Hi Doug,



Sorry man, I didn't realize that awesome yellow rat belonged to you. I should read twice and respond once. Thank you for your kind words.



Its a shame that most herpers these days can't or don't appreciate such awesome natural specimens. Most would rather have a captive creation. While there is nothing wrong with that, and I am just as much at fault as the next guy for creating them, it is not the reason that you, myself or thousands of other old schoolers got into this. We are slowly losing something special in this hobby - the ability to appreciate a real, natural selection...like that ratsnake, or that Monty NC eastern, or a common freakin' boa.



It hit me like a giant $hit brick a couple of years ago, that I didn't resemble the herper that I started out as, and it wasn't a matter of progression, but a matter of sideways deviation. I have had a few times in my life that I looked in the mirror and didn't respect the image looking back and that point of realization was one of them. I've since been fortunate to recapture that initial drive and awe that I had as a kid, and I consider myself immeasurably lucky because of that. I hope these new guys are able to look beyond the glitter and glitz to appreciate such prizes as your yellow ratsnake. Take care buddy.



Will

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