A Playful Q&A with Pancake's New Girlfriend, Maple Syrup

Join Dad and Kiley as they welcome Pancake’s new girlfriend into their quirky reptilian world in this playful follow-up Q&A. Discover imaginative questions and hilarious insights into the eventual introduction of this dynamic slithery duo. With witty banter and heartwarming humor, get ready to slither into a story filled with reptile romance and endless fun!

Another week, another fun surprise for Kiley’s Kritters, as she gets off the bus. No not another puppy, but holy moly is that another snake? Dad’s anti-snake protests have all but disappeared. Who would have thought he would be sharing his roof with not one, not two, not three, but five snakes! Medusa would be impressed! Join us as we sit down and run through some Q&A the day after Maple Syrup’s arrival.

Dad: What fun name should we give Pancake’s new girlfriend, and why does that name fit just right?

Kiley: Maple Syrup, because pancakes and maple syrup go together!

Dad: If Maple Syrup had a secret superpower, what do you think it would be?

Kiley: Flying like Cheyene, a Macaw, from Snake Discovery.

Dad: Cheyene is a bird, and can fly already, how is that a superpower?

Kiley: *Laughs - because I want to fly too, like a bird!

Dad: If Maple Syrup could talk, what silly greeting do you think she’d say to Pancake when they meet? And can we call her Maple for short?

Kiley: Yes, we can call her Maple for short, and you are crazy!

Dad: Wait a minute I am crazy?

Kiley: *Laughs - No dad! Maple would say Pancake is crazy not you! Well actually you sorta are for letting us get all these snakes!

Dad: How do you think Pancake will react when he sees his new girlfriend for the first time?

Kiley: Well, he will go crazy of course! And hiss, in a good way, uncontrollably. Like Ssssssssooo nicessssssss to meetsssssssss you!

Dad: If the two of them could go on a mini adventure together, where would they go and what would they do?

Kiley: They would go to the Zoo and look at the animals, Rogers Williams of course, and they would go eat my favorite Dots ice cream!

Dad: On a more serious note, can you tell me what genetic morph Maple Syrup is? What is unique about her?

Kiley: Maple Syrup is a Superconda, which means she has no spots, and she is Axanthic, which means she has lots of grey and black visible. She’s also het Toffee, and Pancake is a Toffee Belly! They will make super cool babies!

Dad: If Maple could sing, what song would she sing?

Kiley: The kitty caught a mouse and brought it to the house! She’s hungry of course!

Dad: Who the heck sings that?

Kiley: The Kiffness of course! And Dad – can we please have pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast again tomorrow?

Sweet Scales and Slithery Tales

Within the sweet imagination of our 6-year-old girl the slithery love story will continue to surprise and delight. Pancake and Maple Syrup prove that even in a world of reptile romance, there's always room for more fun, adventure, and a dash of silliness. With every playful hiss and quirky question, these two are turning our home into a magical menagerie where imagination meets reality, and breakfast conversations are as sweet as their names suggest.

And let’s not forget a nod to The Kiffness - the spirited musical maestro known for featuring songs about animals that are upbeat and quirky. The infectious creativity of his music inspires our family’s playful banter, reminding us that life is best enjoyed with a little laughter, a lot of heart, and the occasional tongue-in-cheek reference to a cat-themed hit song. Here’s too many more whimsical Q&As and the endless adventures of Pancake and Maple Syrup!

Shout Out:

Special thanks to Adrian’s Captive Creations who held onto our Maple Syrup for a few months until the weather was safe enough to ship. Adrian gave Dad week-to-week updates on the girl with pictures, but Dad and Mom kept them secret. As again, Kiley was surprised one usual Tuesday as she got off the bus!

We are keeping Maple Syrup in a simple 10-gallon front opening terrarium, with aspen bedding, some hides, cork bark, tree branches, a couple of fake plants, and a rock. Simply providing the same heat as we do Pancake, which is an Arcadia 50W DHP on a dimming thermostat. As she is still a bit small, we have a while before we upgrade her to a forever home, and unlike the smaller male Western Hognose Snake, the females tend to grow a bit larger. For her we may do a 40-gallon bioactive terrarium when she’s ready!

Special Note:

Although Kiley’s fun imagination has them dancing, playing, and going to the Zoo together, the reality is we will keep these snakes separate until they come of age for breeding. Kiley is very excited to go through the breeding process and see how the various types of hatchlings come out. With the mix of genetics the parents have, there are some fun options that the entire family is looking forward to experiencing at least once.

Fun Fact:

Female Western Hognose snakes grow to be quite larger than their male counterparts. So, while Pancake may reach around 2 feet in length, Maple Syrup will be a bit chunkier and can grow up to 3 feet in length. I guess we will know who wears the pants in their family! Oh wait, momma's usually do, don't they? Don't worry Dad will teach Pancake his favorite saying while he points to the top of his head..."I am the King and here is my crown!" Then mom and Kiley will laugh!

Maple Syrup’s Genetics:

Maple Syrup is a Superconda, Axanthic, and Het Toffee Morph? But Kiley what the heck does that mean? Here’s a little breakdown of all three traits – plus a bonus 4th (Conda):

Superconda – is when both parents displayed the Anaconda morph, producing a pattern less mutation that retains the standard head pattern of a hognose snake.

Anaconda (Conda) – No it does not mean the little hognose snakes can reach the man-eating size of the species – Anaconda – down in the Amazon. Instead, it’s a reduced pattern morph, that results in few, yet larger, blotches (circular) patterns – that sort of resembles similar patterns to those larger cousins found in South America.

Axanthic – lacks the more colorful shades resulting in a snake with more of a greyish black coloration on its body and patterns.

Het Toffee – is a mutation that brings a toffee/caramel like color to the snake, and often has a toffee-colored pattern on its belly, hence Toffee Belly morph. In this case Maple Syrup is Het Toffee, which means the snake carries the gene but does not show it.

Breeders have gone down the psychedelic rabbit hole on this one making the combinations fascinating! You can read more about the various hognose snake morphs at hognose-morphs.com.

Great Resources:

Bioactive Supplies – The Bio Dude or NEHERP.

Care Guides - ReptiFiles and we like Elle's Reptiles.