KJ or any others who have been involved with ruthveni for a while. Is there some kind of an official stud book or organized lineage history written down regarding ruthveni? I get the impression there are some individuals that have this knowledge, acting as advisors in steering potential buyers to breeders who have "pure" ruthveni. I can certainly see why as many other pits look very similar. I know I researched mine as best I could when I purchased, including getting documentation, and talking with other pit fanciers. But when it really comes down to it, unless you caught it yourself and can prove it, your trusting the breeder/zoo you purchased from. And then again that individual or zoo could be unknowingly misrepresenting the snake as pure when in reality its not. Without a legitamate stud book or something similar, dna tests, scale counts, it's too easy for someone or a group of people to simply make statements claiming they know without real proof. Maybe someone (not me)lol, could compile such a thing so anyone interested in this species could have a starting point and not simply rely on forum chat for their answers. A decade ago when I heard about what was happening to the ruthveni wild population and the possibility of them becoming extinct I wanted desperately to try and breed them. When I finally aquired mine I was elated. I would be seriously disappointed to find out later they were not pure. I would be very angry if this conclusion was reached simply because someone said so.
Tad