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Posted by K.E. on September 19, 2002 at 07:35:24:
First let me say this, I take no offense at anything that has been said. You can all believe what you want to. I may have acted in haste when I posted the pics, in fact I admit that I did. I am glad that all you guys are skeptics, you should be to ensure that facts are proven to be true and that the rest goes out the window. What I will say, and mark my words, these snakes are from Jefferson county, Kentucky. I know it seems unreal, especially when they all come up at once. I have had these animals for varying amounts of time. They did not all appear at once. They are now breeding age, and so I am showing them off. Regarding my reputation, you will find that it is gold. I founded our local herp society and actively participate in educational activities. I don't rip people off. I have given away more snakes than I have sold. I work at the Louisville Zoo, which by the way, has two other obsoleta mutations that were found in this county. I have worked here for 6 years and am quite familiar with scale counting and with DNA testing. I admit that I have not counted the scales on these snakes but promise that I will. The reason I have not is because I know a black rat when I see it...period. I also have seen data manipulated by those who test DNA. Often I have seen people who are trying to define a new subspecies approach those doing the testing. The tester will often find that the results are not congruent with what the researcher wants. They will ask if the populations are threatened and smudge the findings from there. I have seen this more than once. This does not mean that I would not test these animals. I know people who do the work, and if they would give me a deal I would go ahead and do it to satisfy all of you. But I am already satisfied. I know what I have. If you need some person with a lab jacket to tell you what a rat snake is I will go find one. As far as me getting ripped off goes, the guy I got the Calico from doubts it's authenticity. He is a "papered herpetologist" as John Young calls them. That was why he was willing to part with the snake. He believes it to be a Jefferson co, KY rat, but doubts it for this reason. Back in the seventies there was a dump off Dixie Hwy. It was called "Smith's Dump" and was a serious hunting grounds...that is until it was discovered that barrels containing nuclear waste were being illegally placed there in unsafe containers which leaked all over the damn place. The guy I got the snake from, who is one of those "papered herpetologists" you guys are so hung up on, was certain the snake was radioactive and wanted it out of his house as soon as possible. This is sheer foolishness, and I have the snake. The expose to waste may have caused the mutation, but I doubt it because this snake came from the wesport road area. The reason I posted the pic of the "mottled" snake was to show that other snakes from the area share similar characteristics. To me this is valuable evidence. Pets have escaped in the past. They may be interbreeding with our native fauna. I can not disprove this because it is true. For now, these are some kick-ass mutants, but time and effort WILL show that these animals are the real thing. Just wait.
