• 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....

Erik Stoops. Center for Reptile and Amphibian research bad guy so far.

B

Ballroom

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
130
Reaction score
4
Points
0
Age
55
Location
Haines City, FL. U.S.A.
Last April I was contaced by Mr. Stoops about Purchasing some Bolens Pythons. He sent a Nice gentleman over to get them and to give me the money for them... Great Deal.
A few weeks later I had another Bolens for him. Erik Was again informed of it coming in .and when it got here I informed him that I could not sell it as this one had a small case of mouth rot when it arrived to me. I took it to my Vet ,he gave me meds to get it cleared up. I teated the animals for the perscribed 14 days and the animal appeared to be in perfect health. He was feeding regularly shed perfect good stools and perfectly clear white mouth. etc.
At that time I informed Erik that I believed he was ready to be sold. Erik was aware of the animals' condition on import and the vet visit and the treatemet regime... No surprises is one of my motto's..
Erik and I agreed on a trade the bolens for some cbb baby amazon basin emerald tree boas that had been born but were not yet feeding. He would ship when they fed on their own. So I shipped.
Erik got the snake,called and said he had his vet check it out and it was great.
Time elapsed and no word on my snakes from Erik,
I e-mailed and he was going out of the country to sell his childrens tv movie or special.. The Reptile Cronicles , I believe it is called , and would take care of me and our deal when he returned.
Next contact several weeks later the emeralds all died so he would send me other Zoo Surplus to make up for it.. Sunglow boas Snow Boas CBB Baby Canary Chondros etc. Weeks later after yet another contact by me because ,no animals from him nor contact from him,. He informed me that the Bolens was dead. He was out the snake vet bills etc and he was upset, but would still make good on his promise to pay me for the snake he received several months earlier.
Erik no longer answers my e-mails his tele # has been disconnected and I am out a couple thousand plus dollars
Erik Stoops can not at least at this time be trusted to make good on his word. He is a self proclaimed millionaire unlike me. So paying me should not be an issue.
If Erik takes care of his bill due me. I will be happy to retract my statement about him being a bad guy. But for now..
Erik Stoops and The Center for Reptile and Amphibian research that he claims to be the owner of are Dead beat Buyers and can not be trusted.
As some of our correspondance was over the telephoneand some was done in e-mails i do have the back up to prove most of what I an reporting here. I will be glad to do so only if the facts are disputed By Erik or one of the Centers representatives.
This post is not to open a large debate, Unlesss of course Erik Wants to dispute my story, But rather to inform other potential suppliers and Business associates of this supposed AZA orginazation in Cave Creek AZ. and or its affiliates business practices.
Michael Cole
Ballroom Pythons South
863-439-3015
 
Your first few sentences say that he sent someone over to pay for the earlier snakes, so what bill is owed you?

If I am reading correctly, the snakes he sent you died, and the snake you sent him died.

It does seem like an unfortunate deal.
 
lucille said:
Your first few sentences say that he sent someone over to pay for the earlier snakes, so what bill is owed you?

If I am reading correctly, the snakes he sent you died, and the snake you sent him died.

It does seem like an unfortunate deal.
Click to expand...

You didn't read it correctly. He never sent him snakes but stated the snakes he was going to send died.
 
lucille said:
Your first few sentences say that he sent someone over to pay for the earlier snakes, so what bill is owed you?

If I am reading correctly, the snakes he sent you died, and the snake you sent him died.

It does seem like an unfortunate deal.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should read a little further. Like where he says the second deal is the one where there was a problem.

Old age is obviously getting its grip on you Lucille.
 
Lucille, Please re-read the post. One entire transaction went smoothly. Snakes Bought And supplied Done deal...A separate and second transaction I sent him a snake he never shipped me back anything.. He owes me trade value or cash for the snake I sent him as My terms of service are clear 24 hours 100% satisfaction l guarantee. its in every add I run. An animal dying months or even weeks later after it was accepted and vet checked by you is certainly not my responsibility. At least I dont think so and by his own admission Neither did he.
 
Sammy,

It is unfortunate that you are turning into a rude springer wannabe.
 
Hey Michael, sorry to hear about your problem with this deal.
I have known you for some time and trust your word on all this but some here will want to know . Do you have any email correspondence ETC concerning this deal that you could post here. Have you let Erik know about this thread ?
Randy
 
lucille said:
Sammy,

It is unfortunate that you are turning into a rude springer wannabe.
Click to expand...

lucille, the name calling is unbecoming of a lady of your age.
 
Randy,
Thanks for he support, As I said in y first post I do have e-mails to prove some of what I said. Some of it was done over the phone. If Erik Decides to dispute anything I said I will be happy to post what I have to prove I am right an being up front about the entire situation. No need to post It I feel if it is undisputed.
Also I would be happy to let Erik know about this post But unfortunately he is not returning my e-mails or phone calls wrong number... etc. I will however send him another e-mail to let him know about it.. but Dont again expect a reply.
 
Below is the e-mail I just sent.

Erik,
I am sorry you have not responded to e-mails and the phone numbers I have for you are not working. Since it has been 9+- Months since our transaction and I have not received any compensation from you as you had promised both in e-mails and on the phone both before and after the demise of your bolens male . And you are no longer responding to any of my correspondance to you,I had no choice but to go public with the information. See link attached.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107452

If you feel compelled to make good on the monies you owe me I would be happy to post also that you did and retract my current opinion of you and your orginization.
Thanks
Michael Cole
Ballroom Pythons South
www.BallroomPythonsSouth.com
863-439-3015
 
WOW Quickly a reply from Erik... Only took minutes.
below is his e-mail.
Mike


Since you have done this, they will be no more business with you, I have offered you numerous animals to make the issues right you refused, we are not paying for a dead snake, it was sick and you knew it, get this though your head, The vet bills were 3 grand, and I will seek legal council for your public actions, and i will make it clear, to everybody what the deal is with you and your bullshit, please do not email me or contact us again, You will have 5 days to take down the link, or face legal action

Thanks

Erik

On that note. I will begin posting the e-mails that I have from Erik to Dispute his new claims.
 
erik, did you or did you not say you would send snakes in trade for the bolens you recieved after it had been medicated and vet checked by Michael's Vet?
 
First off boys and girls here's the truth of the matter.I'm the collections manager of the Center and the dealer question sent us several c.b M. Boeleni including the one in question. The animal in question was very ill in photos sent to us before it's arrival. The dealer agreed and said he would not ship unless the animal was feeding and in perfect health. He was using a drug called Zymox to cure the Stomatis issue in the mouth. As we all know Stomatis is a secondary infection. Upon the snakes arrival it ate once and thew up. Upon taking the snake to our vet,we found the snake had two issues.The first issue was a parasite called Crypto(we all know what that is). The second issue is a viral infection that breaks down the lung tissue and causes severe RI that is not curable.We watched the snake break down to it's death which was not an enjoyable expierience for us. We contacted the dealer and informed him of the issue in a very kind way. We offered him many high end animals in lou of the loss.The dealer could never make up his mind and whatever we offered he didn't want.The Center has a stellar reputation and we do not sell animals but occassional trade surplus for desirable animals.Our program is about conservation only.To all the members reading this blog,we are truly sorry that the dealer in question feels this way about our organization.We have a policy in our buisness not to pay for sick or dying animals since we always forget it's about the animal,not the person. That's what it's all about.Since the dealer has lowered himself to public slander we have no choice but to look into legal action to protect our already stellar reputation.
The CFRAR Staff
www.cfrar.com
a passion for Boelens pythons
 
oksibil said:
First off boys and girls here's the truth of the matter.I'm the collections manager of the Center and the dealer question sent us several c.b M. Boeleni including the one in question. The animal in question was very ill in photos sent to us before it's arrival. The dealer agreed and said he would not ship unless the animal was feeding and in perfect health. He was using a drug called Zymox to cure the Stomatis issue in the mouth. As we all know Stomatis is a secondary infection. Upon the snakes arrival it ate once and thew up. Upon taking the snake to our vet,we found the snake had two issues.The first issue was a parasite called Crypto(we all know what that is). The second issue is a viral infection that breaks down the lung tissue and causes severe RI that is not curable.We watched the snake break down to it's death which was not an enjoyable expierience for us. We contacted the dealer and informed him of the issue in a very kind way. We offered him many high end animals in lou of the loss.The dealer could never make up his mind and whatever we offered he didn't want.The Center has a stellar reputation and we do not sell animals but occassional trade surplus for desirable animals.Our program is about conservation only.To all the members reading this blog,we are truly sorry that the dealer in question feels this way about our organization.We have a policy in our buisness not to pay for sick or dying animals since we always forget it's about the animal,not the person. That's what it's all about.Since the dealer has lowered himself to public slander we have no choice but to look into legal action to protect our already stellar reputation.
The CFRAR Staff
www.cfrar.com
a passion for Boelens pythons
Click to expand...
If you made so many offers, and you're so legally oriented, surely you must have emails or scannable documents to prove what you have said.

Please provide them.

Thank you.
 
Wow. A collections manager that can't spell,doesn't know the difference between slander a libel and adresses people as boys and girls. What an impressive first class operation.
 
Interesting. Perhaps you can help fill in the gaps here. here is my e-mail that he is being shipped.
date 4-25-07

Erik. he is on the way...
UPS tracking number is 1zrx72410141763808
Thanks
Michael Cole
Ballroom Pythons South
www.BallroomPythonsSouth.com
863-439-3015

next e-mail correspondance I have saved is dated below. 5 days later. Semms he is happy enough to ship me the animals he promised... I will continue as I am not good at this copy and paste stuff...

----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 2:15 PM
Subject: Update


HI Michael

I will out of the country for 10 days selling Reptile chronicles to the foreign broadcasters, When I get back I will send you a nice critter box, All the baby's should be eating by then, Also There will be more animals surplus all summer long, so get ready. I will also send when I get back the books for your kids, which should arrive from the publisher at the same time.


Have a nice day
Erik
 
Please note sept 10th Erik is still going to make good on the dead snake,. Now all three bolens are dead??? Sorry but if thats the case for real why arent anyone elses dead?? Everyone else that got Bolens from Us last Year theirs are thriving..... See e-mail below. Then I will post my reply.. note they claim I never accepted anything they offered. But here I blindly accept anything.... Whos not telling the truth???


----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 5:52 PM
Subject: surplus snakes


Michael

I will be able to send you several high end surplus snakes in October, as discussed before, we are currently getting rid of several of our species to make room for other projects, of more importance


I will be in Cannes France selling RC October 2 though 11 once I can do the thank you's on the DVD pilot episode I will make sure you are acknowledge, You will be contacted either by me Ari or Donnie, in a few weeks to let you know what we are sending you to take care of the issue on the third dead boelens male What I will sending you will be worth more then 2750.00 so you will be able to re coup your loss, again I am taking a loss on this, but I am doing this out of friendship since I value that

This has been a very trying year for me, though loss of my loved one, and all the boelens I received died, from the same problems, maybe 2008 will be better,

Your friend Erik


My response.


Erik,
I will look forward to getting them. I know its a bummer for sure losing the animals . And I can only imagine the pain of your loss with your father. I know it would be very debilitation to me to lose mine. Good lock with the pilot in France. I am sure that little ray of sunshine has got to be a nice distraction from all the madness of the rest of our crazy lives...
Thanks
Michael Cole
Ballroom Pythons South
www.BallroomPythonsSouth.com
863-439-3015
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 5:52 PM
Subject: surplus snakes
 
Just out of curiosity Mr. Taylor...how can you manage a collection that is in Arizona when you are in NY?

oksibil
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: N.Y.
Posts: 1
Name : Don Taylor
Trader Rating: (0)
Warning Level: 0
Click to expand...

Were the Boelens from Michael kept in New York or Arizona?

I also noticed on your website...which is very informative by the way...that you say "We do not condone the purchase and captivity of these snakes by novice herpers and collectors because these animals have a very high mortality rate in captivity." So...since you know there is a high mortality rate of these animals aren't you accepting the risk when buying them?

You posted this on page 3 of this thread..."We have a policy in our buisness not to pay for sick or dying animals since we always forget it's about the animal,not the person."...so do you make the people aware of this policy before you buy from them? Did you make Michael aware of this policy?

Are you really going to sue Michael Cole for just trying to get monies he is owed? Did you send Michael pictures of the three dead snakes when they died? Did you contact him immediately and let him know the animals died on the days they died?

Just some preliminary questions that I think are important. I look forward to your response the next time I see you logged onto this thread again Mr. taylor...and thanks for your time!
 
Back
Top