiful healthy male that looks EXACTLY like the two co-dom reduced males I had in my original collection, so very likely the same genetic line. I absolutely adore him and couldn't thank John enough for his generosity. Then just recently, Outback Reptiles posted two of the most incredible reduced pattern HC albinos I had ever seen. I knew I HAD to have the female, as aside from being reduced pattern and super HC, she was STRIPED. And if you guys remember, I am obsessed with stripes. lol! So I contacted Josh, who worked out a payment plan for me. Put a deposit on her and should have her paid off in a couple more weeks. After looking at her, her brother, and the other clutchmates who all had the severely reduced pattern, Josh thinks there's a high chance it is genetic and probably co-dom, so if it is, and I hit the 50% het albino in my male, I may see my final result within the first clutch. Then I hope to refine it and further darken the contrast. I can only hope Karma may be that kind to me after everything I went through. My boyfriend lives in the bigger 2-bedroom apartment just down the hall from me, and we set up my quarantine in his bedroom, so that all new acquistions are in a completely separate location with separate ventilation from each other for a minimum of 30 days for animals from trusted sources, 60 days from anyone else. If they don't feed or show any strange signs, it gets extended until the problem is resolved. They don't move to my apartment until I completely feel comfortable that they are healthy and feeding well. I don't trust ANYTHING anymore.
Here's my normal gal -- she eats like a garbage disposal, anything and everything, which is awesome considering how skinny and weak she was when I got her. She was part of a large police raid on a drug dealer that had a small but decent ball python collection and other exotic pets. She had a couple other mystic/phantom/mojave-ish looking ball pythons at the rescue along with her, including one that was ALL blushed out, no background coloration at all, but he got adopted lightning quick. First pic is the one VaRR had on their website:
Here is the lesser male, who is almost 160g now and eats really great on live adult mice that I raise myself. He has the most curious and laid back temperment I've ever seen in a baby, not nippy or easily spooked, and very interested in being handled and checking out people's faces with a flicking tongue. (first 2 pics were Jason's ad pics, last 2 are my crap-ola pics) :
This is my AWESOME co-dom reduced pattern male that I am in love with, and he too eats like a garbage disposal. He is extremely gentle and very sweet, even likes to have his cheeks and head stroked and NEVER rears back or balls up. His personality reminds me of my Spoon, who I dearly miss. Check out that faded head and blushing! (first pic is John's pic, last 2 are mine which do him no justice) :
And last but definitely not least, the incredible female albino that is on payment plan with Outback Reptiles, and that shall soon be coming home. I'm so impatient to get her that I could spontaneously combust. (both Josh's ad pics) :
So yep, that's what's been going on with me lately.
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Glad your back!
