Reptile & Amphibian Forums

'78 was the first year of the "lost years" in alterna history....if i remember right that mcgurty guy had a permit from texas to collect graybands.....i seem to remember talking with him and others in toby' s in comstock....i think a dan mussetti, gieger and a female companion were there.....mike used to sit out on the car door and hunt...strange sight at first he looked 10 foot tall!!!!....that's when the del rio bus depot lockers were used for......well, we'll discuss that later....we were staying langtry at a friend's trailer tpw had wardens from all over texas down there riding herd on the collecters......half them wardens didn't even like snakes....what a circus!!!!

Those were indeed the dark years. Of course noone I know ever collected graybandeds then....

Do you know who it was that caught the live giant bull snake? I remember Bruce Smith and I driving in from Langtry to Del Rio. We found a DOR Pitouphis that was just under 9' (I'd have to dig up my notes for the actual) near Comstock -- the thing looked like a python on the road! Then we met up with some herpers in Del Rio who had just caught a live one that was the dead ringer for the dead one we found! I have some photos somewhere -will scan and post sometime. Just curious who that was and what happened to the live one. I don't care much about bull snakes but that thing was truly awesome. The year was around 1980. --Henry W.

I've seen 3 bull sankes over 7 feet long in west texas but no 9 footers! I found a fresh killed one in 1986 right in front of Shumla. It was 7' 9" long. I skinned it out and mounted it on a board where it stretches out to just over 10 feet long. That means the hide stretched an additional 2 feet plus after being skinned. Thats why some people always talk about 9 foot diamondbacks and the like because they're going by the skinned out hide and not the live animal. Makes a good conversation piece when hanging on someones wall. BA

may have been hollister

Now thats funny!! LOL.