Reptile & Amphibian Forums

These are currently listed in the classifieds for $500.00 by Mountain Top reptiles. Anybody familiar with them? Do they look right to you? They look funny to me, but it's hard to tell with the abberant patterns.

I saw that ad myself a few days ago and was suspicious. It's impossible to say if they're "pure"just by looking at them. At first glance, other than the abberant pattern, they look like milk snake phase thayeri to me. That doesnt mean that they weren't possibly crossed with something else a few generations back. I've seen mex-mex and ruthveni that have striping and fused bands like that.

To ensure that you are getting as close as possible to a "pure" thayeri, buy from a respected breeder who can trace the lineage of his snakes back several generations.Buy from someone who cares about keeping their lines pure. There are a still few breeders out there who have been keeping thayeri since wild collecting was legal, and they have kept their lines pure. Many of us have snakes from those lines. I'd rather buy a pair from one of these respected breeders than buy that questionable abberant pair.

I thought mex mex as soon as I saw them. Especially how they are both aberrant in the same way. I guess I was just hoping that some of you would vouch for these guys.

I cannot vouch for the breeders, but they look way too much like the Lemke line of striped ruthveni to me.........
And suspiciously enough they are both milksnake phase....ruthveni like........But what do I know.....they could be pure......who's to tell without further research and some good ole fashion truth.
John Lassiter

It does look like their is ruthvens influence, but line breeding and inbreeding of any species whether they are pure or intergrade or hybrid does produce some of the most weird looking and abberant patterns.

linage proof is paramount if you want to keep you lines pure.

Abe.