Ok everyone. So it's March now, and for all of you who are Herpetologists, Herpetoculturists, or reptile enthusiasts of any kind, this is the time when your blood starts boiling, your plan-making skills kick into action, and you life starts to get cluttered trying to balance all the shit you normally have to do, with trying to find all the new reptiles you're gonna get this season, and trying to buy and set up all the new cages, and work out the new feeding schedules, ect... And if you're a breeder, then you have the added bonus of detailed schedules and pre-breeding record keeping, then pairing up and breeding all your little guys and girls and getting sucked into the awsome whirlwind of everything necessary, meticulous, and wonderfully tedious that follows a breeding.
If you are not yet into reptiles, you should be. They're amazing. They're beautiful. They're visibly ancient. . .and they dont need to be walked or housebroken. Dont get me wrong, I do love dogs - I have 2 of them - but reptiles are just different. They are a soothing presence. They're a constant reminder of how ancient this planet is, and how far evolution has brought us. They bring color and beauty into an otherwise dull world, without undoing the darkness of the mood that you prefer to have there, if you do prefer to have it there. Of course, if you prefer a lighter mood, reptiles dont seem to do anything to darken it. It's actually an interesting effect. Reptiles will always seem to compliment your personality. I also find them to be very relaxing. Theraputic, even. I have some deep shit in my past, and watching reptiles go about their days in their own ways actually helps me deal with some of the more difficult-to-just-sit-with shit in my life. I can watch a snake slither around a cage for hours. I slip into a trance-like state, and no matter how awful I was feeling when i started, I always come out of it feeling better. I cant say if it's the movement itself, or the appreciation for it, or maybe something else entirely, but whatever the reason, it is a sort of home-spun therapy for me. The difference between reptile therapy and actual therapy is that reptile therapy actually works. It can actually leave you feeling calmer and more at peace with youself. Not that they know what they are doing for you at times like those, but still, they are remarkable creatures.
Reptiles force you to think as well (and yes, that is a good thing). You cant look a some of the less common morphs of various colubridae, for example, without wondering what their exact genetic make-up is. That is why almost every reptile keeper will at some point try their hand at breeding. Its almost impossibe to avoid. To look at them without saying to yourself "I wanna make one of those" just very rarely happens. People always want to hatch out a few of their own. Those with a greater affinity for science, probably have more specific goals, but the general notion is the same; Whether you want to hatch out exactly what you've allready got, or create something new with genes you're breeders are "hiding", or if you're going for the pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow and shooting for a brand new color or pattern previously unknown to anyone anywhere...We all want to make our own.
There are few things on the planet cooler and more incredible to watch than reptile hatching out of their egg. It's like watching a child be born, but far more amazing, because the reptile does it all by himself. They're so tiny when they hatch, they have never been instructed as to how to free themselves from their egg and still, they require no assistance. They instinctively know what to to, and they get it done. No doctors helping, no mothers' pushing - just a teeny tiny reptile and an egg for it to battle.
So if you are currently a reptile enthusiast of some kind - The season is upon us. Enjoy! Have fun! Create!
If you are not into reptiles yet - what the hell are you waiting for?! Get on it! Spring and summer is when you're gonna find the most hatchlings for sale, and when you'll almost definately be able to locate a reptile expo or two somewhere around where you live. Join us. All are welcome.
Wishing a happy and prolific season to all my fellow breeders out there.
-DP
