Until now, I have chosen to just monitor this thread and not put in my $0.02. However, things are starting to get a little out of hand, so now you'll get my $0.02 whether you like it or not.
I am the breeder of the corn hatchlings in question. Back in October, Mike F. contacted me regarding purchasing one of my ghost male hatchlings. He had been viewing pics I posted in the Cornsnake Photo Gallery and really liked my ghost het motley adult male. He wanted to add his genetics into his collection. Since I still had several clutches in my possession, I started posting pics {see "2.0 Ghosts (For Mike) in the Photo Gallery - last reply 10/22). The ghost male #126 is the one Mike F. eventually received.
I had multiple e-mail and Private Messages with Mike F. since he wanted multiple corn hatchlings for future breeding projects. I sent him numerous pictures, included genetics and lineage, to come up with a good group for his project. I also told Mike F. that I, personally, did not sell retail. I sell all my hatchlings to Mike B. and he deals with the hassle of shipping, etc.
By the time Mike B. picked up the rest of my '04 hatchlings on 11/7/04, Mike F. had chosen the one male and 4 females. I had contacted Mike B. prior to pick-up stating that Mike F. had already picked out a group of hatchlings and would be contacting him concerning their purchase price, shipping, etc. Mike B. e-mailed me back saying that he had been in contact with Mike F. and the deal had been made.
Upon leaving my care on 11/7/04, the ghost male (DOB 7/3/04) had shed 4 times and had eaten F/T 15 times, never refusing a meal.
The 2 females Mike F. eventually received were not 2 he had originally chosen when talking to me, but I still have their records. Female #158 (DOB 8/7/04) had shed 3 times and had eaten F/T 10 times, never refusing a meal. I'm confused as to the other female purchased. In Mike F.'s PM to me on 12/30/04, stating their arrival into his possession, he gave me #160 but called her a ghost. My records indicate #160 as a normal and #163 as a ghost female. #160 (DOB 8/8/04) shed 3 times and ate F/T 10 times, no refusals. #163 (DOB 8/8/04) shed 3 times, ate F/T twice, refused 2 meals, ate live 5 times in a row, then ate F/T brained twice in a row before being sold to Mike B.
As you can see, all of these hatchlings were well established before leaving my care and I can see no reason that they wouldn't do well for Mike B. as well. Since the hatchlings were in Mike B.'s care for almost 8 weeks before being received by Mike F., my guarantees have expired, but should something show up in necropsy (if any ever gets done), I will still honor them.
As Mike B. has already mentioned, I still have clutchmates to these hatchlings in my possession. Clutchmates to the ghost male can be seen in the Photo Gallery under "'04 Ghost Sisters", last reply 12/9. Two clutchmates of the females can be seen under "'04 Ghost Motley Pair" last reply 12/10 (Autumn is the clutchmate) and under "'04 Hypo Motley" last reply 12/5. I can take current pics on a dated newspaper at any time to verify their health.
Later in November, I heard that Mike F. had finally chosen a total of 9 hatchlings, again after multiple pics being sent from Mike B., Mike B. had given Mike F. a very sweet deal on the group, and that Mike B. was just waiting for payment before shipping out the hatchlings. On or around 12/1, Mike B. e-mailed me stating that Mike F. had totally backed out of the deal. I sent Mike F. a PM on 12/1 inquiring about what happened since the last I had heard, Mike F. had sent out a money order the day before Thanksgiving. On 12/2, Mike F. sent a reply stating that he found the MO in his house but he needed the money to buy a new monitor for his computer but that he would send Mike B. $40 for his time, effort and for keeping and feeding the hatchlings for the extended amount of time. I immediately replied stating that I fully understood how things happen and that I would have other hatchlings in '05 if he was still interested. On 12/4, I received a PM from Mike F. stating that he now had more money since he was payed back from a loan he had made but had forgotten about, and that he would now buy only 1.2 hatchlings and sent Mike B. something extra for his inconvienence. That was the last I heard until a PM from Mike F. on 12/30 stating that he had received 1.2 hatchlings, was a little worried about the male being a bit thin, but that all 3 had eaten F/T just after a few hours in their new tanks. The next thing I know, I received an e-mail from Mike B. saying that a problem has arisen and that I should check the BOI. And that brings us up to this point.
Before reading this BOI thread, and like MIke B., I was under the impression that Mike F. was an adult. And that he also had a business of sorts. Heck, his member ID is Sand & Sun Reptile, which indicates a business to me. And I don't know of too many minors with a business. All of his posts, e-mails and PMs that I read sounded like I was dealing with an intellegent adult...up until this thread however. I should have picked up on something being "wrong" when he originally backed out of the deal with Mike B. and his excuses, but I believed him at the time.
Everybody loses hatchlings, even well-established ones, but an entire shipment from the same source in a very short time is disturbing, to say the least. I am extremely interested, and concerned, about the fate of the 3 hatchlings since they were my "children", and if anything shows up on necropsy, I need to go over my own collection of 84 corns with a fine tooth comb. If the cause of death of the hatchlings is proven back to my collection and my care, Mike B. will be given a full refund on any or all hatchlings he has purchased from me this year.
But I was told here that my Vet was wrong and it was a 100% waste of time.