So I took a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the herpetarium at the St. Louis Zoo today. Terrible lack of pituophis, just three. Anyway most of the people I was with were getting all excited over the rhino vipers and king cobras and blah, blah, blah. And the tour guide was loving talking about them. Then I spied a couple of boxes on a lower rack marked P.m. ruthveni. So I told him that I'd love to see the Louisiana Pines and he said, "Okay, I guess so but their ugly snakes. They just look like an ugly bullsnake." Nonetheless I persisted and he let me sneak a peek. The record card listed their origin as "CB Memphis" unknown parents. They were probably '02 but maybe '01. I asked where they acquired them and the guide said "memphis" and closed the lid while mumbling something about those damn ugly pinesnakes so he could go talk about asian cobras or show off their blackheaded python again.
Anyway, does anybody know where these animals came from? Know any possible breeders in Memphis? I would think a zoo especially would want a little more background info on an animal like this. Opinions?
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Martin Whalin
"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
-Carl Kauffeld
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