First Grayband baby

[zorro]

Although I have had graybands for several years, this is the first time I have bred them and ended up with 2 clutches. This is the first nose of the first clutch to hatch at only 56 days at 82 degrees. The yellow egg in the background is the only one of a cornsnake clutch that survived and was laid at the same time but may not be good.
John
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/cornsnake50/DSC_0451_zps08f80d58.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/cornsnake50/DSC_0514_zps460573c9.jpg

[TyeW]

Wow congrats! Love the bright orange colours

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[Nanci]

That's exciting!!

[Tavia]

Can't wait to see it all the way out!

[smigon]

LOVE them!!! So pretty!

Okay, the ignorance shows its ugly face: I am guessing Greybands are NOT corns, maybe kingsnakes? Oh, why can vocabulary and being nice in general help me through life but I couldn't name 10 morphs if you put the pictures WITH the names on them in front of me???

[Nanci]

Are any out yet??

[zorro]

LOVE them!!! So pretty!

Okay, the ignorance shows its ugly face: I am guessing Greybands are NOT corns, maybe kingsnakes? Oh, why can vocabulary and being nice in general help me through life but I couldn't name 10 morphs if you put the pictures WITH the names on them in front of me???

Sorry I should have said that, yes they are kingsnakes mostly from the Texas area with naming them after the areas they come from. These in particular are Christmas Mountain graybands, but there are many others like River Road Graybands.
Thanks Everyone
John

[Nanci]

Grayband breeders (some at least) are at least as crazy for localities as rosy boa breeders. HOWEVER, I have heard people say that collectors will lie about knowing the locality. They just make it up to make the snake more valuable. So it's good to know the lineage.

[Chip]

Good luck, John! I was passionate about them for a few years. Babies probably stressed me more than any species I've ever worked with, but some would hatch right out and take live pinks and switch right over to f/t. Fingers crossed all of your turn out that way, buddy!

[zorro]

I just go for what I like, all though these are lighter I really like the dark ones also (next clutch). Here is one out and 3-4 getting ready to come out. For being a smaller snake than the corns the eggs and hatchlings seem to be bigger.
John
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/cornsnake50/DSC_0516_zps8febf256.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/cornsnake50/DSC_0517_zps1e3f85b6.jpg

[zorro]

Grayband breeders (some at least) are at least as crazy for localities as rosy boa breeders. HOWEVER, I have heard people say that collectors will lie about knowing the locality. They just make it up to make the snake more valuable. So it's good to know the lineage.

Maybe it was just these but they don't seem to slit their eggs very well and one almost looked like he was not breathing cause of the small hole. I enlarged the slit and he seems to be breathing now.
Is it best to try them on live first?
Thanks
John

[Nanci]

Don't ask me!!! I guess it wouldn't hurt. I think these are why the slap-feeding method was invented! Katie Haluska did an experiment where she scented the eggs with mouse guts scent before hatching, to see if she could imprint them onto mouse instead of lizard. I don't remember whatever happened with that.

[Nanci]

Thread (http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74444&highlight=scenting+grayband+eggs) with link to original thread.

[hypnoctopus]

I think greybands are one of the prettiest types of king snake. Something about that charcoal and orange together.

Beautiful babies. I hope they eat nicely for you.

[Chip]

Is it best to try them on live first?


It's been a few, but I don't recall any of mine taking f/t off the bat. Most that did take live switched to f/t though. I had some that really took trying tricks to a new level. Those are gorgeous!

[Rich Z]

Lordy, I remember the first year I bred graybands and produced around 40 babies, if I remember correctly. Not a one of them would go on pinky mice. I had to wind up catching baby fence lizards (which I absolutely HATED doing), and buying a bunch of Mediterranean geckos to get them feeding. It was VERY slow going getting them to switch over via scenting the pinks.

One trick I tried that seemed to help somewhat was to get a bunch of those clay pot bottoms for holding water for plants and drilling a hole in the bottom and putting it upside down in the cage for the baby grayband to crawl into. I would moisten the clay pot bottom frequently to raise the humidity inside of it. By putting scented pinks on top right near the hole, it seemed to enhance the feed response of the graybands. But that was right before I got fed up with messing with them and got rid of the entire bunch in frustration, so not sure anything was proven trying it that way. But it might be worth a shot for you to try it out.

I have heard some people having luck with pygmy mice (peromyscus), but never tried it myself.


Good luck!

[kc261]

They are beautiful! I hope you have good luck getting them to eat!

[MysticExotics]

Congrats John! Beautiful babies!

[Nanci]

One thing we're forgetting- John can get _anyone_ to eat!

[zorro]

Here is the clutch, and thanks Nanci for the vote of confidence. I just saw the new forum "All Others Photo Galley" maybe I will post there instead of here with my "0thers". A Gila laying eggs would be perfect for there.
John
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb5/cornsnake50/DSC_0528_zps16b0e3bd.jpg

[Nanci]

Want me to move it??

[zorro]

Want me to move it??

That would be great.
Thanks
John

[gelshark]

I love that one in the middle! Congrats!

[HeavenHell]

Those are sweet. I've raised six out of the egg and had to use lizard scenting on all of them. Two of the six had to be cooled for a month before they would eat. I find house geckos work extremely well. I would highly recommend those over anoles.