matt2 - welc Kathy this is Bill Myers
ladywoodtick - hello kathy how are you
Corn-Utopia - Great, now that I see it is working

Ingramj - Hi Kathy, how are the girls and boys warming up?
Corn-Utopia - I tried early this year. There is some interest, but no breeding yet.

matt2 - Hows Bill doing
Kysnake - Kathy, do you have any new projects for this year?
Corn-Utopia - He's sorting slides from the last Mad trip now.

Ingramj - How many hatchlings are you expecting?
Corn-Utopia - I hope to finally produce some of those Hi-whites this year. Will have lots of babies, too many!
NightCreatures - During the chat, will Guests be skipped because they don't sign in under a handle?
Kysnake - 4Kathy, are you working with anery A bloodreds?
matt2 - yes, they will ron

Ingramj - Kathy, I have an anery b (charcoal) what you recommend I breed her with, a bloodred?
Ingramj - Will you be producing any Kisatchies this year?
Corn-Utopia - No, I am planning on adding some blood to other projects, like butter and motley, though
Corn-Utopia - No, don't have any of those.

Scott_Petty - Kathy What ever became of that Hatchling with all the white at the end of the Corn Manual?
BeardedDragons - is this only gonna be about snakes or all herps?

Ingramj - Kathy, what's new, going to be the icon of the year for corns?
Corn-Utopia - Scott - hope to have more this year (hi- whites)

KINGSNAKE18 - kathy, i gotta question is it possible to breed a kingsnake with a corn snake an if so how is it possible
Corn-Utopia - I breed mostly snakes, so that is what I know best, but willing to talk about herps in general

Scott_Petty - Kathy, Oh I saw you mention that but did not know that was what you were calling them.
matt2 - for those of you new to Guestchat we have a few rules: I will go down the list of folks and call on you to ask our Guest one question and you can have a followup question

Ingramj - Kathy, why don't you cross breed. Due to genetics or personal preference?
Corn-Utopia - I am a one person operation and have to carefully choose my projects. I don't think hybrids are unethical, if you are keeping good records and not trying to fool anybody. I just can't do everything, only what I like best
TOwens - kingsnake, why would want to mix a ball python to a kingsnake? Do you want to breed your cat to your dog?
MarkB - if you start mixing snakes and they change hands too many times the true identity could be lost and mees some ones collection up

mikepanic - evening Ms. Love, I picked up one of your beautiful classics from a friend who was getting away from corns, on the original receipt from you it said classic female het for? I was wondering what you bred into your classics, so I know what to match her to this spring, thanks.
chondropython - that is why pure breeds are worth more
Ravnos - heh, try explaining that to Dr. Frankenstein Creations, ask them how much they want for a carpet x chondro or blood x ball
Kysnake - what about intergrades like corn and emory's
Corn-Utopia - My classics are any normal corns that are really pretty. Many have a lot of okeetee (but not pure oke.) and many have a lot of bloodred or what I call my Naples strain

Ingramj - Kathy, before the time is up. I just want to say thanks for all your great information and animals!!
ClintB - Mike, I bought a beauty of a classic from Kathy's line het Motley and poss het Bloodred
mikepanic - it said het for? as if were a possible het for something
mikepanic - ok, thanks clint
matt2 - Ingram we'll be starting in a few mins

Corn-Utopia - Since many subspecies do cross in the wild at the edge of their range, it seems fairly natural
TOwens - intergrades that occur naturally are different, they are usually just sub specific differences
MarkB - Oh Heck , I goota go , some one here to see me , anyways bye Kathy , say hi to Bill and you guys keep up the good work
Corn-Utopia - Thanks MarkB

NickAsher - kathy is there any site where i can go to see if i breed a phase to an other phase to see what i would get??
Corn-Utopia - Yes, look at the link on my site. The is a Progeny Predictor
NickAsher - an other words im trying to find otu the genetic point of view
Corn-Utopia - It's very easy to use
Scott_Petty - Serpwiget's page is good too
Corn-Utopia - It's a good tutorial, but you have to think more!

ponic - Anybody ever see or produce a caramel bloodred?
matt2 - also Kathy, so that I know when you have finished a response could you type "next" so I know to call on the next person
Corn-Utopia - OK next

matt2 - first I'd like to thank our Guest tonight Kathy Love for taking of her time to be w/us
matt2 - for those who, if it is possible, have not heard of you, kathy..could you tells us
Corn-Utopia - What would you like to know?
matt2 - what kinda herp work you do
Corn-Utopia - I primarily breed corns of various colors. Every year I find that I have less of everything else and more corns next

BeardedDragons - Hi ,I want to become a lizard breeder for a career is there a good "path" to take such as a good herp colllege?
Corn-Utopia - I'm also going to be speaking about corns several times and places this year
Corn-Utopia - I don't think you will learn breeding in school, but take LOTS of business classes. I wish I did next

ClintB - Hi Kathy, Thanks for being here. I want to thank you again for researching the snakes from your lines that I bought from someone else. I'm working on Motleys with black borders on the saddles. Do you think that's possible?

Corn-Utopia - That's what I was hoping to do when I crossed okeetee x motley. Instead I got the "disappearing pattern" motleys. Let me know if you get any! next
cornkid - Kathy, I have a '00 male corn who is about 27 in. long and 2 in. around. Will he be big enough to breed this year?
Corn-Utopia - Probably borderline. Feed him well for a couple of months and he MAY do it. next

crocman - I was wondering if you see any problems with the breeding of so many morphs? Do you think we'll eventually lose our "true" animals?
Corn-Utopia - They'll still be out in the wild. I think we have already lost the info to really know the true genotypes of most of our many - generation cb corns next

Gecko113 - Hi, I was wondering if you were planning on spreading to other species in the coming years or stick with corns and other colubrids?
Corn-Utopia - I am just a one-person operation and corns are my favorite. I used to have lots of types of milks, kings, etc. etc. But when you have corns, what else do you need?
Corn-Utopia - I also have a few dragons and will keep them too next

KINGSNAKE18 - i am thinkin about buying a corn snake an what would you say the best well tempermental corn would be
Corn-Utopia - I think it goes more according to family lines (just like people!) A good breeder should know his family lines and be able to advise you on the ones you are interested in next

Kysnake - Do you think there will ever be a melanistic corn snake found? If so, what would you breed it to first?
Corn-Utopia - Seems like that gene has to be lurking out there somewhere. It would be interesting at first, but just like leucistics, boring later. Once it is pure black, or white, what's next? The project is finished. next

lachesis - Hi Kathy, Randal Berry here, how did you and Bill come up with the tangerine dream Honduran?
Corn-Utopia - Bill found it in an importer's shop years ago, marked as a coral snake. Then it was a matter of lots of selective breeding next.
KINGSNAKE18 - mike wazup
Corn-Utopia - Ok, if I don't find it, email me later next

mikepanic - could you explain the term pastel as its often used to describe ghosts and some others, is it an actual genetic thing or just a color variation? thanks
Reptile_Mike - not yet
Corn-Utopia - From what I can tell when breeders use it (I don't), it seems to be just the pinkest, most pastel looking ghosts. So it seems to just be the nicest color variations. next

NApple - Is lavender masked by any other genes?
Corn-Utopia - I haven't worked with lavs that long. Rich Z. is the expert on those. But I'm not sure that he knows either. next

NightCreatures - I am wondering if you lose any animals during hibernation? I am hibernating 185 animals and lost 4 this winter. One, a nice Amber corn female. this would have been her first year breeding. Wonder what happen?
Corn-Utopia - I don't think I ever lost any in hibernation (can't really call this a hibernation here in Fl). If I lose adults, it is usually just after breeding/egg laying. next

pinatamonkey - What do you think is the most exiting new corn morph?
Corn-Utopia - That is hard to answer because I keep changing my mind. I am excited by the hi-white. But the various new combos offer surprises sometimes. I tend to go for the colorful ones. And I have never seen any that I really prefer over my good old okeetees. next

ponic - Has anybody Produced any Caramel Bloodreds or Butter Bloodreds yet and is this a project of yours?
Corn-Utopia - I started late with butters and lavs, so Rich Z is probably first with those. And I think Don (SMR) is working with some too. next

Rabid - Whats the biggest corn you've ever seen, and how long?
Corn-Utopia - Probably just over 6' and very husky. One we had years ago next

rachl - What do you think is the hardest part of comercial breeding?
Corn-Utopia - Keeping quality, quantity, profit, and fun all in the same business!!!

Reptile_Mike - I was wondering what the main difference betweeen motley Amelanistic and reg Amel. was in ur view??I enjoyed ur book to!!
Corn-Utopia - Thanks! All motleys will have lack of checks on belly and pattern disappears down the sides. The dorsal area may look like just about anything. next

RobG - Kathy thanks for being here. My favorite morph is the Reverse Okeetee and wanted to know if you could give us any updates on your new "Hi-White" morph of Reverese Okeetee that was on the last page of your book?
Corn-Utopia - I expect to breed that animal to her father this year. Cross your fingers! next

Salmaherp - Who or what was you biggest influence to become a breeder?
Corn-Utopia - I wanted to breed or train animals since I was a child. First, cats, dogs & horses. Then snakes. My high school biology teacher and his boa helped. Max Nickerson at the Milwaukee Public Museum was my mentor in my teenage years. That was before anybody thought breeding was really possible. next

Saturday-Rocks - How do you feel about the "Hybrids" and do you think they are affecting our reptile world?
Corn-Utopia - If you are not planning on releasing them or cheating customers, why are they any more un-natural than amels and other morphs? next

snake_girl - Is a cornsnake unhealthy when it's shed does not come off in one piece?
Corn-Utopia - Maybe, maybe not. But it usually means at least less than optimum conditions, often it is too dry. next
matt2 - TOwens, your turn:

TOwens - I agree with your earlier comment, nothing like good ol' Okeetees and nothin better than finding one under a piece of tin!. Kathy, what is your fondest memory of Joe Laszlo?; and a follow up is, what is something that you learned from him that you still use today?
Corn-Utopia - I remember him with his old coke machine (You've got to keep them cool, mon!) That was back when people were afraid to cool animals for fear of killing them. He taught me alot about life cycles of temp and photoperiods. next"

ClintB - When will you produce a snake that is homozygous for hypo type A and type B (Sunkissed)?
Corn-Utopia - I am not very interested in that as I don't think I could tell the difference and am trying to keep those genes apart as long as possible. I think it will really muddy the waters once you don't know which hypo your animal is exhibiting. next

cornkid - What is the ideal temperature and humidity for incubating corn eggs at? Also what do you use as a substrate during incubation?
Corn-Utopia - I use vermiculite and/or sphagnum moss. I just put them on the shelf at "room" temperature (about 82 - 84 or so, but fluctuates) next

Gecko113 - Kathy, What is your 2nd favorite herp?
Corn-Utopia - I really like red tegus, beardies, and chameleons. But chameleons are WAY too much work! next

gooleeys - Kathy, are you planning to attend the symposium this june in toronto?
Corn-Utopia - No plans so far. But I will be a speaker (on corns) in Gainesville Fl (March), and Davis, Ca (May 3)Baltimore (Sept) Email me if you want more info. next

K-roc - If you dont mind me asking: How old are you, and at what age did you actually start breeding snakes, and what advice do you have to young people who are looking to start breeding snakes. Thanks a lot kathy it's great having you here!
Corn-Utopia - I will be the big 5 - 0 in a couple of months! I started keeping snakes in about 8th grade. First started breeding a few in the '70s and bred corns as a business in the early - mid eighties. Sorry, missed the other part of the question

K-roc - what advice do you have to young people who want to start breeding
Corn-Utopia - Read everything you can. Go to symposia and expos. Work with breeders if you can. Take lots of business classes if you want to do it as a business. Good luck! next

Kestrel- - whats your opinion on ghosts? i currently breed some super high color bubble gum snows, and want to get into some nice ghosts.. may be buying a pair or trio this weekend at Hillsboro if there's any there, any idea on the price range for breeders? also, what are your opinions on Rich Zs silver queen ghosts? i really love those.... oh, and the snow and ghost genes are both recessive correct? would it be possible to make a ghost snow?
K-roc - thanks gtg
Corn-Utopia - I think the hypo and amel would kind of cancel each other out. But Don S. says that snows with the hypo will have high peachy color, so give it a try. I never buy adults. Kind of like buying a used car - why do they eant to sell it? next

Lamprophis - What do you think about small time breeders flooding the market with lower quality animals and asking the same price as you?
Corn-Utopia - I believe in free enterprise. If they can get the same price as I can, then either they have good quality or they are really good salemen. I am less happy with the people who sell perfectly good animals for practically nothing. It really cheapens their (and our efforts). but that is what the free market is all about. The market decides the price next

NightCreatures - I had a small corn (29") lay 21 good eggs, and a large corn (39") lay only 9, also good. Is this genetic? Or other factors at work?
Corn-Utopia - I believe there is a big genetic component to it, but the health and other factors probably play a large role too. I try to keep back animals that are great producers. Dairy farmers keep cows that produce the most milk, so we are basically trying to do the same thing - breed good producers. next

rachl - what future morphs do you believe will come out on the market for corns?
Corn-Utopia - Anything is possible. We can work at selectively breeding more or less colors from animals we already have (redder blood, yellow from butters, etc) But new things will pop up totally surprising us. That is the really fun part! next

Rattler - u mentioned earlier that u will be breeding one of your corns back to its father: do u think inbreeding is hurting the snakes genetically? shortening life spans or anything?

Corn-Utopia - All animal breeders inbreed to a certain extent. That is how you "fix'" the traits you want from a particular family line. But it is important to carefully cull any less than perfect animals and to watch for any undesirable traits in a family line. Once you see those, or accomplish your goal from inbreeding, it is time to outcross. If you have no special reason to inbreed, then don't do it. next

Reptile_Mike - Was okeetee's corns found in S.C. or Florida originally(i hear many thoughts and views on this)&what type of enclosures do u keep ur corns in,racks or what?
Corn-Utopia - Jaspar County, S.C. I keep them mostly in 28 qt. Rubbermaids in a rack system. Not beautiful, but efficient. next

RobG - Kathy whats your opinion about the use of Butter Corns to increase the yellow pigmentation of the non-Butter offspring of the F1 and subsequent generations? I am working with some babies, one of which is somewhat hi-yellow from Don, that will hopefully give me some really nice hi-yellow Reverse Okeetees.
Corn-Utopia - I have noticed that my normals and amels het for butter tend to be quite yellow. Sounds like a good plan next

snake_girl - I gotta go. Thanks Miss Kathy!
ladywoodtick - http://www.boaphileplastics.com/expandable.html
Corn-Utopia - Bye

The_Boaphile - I just wanted to say thank you to both you and Bill who have had a profound influence on my Selective Boa breeding. I heard Bill speak many years ago about the layering of colors in Corn Snakes and used that information to enhance and improve the color of my Boas. One of the highest compliments anyone has ever paid to me was one day a fellow heralded some of my Boas and compared the quality of my Boas to the quality of the Love's Corn Snak
Corn-Utopia - Hi, is that you Jeff? Bill Bill says "thanx!" next
The_Boaphile - It is Jeff

matt2 - ok, we're up to the hour, Kathy would you like to continue on for an additonal half hour
Corn-Utopia - I can stay for awile if there are still more questions

KINGSNAKE18 - this is about my kingsnake though
matt2 - you sure can..and we appreciate
KINGSNAKE18 - kathy is it possible for a kingsnake to be picky about the color of a mouse

Animals4Education - Aside from geographic origin, how can you best distinguish Cornsnakes indigenous to northern Florida from the 'Miami-Phase' type?
rachl - btw whats your website page :-}
matt2 - Kathy, after you answer Animals, can you type your URL in for website
Corn-Utopia - The ones from N. Fl. tend to be rather red and somewhat (but not really) more unicolor. That is where the original bloods came from. The Miamis tend to be smaller and more of a grey background next
Corn-Utopia - Corn-Utopia.com
Animals4Education - Thanks Kathy!

Blazin - well i want to know what the average girth is for your breeders and if this picture is of a normal or okeetee corn?
Corn-Utopia - I never measured their girth. The bigger ones just fit between my thumb and forefinger. can't look the photo right now. next

ClintB - Was it fun doing that pic with all the babies on your face?
Corn-Utopia - Yes. It was 139. I was laughing so hard, they wanted to fall in my mouth. Bill took about 100 shots, so it took awhile. next
CornBall - I have become very fascinated about the genetics included in the Pearl Cornsnake, do you have any information on them. I know of only 1 person that has them right now (well 1), any information on who has had them, what makes them up genetic wise, basically anything you could share?
Corn-Utopia - I don't have any and haven't really researched them. But we just got a notice that we should go ahead on the revised cornsnake manual, so I will be doing more research. And will be asking for more photos and info from interested people. next

Gecko113 - I was wondering what is the nicest wild caught specimen u have ever yielded from the field?
Corn-Utopia - I haven't really caught any worth keeping, but have gotten a couple of wild caught okeetees and Miamis over the years from other collectors. But most wildcaughts can't compare to the products of selective breeding for color and pattern (in my opinon) next

RobG - Do you still work with the Hypo Glades? Any ideas how they are doing in the wild now?
RobG - How big to Glades get?
Corn-Utopia - Yes, I produce a few hypo glades. The wild glades (I believe) have been intergraded out of a separate existence by the yellow rats. Probably because of all of the habitat changes - roads and canals that change the water flow. Most of my glades get 5' - 6'. Once a had a w.c. almost (not quite) 7' back in the 70s next

The_Boaphile - Are you working with any of those Everglades Rats that Marcia Lincoln used to have and worked with?
Corn-Utopia - All of mine are descended from at least some of that bloodline, although much diluted now. next

Animals4Education - What's your favorite E. o. lindheimeri morph?
Corn-Utopia - Glades and alb. bubblegums. Got bored with the leucistics. next

rachl - do you have any advice for someone very interested in working with herps as a carrer, say a vet, and possiable breeding?
Corn-Utopia - If you can make it through vet school (too much math for me!), at least you have a career. As a breeder, you have to be a business person and make your own career. But if you are the kind of person it takes, there is nothing more satisfying, although not as lucrative as many other careers you could choose. next

RobG - What is the min. size for breeding a female, male corn? whats smallest you personally have breed?
Gecko113 - What colubrid would u recommend for me because I live in georgia and its illegal to keep cornsnakes?
Corn-Utopia - I usually don't try them unless they are around 3' or so. But I really go more by girth and the way she looks. If she looks like an adult, I check to see if she is ovulating. I may not breed her even if she is ovulating if I just think she is too small. It has a lot to do with experience, more art than science sometimes. next

The_Boaphile - Have any good stories about Carl May?
The_Boaphile - An inside Joke... next
Corn-Utopia - Just the time he dropped the cage we were carrying because he is terrified of little old Florida spiders. next

Blazin - well i want the girth of breeders
Blazin - like half dollar size or something concrete i can visualize
Corn-Utopia - Very small one is probably a quarter size. Normal is probably silver dollar. Sorry, not good with measurements unless I actually do measure it. next

ClintB - How do you check for ovulation?
Blazin - thanks
Corn-Utopia - Put a smooth cloth on the palm of my hand and let the snake crawl over in a relaxed manner (when going back into cage) Push up on belly with forefinger. Should feel like a string of pearls, kind of small and hard bumps. Eggs feel larger and softer. Gets easy with practice. next

herpinboy - whats your favorite type of corn?
Corn-Utopia - Probably okeetee, but I like 'em all! next

NickAsher - Kathy, what would happen if the Humane society got the ban herps law? What would you do with your stock?
Corn-Utopia - I don't think it will happen during the time I am still active with herps. They will attack piecemeal and we will have a more difficult time of it. Some cities and states will get hit harder than others. We are lucky in Fl. We have a lot of herpers here, and with the Expo, more money to fight them. next

RobG - If you breed a female one season, can you give her the next season off? Or wil she still produce eggs?
Corn-Utopia - The will usually ovulate anyway if healthy and ready. May produce infertiles if you don't breed them. I only give them a year off if they didn't recover properly from the last year. Doesn't happen too often. next

The_Boaphile - Carl doesn't like spiders huh? Any real dirt that I give him greif about!?!? Com'on something really good? WIsh I had a more serious one...
Rattler - lol
Corn-Utopia - Give Bill a call sometime - I'm sure he can think of something from the old days. next

ClintB - Thanks again, Good night all!
The_Boaphile - SAHWEEET!
NickAsher - What would you do if the law did come to affect?
Corn-Utopia - Thanks Clint
matt2 - Welp, we're up on the half hour. Kathy, and for those of you who wish to chat herps, you're welcome to join my room, #kingsnake
NickAsher - What would you do if the law did come into affect?
The_Boaphile - Nighty night everyone.
rachl - thx for being here and talking to us Kathy :-}
matt2 - on behalf of JeffB, Kingsnake.com and myself, kathy..thanks again for taking of your time tonight to be our Guest
Corn-Utopia - Thanks for inviting me Goodnight
ratracepass - night kathy
matt2 - Next month's guest will be John Hollister, topic: Herp'n the Transpecos
matt2 - time and date to be announced
matt2 - good night all...see ya in #kingsnake