I see the tounge-in-cheek here Glenn, and appreciate the somewhat sideways humor of it. There are many people either on or off this forum that are sincerely dedicated to their interest in the natural variation of Lampropeltis alterna throughout its range for any number of personal or scientific reasons. Colin certainly fits this model and has made great effort to achieve it.

In my opinion, we don't need a self-proclaimed "Ayatollah of Alterna" to dictate standards according to their particular interpretation of veracity, nor do we need "Purity Police" to enforce those standards on this forum or elsewhere. Wars continue to be fought over this very type of autocratic thinking that results in mandatation of fundamental rules and standards that must be followed and are enforced through imposition of dire consequences to the perceived "infidel".

For all concerned with this topic, if you are not convinced of a locality representation according to your own standards of acceptability for any reason, then don't engage in an action that is contrary to them. Seek out alterna enthusiasts that share the same passion for true locality representation of gray-banded kingsnakes, inquire, gather information that is personally satifactory, and make your own decisions from that point. Otherwise, go find your own snakes and dispense with the pedigree issues. No individual should dictate who is acceptable or not by imposing their standards on others.

That's my two cents worth on this subject.

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