crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
Reptiles are different then other animals. Dosing and types of anesthetics used is different than other animals also.
-
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
=====================
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....
Info Ashley Caspillo-SakaraGT4/Sakara *Possible Buyer Beware!*
ShadowAceD
Lagniappe Exotics
Fair enough, but I've had three separate vets do such procedures on my exotics, twice being reptile and once being small mammal. If they are not comfortable in doing it, then they need to not see exotic animals. It's ridiculous.
sally-dog
Kung Pao Shrimp
The inexperience of the vet with anesthesia on reptiles could be another excuse not to go through with testing... just saying.
Well it looks like it's high time I posted here..... this is a very long post so bear with me, but some background info is required and I need to reply to some previous comments.
Well since my name has been brought up numerous times already, it’s time for everyone to know the reasons for my association with Ashley Caspillo and why my boas and GTP is with her.
.
A little background on me first, since I hardly post on Fauna except for classifieds. I’ve kept herps that I’d catch in my backyard growing up, and had a ball python, iguana, snapping turtle, and a yellow rat between 1992 and 1995. I count my serious collection start date as March 2000. In 2004 I moved to Gainesville, FL to attend the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo program and I started working for Eugene Bessette at Ophiological Services until mid 2008. There’s a wealth of knowledge you can learn from working a snake farm from one of the pioneers of snake breeding. The two primary aspects of reptile keeping Eugene drilled into my head was quarantine and the importance of record keeping, and I am beyond thankful for him educating me. As of May 2010 my collection consisted of 10 boa constrictors, 12 carpet pythons, 1 chondro, and 3 Amazon tree boas. The oldest in my collection is Galadriel which I got at a pet store in 2000, Altariel is also a pet store boa, but the rest have come from breeders. I produced a litter of Amazons in 2007; 2 boas, 1 carpet clutch, and Amazons again in 2008; 1 boa and 1 carpet in 2009; and 1 boa, 1 carpet, and 1 Amazon in 2010. Unfortunately only the carpet clutch in 2008 went full term, the one in 2009 was given to Eugene to incubate, but they all died, and I lost the clutch from 2010 due to too moist an environment.
.
In May 2010 I was offered a seasonal wildlife tech supervisor position for the US Forest Service in Santa Fe, NM to start June 1 and end around early September. I was living in Gainesville, FL at the time, had graduated from UF with a BS in Wildlife Ecology and on a career path to be a biologist. I was hoping this job would be a stepping stone to more field jobs and I could figuratively have my cake and eat it too by still owning my snakes having someone else manage them while still working field jobs across the country. The problem was finding people to take my snakes in so I could work in Santa Fe or else-where in the future. If I couldn’t find anyone to watch them for me I was going to have to turn down the job. I knew Ashley through another online herp forum for about a year or so and felt comfortable in letting her watch my boas and chondro for a while. I had no knowledge of the extent of the IBD issue. I had prior knowledge about the death of the BCL, but attributed its death to being otherwise sick and weak. I did not know it was positive for inclusion bodies at the time I heard about its death. (Note: the mention of IBD was brought up on the thread on 1 December 2010 by another party) She agreed to take my collection, each with their own brand new AP cages for an open ended amount of time. Another friend in Atlanta (who doesn’t have any snakes, just amphibians) took 10 carpets and 3 ATBs, while a good friend in FL watched my pair of Bredli.
.
My adults and sub adults were setup in Ashley’s living room (away from her other snakes) in my AP cages on 26 or 27 May 2010. My chondro and my Cay Caulker female were setup in her snake room. One of my female boas produced a litter in June and those were set up in her snake room. Around August, I believe definitely by early October, we started talking about using a couple of my males to breed to her females for this 2011 season, but all breeding plans have ceased when the true extent of the IBD issue came to light (1 Dec 2010) on this thread. I came to visit her a second time on 27 August 2010 to vend the Austin expo and a third final time on 6 October 2010 on my way back to FL from herping the southwest. I have not returned since then.
.
When I arrived in 27 August 2010 to vend the Austin reptile expo, on the 28th (Sunday morning) I found mites in with my snakes housed in her living room, and spent most of Monday following the expo cleaning the cages switching to newspaper. She did not find any mites in with hers or my boa offspring in her snake room. The mulch used in their cages was the same mulch that I had pulled out of their cages upon packing them up in May which was new from Lowes on 15 April 2010. I have not had mites in my collection since before 2007. Mites usually take about a month to appear, if the mites came with my snakes hiding in their mulch I believe they should have been seen prior to 27 August 2010. When I visited again on my way back to FL after finishing my job in Santa Fe on 6 October 2010, my snakes still had a few mites.
.
Dr. Elliot Jacobson has a new method for detecting the presence of the IBD pathogen in blood samples. I contacted him in late December and he told me that he would not be able to start testing samples until January. Ashley said she would have all of her snakes tested and I want mine as well since mites were present in her house. Blood samples were taken from 3 of her snakes via sedating and a heart stick on 9 March 2010.
.
I recently moved to Galveston and had to work a bit to save up enough money to actually move all my stuff, snakes included, from Atlanta and Gainesville to Texas. I have told Ashley I am more than willing to come to take my snakes to the vet she has been using on my regularly scheduled days off. I have asked for her vet's contact info on three occassions without receiving it. I do not want to get my boas at Ashley’s place until both her and my snakes have a clean bill of health by Dr. Jacobson’s standards and advice to prevent any contamination of the clean half of my collection. If any of her snakes come back positive for IBD then I do not want my snakes back and will ask for compensation to my lost investment, on top of the kick in the teeth to loosing my kids.
.
.
Now to reply to various comments.
.
The mites showed up on my snakes at Ashley’s on 28 August 2010, the day we were packing up for the Austin, TX reptile expo. They were still there on 6 October 2010 when I visited on my way back to Florida. The cypress mulch that I brought with me was the same mulch that was in their new AP cages since 15 April 2010, about 40 days until relocation to Ashley’s. I have not had any mites previously in my collection since 18 July 2007. The snakes had then been setup in her place for approximately 3 months before mites showed up on them.
.
Yes I saw the adult male jamp in question on 26th, 27th, or 28th May 2010. The snake’s gums were “puffy” and I noticed the deep baytril burns on his sides, which I think Garett C. brought up the point that IM injections should be administered into the muscle closest to the spine. I do not remember much on that specific day because I also saw him on around 27 August 2010 (visiting for Austin Expo) and around 6 October 2010 (on my way back to FL). The condition of the animal blurs together in my mind from seeing him briefly on 3 separate occasions.
.
Again I do not believe the mites came from my animals. The bedding was purchased at Lowes in 14 April 2010 and transported with the snakes to Ashley’s on 26 May 2010, a full 40 days later. If the mites indeed came from my bedding or snakes, don’t you think they should have shown up prior to 28 August 2010? It usually takes about a month for the presence of mites to become known.
.
To be completely honest, a mite bloom without actually seeing mites for months has happened in my collection previously. On 13 January 2006 I borrowed a male boa to breed with one of my females. I had not seen mites in my collection since 26 October 2005, but upon returning the male around 1 May 2006, mites blossomed in his cage a few days later. I never saw mites in my collection from 26 October 2005 until 3 Jan 2007, but evidence does point that the loaned boa received mites from being in with my females. He did not have any when I picked him up, did not notice any on him or my girls while breeding and never noticed any after the mites appeared at the owner's facility. I still changed bedding and treated my snakes like they did have mites though. The only explanation I can think of would be the eggs were dormant and he picked them up from crawling around.
One of the cages (a Boaphile 421D) is at Ashley's place, but was empty at the time if memory serves. Now it's currently holding one of her half dwarf retics.
.
Thank you Court, and Rachel and Craig. Since my bedding came from Lowes and was setup in my cages for a full 40 days without seeing mites and then the mite appeared almost 3 months later I do not believe they came from my old location in Florida.
.
Here is an email correspondence I had with Dr. Jacobson where I informed him of the multiple deaths.
.
Partially true... Ashley told me she took them in first and the vet was unable to get blood from a ventral tail stick. So the vet recommended having them brought back to be anesthetized for a heart stick. Having them anesthetized for the heart stick raises my concern.
If anyone has ANY questions I'll be happy to answer then publicly to the best of my ability/knowledge. I'll do my best to check the thread more often now.
Kyle Finn
Ghostfish Herps
www.ghostfishherps.com
[email protected]
Well since my name has been brought up numerous times already, it’s time for everyone to know the reasons for my association with Ashley Caspillo and why my boas and GTP is with her.
.
A little background on me first, since I hardly post on Fauna except for classifieds. I’ve kept herps that I’d catch in my backyard growing up, and had a ball python, iguana, snapping turtle, and a yellow rat between 1992 and 1995. I count my serious collection start date as March 2000. In 2004 I moved to Gainesville, FL to attend the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo program and I started working for Eugene Bessette at Ophiological Services until mid 2008. There’s a wealth of knowledge you can learn from working a snake farm from one of the pioneers of snake breeding. The two primary aspects of reptile keeping Eugene drilled into my head was quarantine and the importance of record keeping, and I am beyond thankful for him educating me. As of May 2010 my collection consisted of 10 boa constrictors, 12 carpet pythons, 1 chondro, and 3 Amazon tree boas. The oldest in my collection is Galadriel which I got at a pet store in 2000, Altariel is also a pet store boa, but the rest have come from breeders. I produced a litter of Amazons in 2007; 2 boas, 1 carpet clutch, and Amazons again in 2008; 1 boa and 1 carpet in 2009; and 1 boa, 1 carpet, and 1 Amazon in 2010. Unfortunately only the carpet clutch in 2008 went full term, the one in 2009 was given to Eugene to incubate, but they all died, and I lost the clutch from 2010 due to too moist an environment.
.
In May 2010 I was offered a seasonal wildlife tech supervisor position for the US Forest Service in Santa Fe, NM to start June 1 and end around early September. I was living in Gainesville, FL at the time, had graduated from UF with a BS in Wildlife Ecology and on a career path to be a biologist. I was hoping this job would be a stepping stone to more field jobs and I could figuratively have my cake and eat it too by still owning my snakes having someone else manage them while still working field jobs across the country. The problem was finding people to take my snakes in so I could work in Santa Fe or else-where in the future. If I couldn’t find anyone to watch them for me I was going to have to turn down the job. I knew Ashley through another online herp forum for about a year or so and felt comfortable in letting her watch my boas and chondro for a while. I had no knowledge of the extent of the IBD issue. I had prior knowledge about the death of the BCL, but attributed its death to being otherwise sick and weak. I did not know it was positive for inclusion bodies at the time I heard about its death. (Note: the mention of IBD was brought up on the thread on 1 December 2010 by another party) She agreed to take my collection, each with their own brand new AP cages for an open ended amount of time. Another friend in Atlanta (who doesn’t have any snakes, just amphibians) took 10 carpets and 3 ATBs, while a good friend in FL watched my pair of Bredli.
.
My adults and sub adults were setup in Ashley’s living room (away from her other snakes) in my AP cages on 26 or 27 May 2010. My chondro and my Cay Caulker female were setup in her snake room. One of my female boas produced a litter in June and those were set up in her snake room. Around August, I believe definitely by early October, we started talking about using a couple of my males to breed to her females for this 2011 season, but all breeding plans have ceased when the true extent of the IBD issue came to light (1 Dec 2010) on this thread. I came to visit her a second time on 27 August 2010 to vend the Austin expo and a third final time on 6 October 2010 on my way back to FL from herping the southwest. I have not returned since then.
.
When I arrived in 27 August 2010 to vend the Austin reptile expo, on the 28th (Sunday morning) I found mites in with my snakes housed in her living room, and spent most of Monday following the expo cleaning the cages switching to newspaper. She did not find any mites in with hers or my boa offspring in her snake room. The mulch used in their cages was the same mulch that I had pulled out of their cages upon packing them up in May which was new from Lowes on 15 April 2010. I have not had mites in my collection since before 2007. Mites usually take about a month to appear, if the mites came with my snakes hiding in their mulch I believe they should have been seen prior to 27 August 2010. When I visited again on my way back to FL after finishing my job in Santa Fe on 6 October 2010, my snakes still had a few mites.
.
Dr. Elliot Jacobson has a new method for detecting the presence of the IBD pathogen in blood samples. I contacted him in late December and he told me that he would not be able to start testing samples until January. Ashley said she would have all of her snakes tested and I want mine as well since mites were present in her house. Blood samples were taken from 3 of her snakes via sedating and a heart stick on 9 March 2010.
.
I recently moved to Galveston and had to work a bit to save up enough money to actually move all my stuff, snakes included, from Atlanta and Gainesville to Texas. I have told Ashley I am more than willing to come to take my snakes to the vet she has been using on my regularly scheduled days off. I have asked for her vet's contact info on three occassions without receiving it. I do not want to get my boas at Ashley’s place until both her and my snakes have a clean bill of health by Dr. Jacobson’s standards and advice to prevent any contamination of the clean half of my collection. If any of her snakes come back positive for IBD then I do not want my snakes back and will ask for compensation to my lost investment, on top of the kick in the teeth to loosing my kids.
.
.
Now to reply to various comments.
.
.
The mites showed up on my snakes at Ashley’s on 28 August 2010, the day we were packing up for the Austin, TX reptile expo. They were still there on 6 October 2010 when I visited on my way back to Florida. The cypress mulch that I brought with me was the same mulch that was in their new AP cages since 15 April 2010, about 40 days until relocation to Ashley’s. I have not had any mites previously in my collection since 18 July 2007. The snakes had then been setup in her place for approximately 3 months before mites showed up on them.
.
.
Yes I saw the adult male jamp in question on 26th, 27th, or 28th May 2010. The snake’s gums were “puffy” and I noticed the deep baytril burns on his sides, which I think Garett C. brought up the point that IM injections should be administered into the muscle closest to the spine. I do not remember much on that specific day because I also saw him on around 27 August 2010 (visiting for Austin Expo) and around 6 October 2010 (on my way back to FL). The condition of the animal blurs together in my mind from seeing him briefly on 3 separate occasions.
.
.
Again I do not believe the mites came from my animals. The bedding was purchased at Lowes in 14 April 2010 and transported with the snakes to Ashley’s on 26 May 2010, a full 40 days later. If the mites indeed came from my bedding or snakes, don’t you think they should have shown up prior to 28 August 2010? It usually takes about a month for the presence of mites to become known.
.
To be completely honest, a mite bloom without actually seeing mites for months has happened in my collection previously. On 13 January 2006 I borrowed a male boa to breed with one of my females. I had not seen mites in my collection since 26 October 2005, but upon returning the male around 1 May 2006, mites blossomed in his cage a few days later. I never saw mites in my collection from 26 October 2005 until 3 Jan 2007, but evidence does point that the loaned boa received mites from being in with my females. He did not have any when I picked him up, did not notice any on him or my girls while breeding and never noticed any after the mites appeared at the owner's facility. I still changed bedding and treated my snakes like they did have mites though. The only explanation I can think of would be the eggs were dormant and he picked them up from crawling around.
One of the cages (a Boaphile 421D) is at Ashley's place, but was empty at the time if memory serves. Now it's currently holding one of her half dwarf retics. .
.
.
Thank you Court, and Rachel and Craig. Since my bedding came from Lowes and was setup in my cages for a full 40 days without seeing mites and then the mite appeared almost 3 months later I do not believe they came from my old location in Florida.
.
.
Here is an email correspondence I had with Dr. Jacobson where I informed him of the multiple deaths.
.
.
Partially true... Ashley told me she took them in first and the vet was unable to get blood from a ventral tail stick. So the vet recommended having them brought back to be anesthetized for a heart stick. Having them anesthetized for the heart stick raises my concern.
If anyone has ANY questions I'll be happy to answer then publicly to the best of my ability/knowledge. I'll do my best to check the thread more often now.
Kyle Finn
Ghostfish Herps
www.ghostfishherps.com
[email protected]
Ugh the print screens are very small.... here's the text from the email with Dr. Jacobson:
To further expound upon this statement, blood was taken from Ashley's 3 snakes and sent for testing. As far as I know the vet is experienced in anesthetizing reptiles since Ashley's snakes recovered from the anesthesia. My concern is that I believe the anesthesia procedure was unnecessary.
ShadowAceD
Lagniappe Exotics
Kyle, my comment of mites coming from your collection was not accusatory.
It was largely sarcasm used to point out the fact that Ashley is an irresponsible (insert colorful adjectives and nouns here), that refuses to own up to anything. She just tries to pawn it off on other people.
It was largely sarcasm used to point out the fact that Ashley is an irresponsible (insert colorful adjectives and nouns here), that refuses to own up to anything. She just tries to pawn it off on other people.
OK no worries Diem. I just misinterpreted it then.
ShadowAceD
Lagniappe Exotics
Not a problem. Just making sure you knew what it was I meant by it. 
Adrya
Sacrament of Wilderness
Thanks for posting your side of the story, Kyle.
thomasboxertko
New member
Watch out folks she is trying to get snakes from DFWHS that got alot of big snakes in a raid. Mostly retics and Burms. As you could guess she is all over this already. So if any of you know anymore about it tell them to keep an eye out.
crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
Tim Cole would be the one to let know. I'm sure he's involved, and would know who to pass the info to.
ShadowAceD
Lagniappe Exotics
As far as I know, Tim Cole ie on pretty good terms with her, so good luck with that.
amercnwmn
New member
Ridiculous..She has a responsibility to pay for Kyle's snakes' testing before anything! I cannot fathom why she would even be considering adding to her collection.
Screamingdragon
New member
I highly doubt that Tim is on good terms with her. I am sure he does not want to create conflict but it is hard for me to beleive that he is buddy buddy with her. He is on the Texas reptile forum and she is no longer on there from what I have seen. Tim is the expert around here and I don't think he would associate with anyone who could potentially damage his reputation or make all his animals sick. I know he has a large collection.
crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
Didn't he comment earlier about letting the NARBC show promoters know that she might show up? If they're on good terms, why would he suggest something that might have hindered her getting in?
I trust Tim would do what's right and let them know.
amercnwmn
New member
Well hopefully posting that info here will enable others to also look out for her, and it shows she has ZERO intentions of not adding to her collection. Hopefully this helps spread the word and keeps her from getting any MORE snakes, especially ones that have had such a rough background anyways. This is just...frustrating.
Tim Cole
CLOSED ACCOUNT
A person is more likely to confide or share information with those who are not antagonistic.
I want to know her test results as much as everyone else does.
Not that Ashley is my enemy but keeping an enemy close is the best way to keep an eye on them!
Since I do a quality Reptile Expo here in the Austin area, I try my best to be aware of situations like this. I will give credit to Ashley for contacting me early on to say would not be doing shows until all of this was resolved. It saved me form having to refuse her a table.
The people making the final decisions are checking references and city ordinances and this thread has been looked at by these people.
sally-dog
Kung Pao Shrimp
I cannot remember where I saw it, but I recall Ashley was inquiring about the snakes taken from the raid on the HEH property in LA, when that happened. When I find that info, I will post it. This does not surprise me.
sally-dog
Kung Pao Shrimp
http://www.redtailboa.net/forums/boas/61781-high-end-herps-inc-animal-abuse-charges-louisiana-2.html
There is a passing mention of her saying something about her taking snakes. I could SWEAR she inquired further, but it could have been on another forum other than RTB. Still, that's evidence that these animals seemed to have piqued her interest before.
Did this happen on a forum, or through a forum she belongs to? I knew that her being on forums that she might try to pull something behind closed doors, in the PM system or through e-mail. She STILL frequents forums and if she thinks we're not watching her, she's got us all wrong. Those people who think she's OK just browsing their forums had better think again. This is exactly the reason she does NOT belong on forums.
There is a passing mention of her saying something about her taking snakes. I could SWEAR she inquired further, but it could have been on another forum other than RTB. Still, that's evidence that these animals seemed to have piqued her interest before.
Did this happen on a forum, or through a forum she belongs to? I knew that her being on forums that she might try to pull something behind closed doors, in the PM system or through e-mail. She STILL frequents forums and if she thinks we're not watching her, she's got us all wrong. Those people who think she's OK just browsing their forums had better think again. This is exactly the reason she does NOT belong on forums.