***PLEASE READ -- IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFO***
For the safety of our animals, we are currently shipping to FedEx hubs ONLY. Please read about our pandemic shipping procedures here.
LOW TEMPERATURE WARNING
Due to low temperatures and harsh weather conditions, we may not be able to ship animals immediately. For the safety of our animals, we will not ship if the weather in our area or the receiving area is expected to be below 38 degrees F. We are still able to sell animals and hold them free of charge until the weather improves. For any questions, please contact us.
About Our Hatchery
We are a small home hatchery located in Haverhill, Massachusetts. We do not have a public storefront, but we are willing to meet for local pickup and always prioritize the safety of our animals.
Our logo adopts the Celtic triquetra, a symbol used to promise love and protection, to reflect our compassion for the animals we work with. It also utilizes the Orobouros, the mythical snake that eats its own tail, as a symbol of unending devotion and the cycle of life.
Scroll down to read about our hatchery and what we hope to accomplish.
Our Mission
In the short term, we hope to make a positive difference in the life of each snake we care for. We see snakes not as merchandise but as living beings who deserve our best effort, kindness and respect. We aim to be better and more thorough in our care than major pet stores and even large scale breeders, and to offer our knowledge of keeping to others.
In the long term, we hope to help make a difference in how snakes are treated across the globe. We understand that snakes of all kinds all over the world are treated unfairly, both in the wild and in captivity, and we want to do whatever is in our power to make the world a better place for these animals. In the future we hope to team up with charitable organizations and donate a percentage of our profits to benefit snakes everywhere. We are planning on introducing merchandise as well, so that people may help our cause even if they aren’t looking to buy a snake.
We aim to expand our hatchery as our organization grows, producing clutches more often and incorporating more species as time goes on. Regardless, we are excited to see what adventures unfold for us in the future.
Our Practices
"Nothing less than the best."
We aim to give our snakes the best care possible while also respecting their boundaries and natural instinct as solitary predators. We strive to find the perfect balance that satisfies their natural needs, while employing the safest methods in preparing them for life as a pet or breeder.
FEEDING
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Rats are higher in protein than mice and are more suitable for large snakes with slower metabolisms, like ball pythons. It is also widely agreed by reptile keepers that pre-killed and frozen thawed feeding is the safest and most humane option for both the snake and feeder rodent.
The problem is that ball pythons are notoriously tricky feeders. Many keepers have trouble switching young snakes from live rodents to frozen thawed, or from mice to rats. At a young age we try to transition our hatchlings from live mice to frozen thawed rat pups in order to get them accustomed to the safest and most nutritional feeding habits. We use methods that employ the animal's natural hunting instinct, including feeding at night, in the dark, and scenting the feeder. We always feed in the animal's enclosure to satisfy their instinct of ambushing prey, and so that the hatchling feels safe. Our hope is that by the time the hatchling reaches its new keeper, the keeper will have no trouble getting it to eat the food that is best for it.
HANDLING
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Our goal when it comes to handling is to build a sense of trust within the hatchling. While we do our best to socialize our snakes, we also respect that they are solitary animals and prefer their privacy. We handle our hatchlings fairly regularly to establish trust and bring out the ball python’s signature laid-back personality, but we try not to handle them in excess.
KEEPING
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Our snakes are kept in a heated rack system in appropriately sized tubs. We provide hides and clutter in each tub to ensure the hatchling’s comfort, and fresh water is given daily. Each snake has its own documentation including hatch date, feeding dates, what they are eating and any issues that may arise. Hatchlings are never housed together.
Our Story
Lex Costa
Animal Specialist & Breeder
Animals have been my passion ever since I was very young. I grew up watching nature documentaries on Animal Planet and National Geographic, and wanted to be a veterinarian as a child. Although I had many pets when I was younger, I was never allowed to keep reptiles until I moved out of my family home. Akasha was my first snake, and she inspired me to work with animals like snakes who are underappreciated by society and to help shed a positive light on them.
In 2017 I began working with New England Reptile Distributors (NERD) and Zoo Creatures Pet Store. I was inspired by many of the people and animals I had the privilege of working with, and it helped me to discover the path I wanted to pursue.
I am currently working on my biology degree and hope to make a career of studying and working with many different kinds of animals over my lifetime. In my free time I am also an artist, a novice taxidermist and a big fantasy and mythology geek.
Akasha
Brand Ambassador
Akasha is the face of our operation, and its namesake. She is a wonderful snake and the first in our family to breed. She is what sparked my love of snakes and my passion to work with them.
Her personality is very unique for a ball python. She does not enjoy tubs and instead prefers to live and breed in a full vivarium. She is the most personable and gentle snake I’ve worked with, she’s fearless, and she loves being out and around people. She never strikes or wraps her food, and instead prefers simply to drag it into her hide to eat. I have a very deep bond with Akasha, and she is like a partner to me.
The word “Akasha” means spirit or aether, and it’s the Hindu concept of all material things being made of the same cosmic energy.