Up to several weeks before ovulation, females go through an intense color change
known by many breeders as the "glow before they go." This typically occurs after the
pre-ovulation shed, though the timescale of both the pre-ovulation shed and the glow
varies from snake to snake. Irulan, here, had her pre-ovulation shed three months
before ovulation, and her glow did not become obvious until at least three weeks before
ovulation.
The glow manifests as a lightening of the snake's normal colors, often making the female
look like a Ghost/Hypo or a Fire...or maybe even something completely different! But
trust me, you will know when she's glowing! When I first noticed, I wasn't sure if maybe
I was just seeing things; then a friend came over, got her out, and went, "Wait, did I
grab the right snake?!"
Here are some "before and after" pictures of Irulan to give you an idea of just how
intense the color change can be. This one is before the glow (shortly after the first
introduction of Iridium) in October 2009:
This is when I realized that I wasn't just seeing things (January 2010):
Notice how her pattern is almost green now, she is blushing all over the place, and
there are no traces of black anywhere on her anymore.
After ovulation, her colors slowly returned to normal.
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