About Kayla
I fell in love with reptiles early on in childhood, helped along by a natural obsession with dragon myths and a tendency to enjoy things that most of my peers thought were weird. I got my first ball python at age eleven, but things didn't work out and I had to re-home him. I decided to give it another go in high school, and my girl Donut has been with me ever since. ​
I decided in late 2019 that I wanted to get into breeding, and I bought my first breeding animals in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic started. I started with ball pythons because I had always loved the genetic diversity and phenotypic variation present with morph combinations. After investing in a number of breeder-quality animals, I found myself falling in love with New Caledonian gecko species, African house snakes, and Asian colubrids as well.
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I am passionate about ethical and responsible breeding and keeping, and you'll see many of my beliefs reflected in the way I run my business.
About Inspiration Exotics
At Inspiration Exotics, I focus on three main things: producing healthy animals, producing high-quality animals, and providing excellent customer service to ensure my animals go to the best possible homes. You can find more information specifically about my breeding ethics here.
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Health: The health of my animals is my highest priority. I buy from reputable breeders with established collections, quarantine for a minimum of three months, and monitor my animals constantly for potential health issues. Because I maintain a fairly small collection, I handle all of my animals almost daily. I feed frozen thawed rodents and quail (unless otherwise noted for an individual) and I keep in an enriched rack system that allows them to explore, hide, and stretch. I am also very particular about the morphs I work with. Inspiration Exotics does not, nor will we ever, produce any animals with genetic defects that have the potential to impact quality of life. To learn more about my ethical approach to breeding and more about the specific genes I will not work with, visit my breeding ethics page.
I start breeding based on a combination of age, sexual maturity, and size to ensure I'm not breeding animals too early or unhealthily. I also breed my females on a 2-on, 1-off cycle - in other words, they will only breed two out of every three years. If a female produces a successful clutch two years in a row, she gets the next year off entirely.
Genetics: In purchasing animals for breeding projects, I request and archive information regarding the animal's genetic line (pairing, parent genetics, sibling genetics, etc.) I purchase animals I believe to be the best possible example of their respective genetic combinations, with the goal of producing exceptional lines of those genes in my own collection, and passing on high-quality genetics to customers. I track lineage for all of my snakes, colubrids, house snakes, and ball pythons, as well as for my geckos.
Customer Service: I am and have always been a people pleaser and an extrovert. One of my favorite things about the reptile hobby is interacting with people who are as passionate about these animals as I am. I aim to provide exemplary customer service, whether you are a breeder looking to make an investment, a family looking for their first pet, or somewhere in between. I also genuinely enjoy interacting with other hobbyists and I welcome questions and casual conversation from strangers, so please don't be hesitant to reach out.
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I am selective about who I sell my animals to. Just because you offer money first does not guarantee you'll be the one to get the animal - I want them to find good, safe homes.
