• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
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    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Bad Guy Beware of Jerry Kruse

Stew, please with the dramatics already. The bottom line here is that I didn't jump at the precise moment you wanted me to. Is that how I screwed you? I'm trying to have a personal conversation with you TO ARRANGE A FRIGGIN' REFUND which I WILL NOT DO ON HERE. What is so hard to comprehend?!? Jeezuzzzz....

Jerry-This post to me epitomizes the very reason we stopped communicating and why I have no desire to speak with you. You misspelled my name, you insult me and the only reason you didn't use a different word than "FRIGGIN" is because you are in a public forum.

If your true intention is to refund me the $3100 then just send it. I will even absorb the 3% that PayPal charges or send me a check. Once I receive my refund I will send you the snakes-all 6 of them. Once this is done I will post on this forum that it is done.
 
Wes, c'mon already. I work with babies for months on end to ensure the best possible quality. To that end, I very rarely have any post-sale problems and tend to keep in touch w/ folks post-sale most of the time. That is my TOS -- case by case scenario. What happened in this case happened outside of my awareness and understanding. All I know is that the animals were sent in perfect health and feeding. Two weeks later this happens -- do you not think I feel terrible as well? I am working with Stu and he will be refunded. Now please, cool the sarcasm jets okay?

Honestly, no. I don't think you feel terrible about Stu. I think you feel terrible that you've been outed for what you are.

I also find it very hard to believe that you don't have any kind of guarantee, even a verbal one. I don't know of anyone, ever, who doesn't have one even ifi it is to say there isn't one.

When will Stu get his refund?
 
I don't think people are bashing you just for fun, Jerry. Reading your responses just makes me feel like I should dislike you, and I'm a neutral party. Not that I want to dislike you, but your attitude makes my hair stand up. If you truly want to refund him, I would do it before the next potential customer sees this and changes their mind. I just clicked on this thread and will never forget your name.
 
My husbandry techniques

Since some have questions regarding my husbandry techniques I offer these pics taken this morning along with a brief summary. I will have to post them in increments of 4 at a time because of the limitations on uploads.

1. This is a front view of one of the shoe boxes. Note the holes for ventilation at the top. The holes continue around the entire top edge of each box.
2. Top view showing 1 oz water cup attached to the front (left), 4 oz water bowl to boost humidity (I didn't add this just for these pics), 8 oz deli cup filled with damp sphagnum moss and clear lid covered with black solo cup with hole in top and side, paper towel to help facilitate feeding so neonates don't ingest any shavings (also gives additional cover) and aspen shaving as substrate (dry).
3. Another top view showing hide with black top removed for viewing.
4. Temp reading taken at front of box.

I will post the next set of pics in the following post.
 

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More pics

More pics continued:

5. Temp at back of box. This temp fluctuates somewhat do to cycling of thermostat but I monitor them closely. The temp will peak around 82-84 then drop quickly to the upper 70's with some residual heat remaining in the back edge of the boxes.
6. This shot shows the humidity at the front of the box where the water is. Notice the temp is 1 1/2 degrees higher than in pic #4. This is also due to some minor temp fluctuations as the thermostat cycles. On cold nights it drops into the upper 60's.
7. Humidity taken at rear of box. Not much difference but like the temp there is some minor fluctuations.

The following are shots of the 4 most in question showing their current location in their boxes during this photo shoot. Notice how they are all in the rear of their enclosures closest to the heat. These snakes were not placed near the rear for the pictures. I just snapped them quickly one at a time.

8.Shot of one of the males.
 

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Last set of pics.

This is the last of the pics:

9. This is the male who's pics I posted the other day. He had just shed for the 3rd time and still look pretty bad.
10. Pic of one of the female hets. She's in the blue for the 4th time since receiving them.
11. Another het female in the same condition. She is also in the blue for the 4th time.

Hope this clears up any conjecture as to the conditions I am keeping them in.
 

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Jerry, does "working toward a refund" mean that you no longer have the funds to refund Stu, that you are trying to refund a lesser amount than you were paid, or something else?

As a point of order, it is not uncommon for people to offer a 30-day health guarantee. Many people, myself included, go a step further and offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Perhaps this is something you could consider?
 
Jerry, does "working toward a refund" mean that you no longer have the funds to refund Stu, that you are trying to refund a lesser amount than you were paid, or something else?

As a point of order, it is not uncommon for people to offer a 30-day health guarantee. Many people, myself included, go a step further and offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Perhaps this is something you could consider?

:iagree:
 
Its very hard to keep track with this thread. I tried to read it all in one day and my head is spinning. Were these snakes ever taken to a vet for confirmation on its condition?
 
Also Stu, in your first pic I noticed the enclosure is next to a bunch of others. I think it might be a good idea to quarantine these animals until you have some sort confirmation on thier possible illness.
 
In the first picture it looks like all the tubs are empty except for the ones that are sick.
 
Summary- Why read through 20+ pages?

Just to answer your quesiton Rich. There is no known etiology for zonata disease. No vet. can make this diagnosis. We know it exists, is contagious, and has devasted countless zonata collections. The most qualified person to probably address this is Mitch Mulks as he is working on his doctorate in zonatas. He has already stated his opinion many a times on this issue. I think the issue here is not if it's zonata disease but more of a bad transaction.

Summary:

1) Stu paid $3100 for a group of baby zonatas. Stu is NOT A NOVICE when it comes to colubrid husbandry/breeding (40 years experience with an excellent reputation).
2) Within two weeks, they start showing symptoms of "zonata disease." At that time, Stu wanted to return the animals and get his money back and Jerry refused and wanted him to work with the snakes.
3) Animals progressively got worse/did not improve. Jerry offered Stu to return the snakes so he can work with them with no mention of a refund.
4) Stu not surprisingly refused, not trusting he will ever see a cent or the snakes ever again.
5) Jerry started getting personally derogatory to Stu using expletives.
6) Stu refused to communicate with him from that time and wanted an opinion on the other site.
7) Other sites moderator who is a friend of Jerry's selectively deletes any negative comments about Jerry.
8) Stu brings this issue to BOI.

And here we are today folks if you dont' wanna read through 20 some pages of this thread or if you were left out of the "no child left behind program."


7)
 
Just to answer your quesiton Rich. There is no known etiology for zonata disease. No vet. can make this diagnosis. We know it exists, is contagious, and has devasted countless zonata collections. The most qualified person to probably address this is Mitch Mulks as he is working on his doctorate in zonatas. He has already stated his opinion many a times on this issue. I think the issue here is not if it's zonata disease but more of a bad transaction.

Summary:

1) Stu paid $3100 for a group of baby zonatas. Stu is NOT A NOVICE when it comes to colubrid husbandry/breeding (40 years experience with an excellent reputation).
2) Within two weeks, they start showing symptoms of "zonata disease." At that time, Stu wanted to return the animals and get his money back and Jerry refused and wanted him to work with the snakes.
3) Animals progressively got worse/did not improve. Jerry offered Stu to return the snakes so he can work with them with no mention of a refund.
4) Stu not surprisingly refused, not trusting he will ever see a cent or the snakes ever again.
5) Jerry started getting personally derogatory to Stu using expletives.
6) Stu refused to communicate with him from that time and wanted an opinion on the other site.
7) Other sites moderator who is a friend of Jerry's selectively deletes any negative comments about Jerry.
8) Stu brings this issue to BOI.

And here we are today folks if you dont' wanna read through 20 some pages of this thread or if you were left out of the "no child left behind program."


7)
:rofl:

I have been here from the beginning but this thread still makes my head spin. Your post is quite concise and to the point.
 
Its very hard to keep track with this thread. I tried to read it all in one day and my head is spinning. Were these snakes ever taken to a vet for confirmation on its condition?

This was brought up earlier in this thread and I left it alone then because it opens up a whole other issue regarding Veterinarians and herps. I also thought it was covered by some much more qualified than I and probably most Vets.

I am in no way trying to discredit Veterinarians but most of my experience with them regarding herp issues has been they are more familiar with some of the more common problems like mites, respiratory etc... But when it comes to things like Mountain King (zonata) Disease they know very little. I'm also in a rural part of Texas and most vets only specialize in farm animals. It's hard to find a Vet that will even look at a reptiles.
 
Why won't you announce here publicly Jerry that you are going to give Stu a refund? The time for you to save face is over and this thread proves it. People are right to assume that since you will not announce a public refund, you do not intend to make things right. That is the essence of this entire thread.
 
YO.......

STU......its me......BAAAB...


...hows Austin??????.........dude.....this krinkle skin thing is why i dont keep zonies...:angry:.....i got pyros.....had the whole mexicana complex......ad the only snakes affected would be those ringed katz from west of the sierras...:ack2:...whatever thay west coast range is.......:shootfoot:rofl:::rolleyes:;):D:yesnod::dgrin::confused::NoNo:.........sorry bout those whatever they are:bolt01:
 
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