thanks Sacha, more...

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Posted by dg on January 16, 2001 at 09:22:34:

In Reply to: Re: interesting. (with link to pictures of Leucistic E. o. spiloides) posted by Sacha Korell on January 15, 2001 at 22:26:45:

: Just to clear up a few things:
: The snake in the pictures on the ratsnakes.com website is in fact Terry Heuring's snake. He runs Dixie Reptile Shows in Birmingham, AL and he is a man with a very good (and long) reputation in the reptile business. He would never misrepresent an animal.

I don't think this thread was to question Mr. Heuring's integrity in any way. The original post asked about leucistic rats and how to tell the difference between the various subspecies. My original response was that there was no way to tell, that I knew of. I have heard all types of lame excuses from vendors, but none have been good enough to convince me to spend the extra money for a leucistic black rat or leucistic everglades, or whatever the flavor is this week.

:This particular specimen was collected as an adult in North-East Alabama, in the country far away from any large city.

Although I didn't speak to Mr. Heuring directly about this snake, a vendor at the Dixie Reptile Show told me how he acquired it. This vendor said that Terry had purchased it from someone who had collected it from the wild. Is this the correct story?? I know how things can become twisted around as they diverge from the source. Personally, I don't know Mr Heuring very well,but based on my limited knowledge I would say that he is man that is true to his word, like you said previously. My first introduction to him was in 1996 when I attended my first reptile show in B'ham at the old armory building. At that time he was working with leucistic TX rats, I spoke with him briefly about them. He didn't have any available at that time, so I ended up buying one at that show from another vendor.

Again my point was not to question Mr. Heuring. But regardless of who, what, when, why, or where, until someone can give a more solid method of ID'ing these animals, then PERSONALLY I am going to steer clear from buying leucistic blacks rats, grey rats, etc. No offense against anyone, I am just not as trusting as some when it comes to spending my hard earned cash. I need concrete details like differences in scale counts, scuttellation, etc, that can reliably prove/disprove that a wild caught animal is not an escaped (or released) pet. Until then, a white snake is a white snake, no more, no less.

Thank you,
dg

Elaphe obsoleta

Follow Ups:

Re: thanks Sacha, more... Sacha Korell 01/16/01 (1)
- Re: sacha nice grey rat .......n/p Andre' 01/17/01 (0)
Re: well said again........dg n/p Andre' 01/16/01 (0)

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: : Just to clear up a few things: : : The snake in the pictures on the ratsnakes.com website is in fact Terry Heuring's snake. He runs Dixie Reptile Shows in Birmingham, AL and he is a man with a very good (and long) reputation in the reptile business. He would never misrepresent an animal. : I don't think this thread was to question Mr. Heuring's integrity in any way. The original post asked about leucistic rats and how to tell the difference between the various subspecies. My original response was that there was no way to tell, that I knew of. I have heard all types of lame excuses from vendors, but none have been good enough to convince me to spend the extra money for a leucistic black rat or leucistic everglades, or whatever the flavor is this week. : :This particular specimen was collected as an adult in North-East Alabama, in the country far away from any large city. : Although I didn't speak to Mr. Heuring directly about this snake, a vendor at the Dixie Reptile Show told me how he acquired it. This vendor said that Terry had purchased it from someone who had collected it from the wild. Is this the correct story?? I know how things can become twisted around as they diverge from the source. Personally, I don't know Mr Heuring very well,but based on my limited knowledge I would say that he is man that is true to his word, like you said previously. My first introduction to him was in 1996 when I attended my first reptile show in B'ham at the old armory building. At that time he was working with leucistic TX rats, I spoke with him briefly about them. He didn't have any available at that time, so I ended up buying one at that show from another vendor. : Again my point was not to question Mr. Heuring. But regardless of who, what, when, why, or where, until someone can give a more solid method of ID'ing these animals, then PERSONALLY I am going to steer clear from buying leucistic blacks rats, grey rats, etc. No offense against anyone, I am just not as trusting as some when it comes to spending my hard earned cash. I need concrete details like differences in scale counts, scuttellation, etc, that can reliably prove/disprove that a wild caught animal is not an escaped (or released) pet. Until then, a white snake is a white snake, no more, no less. : Thank you, : dg

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