>>Does anyone have any information on the first known albino pyro? Was the first albino pyro collected? bred? Were albino pyros were achieved by crossing w/something else? I must admit that when I first saw a pyro, I wasn't all that impressed. But now mountain kings, with their incredible "fire-on-black" color pattern are definitely my favorite snakes. In fact, my female pyro with a "zipper" pattern and bright orange/red color is the favorite of all my snakes.

>>snake adventures



I don't think i have the energy for a long thread with a debate on this subject (the same discussions are still going on on the king forum re: albino "chain" kings, and on the milksnake forum re: hondurans) , so here's the short answer as I'm aware of it, and i was pretty closely involved:



Brian Barczyk got the originals from a fella in an upper midwestern state who'd had the group that produced them for a long time. At the time there was a state game agent or similar soft of objective, outside-observer individual, who confirmed he'd known about the animals' existence before the albino ruthveni morph could have been crossed to pyros to produce the animals brian got. Additional evidence that influences me: Brian's a very smart guy, and he wouldn't have paid what he did to acquire the group, without thoroughly vetting it.



I believe the pyros are the real thing. Which makes it all the more offensive--my personal opinion here--when people breed them to other species. I've seen an animal for sale at expo as "het for albino pyro", for example, which, when i questioned the seller, was admittedly a hybrid. That owner changed the label when i suggested he do so, but how many others didn't? How many people bought animals thinking they were "as advertised" and got hybrids? It's buyer beware. It's never been more important you know the seller or ask a LOT of hard questions about the animals' origins.

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