• 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....

Msherps

nealdolson said:
Its a shame this had to turn into a bigger deal than it is...*sigh* I just wanted to be satisfied with my purchase, thats all.
Seems you are entitled to that much. It is a shame that he needed to be shamed.
 
I have no hard feelings, at least yet. Just want a resolution to this. I'll talk to him on the phone, if he truly wants to make things right then I will work with him, and be more than willing to update my information on the matter.
 
Perhaps its just me, But I'd want everything said in writing, especially when dealing with a conflict. For your own peace of mind and protection, besides its quite simple. Either he gives you what you ordered, or refunds you upon the return of the specimen.

Either way, good luck!
 
TopShelfExotics said:
This will be the last message I post on your behalf, if you want to post on the BOI try contributing like the rest of us.

I might as well make it official. From here on out someone posting emails or PMs in the BOI from someone else who has not paid the membership/verification fee will get you warning points put onto YOUR record. Quite possibly some people doing this KNOW about the paid membership requirement and are just trying to bypass it using you as the vehicle. Otherwise anyone can contact me easily via email or PM to find out why they can't post here, or they could just read the highlighted sticky thread at the top of this forum to figure it out.

As mentioned elsewhere, someone who is the target of a thread will be granted a 30 day free posting privilege here for the asking. But this is ONLY available to those people or businesses that are mentioned within the header of a thread and not just anyone who happens to be mentioned anywhere within the thread, or someone with some vested interest in the thread topic itself.

Hate to have to put my foot down, but I can see where this third party posting will get out of hand pretty quickly otherwise.
 
nealdolson said:
I have no hard feelings, at least yet. Just want a resolution to this. I'll talk to him on the phone, if he truly wants to make things right then I will work with him, and be more than willing to update my information on the matter.

Neal,if Mitch wants to make it right,you ought to let him.Mike B is a good friend,and has his back.So shall I.It would appear to me that MSHERPS just simply took the wrong approach,followed the wrong lead,and tried to be someone that he shouldn't be.

Don't get to worked up about Chris Johnson.He appears to be an honest pet store owner,but I am pretty sure he blows his load everytime he can make someone look bad.He has a long history of Napoleonic behavior when he finds a new chew toy.

If Mitch does the right thing and eithier refunds or replaces your snake,he should get a thumbs up in my book.Everyone new in the industry has growing pains,and it has become apparent to me that Mitch did not knowingly try to misrepresent anything.He might not have known the average weight of a breeder female ball,he does now.He has permission to use Mario at Zoological imports pics.Mike DID indeed treat your snake for Mitch.Treat?Yeah,pull the tics off,one round of dewormer,and feed it.Mike is the master at this.WC balls are not for the faint of heart,and in the long run,will need much more attention in the future.If you are not experienced in WC animals,blow the extra ching and buy CB.

Mitch,you have a choice here.You can register and give a first hand account of your deal,or simply ignore it.Its up to you.Either way,make nice with NEAL.

Andy Sury
 
I am honestly flabberghasted by Miamireps "theory" about the imported hogs. He presumes they are from El Salvador or "another island" but are "pretty much the same as Hogs" - um if a snake wasn't collected ON Hog Island or decended from snakes collected on Hog Island, it's NOT a Hog island. Look at Corn Island boas. They look very similar to Hogs, but they're NOT HOGS. So, come on with your "maybe they migrated millions of year ago". Either way, the importation was stinky.

1. Someone took real Hogs from the island and imported them as BCI, which seems to be the case. Understandable that breeders would jump at new blood, but the process of importation is disrespectable.

2. Someone imported "hog-looking" snakes from some other location and is selling them as Hog Islands. Misrepresentation, plain and simple. It's bad enough that collection endangered this species in the wild as it is, to introduce "Hogs" that aren't from Hog Island into the domestic breeding population will also muddy the purity of our stock, which some worry might have been mixed with normal BCIs at some point.

That being said, I love my Hog. There is a decent population of CB Hogs here already, so I don't feel bad that I purchased mine from a reputable place.

And the big-fish-tale hypothesis of where the snakes might have come from is so far fetched -why are you (miamireps) going out so far on a limb to protect MSherps? Yes, beginner mistakes happen, the problem people on Fauna have is the long ridiculous excuses you are providing for these mistakes. If MSherps had come on here and said "oh, my mistake, I'm sorry, I will try to rectify the situation/ change the way I word my advertising", it wouldn't be an issue. If those snakes, through Zoo Imps, were from that Hog Island recent importation, fine, MSherps didn't actually COORDINATE the importation.

You indeed aren't helping the situation.
 
turtlepimp said:
Neal,if Mitch wants to make it right,you ought to let him.Mike B is a good friend,and has his back.So shall I.
Andy, with all due respect, why can't either come here and post for themselves? If your good friend has something to say why send it in nasty private messages?

Mitch has made some mistakes, sure. But there is a bit more than that going on here I would say. His naivete asided, it took "outing" him here before he responded to Neal's attempts at contact yet was e-mailing Chris and perhaps others during that time.

As for the WC Hoggs/not Hoggs/BCI/funky monkeys, there is some explaining to do as was pointed out above. Either they are illegally imported WC Hoggs, CB Hoggs being misrepresented as "new blood", or not Hoggs at all. None of those possibilities are good ones and Mike B may want to address that. So might Mitch. Ignorance is really not a satisfactory excuse in that situation. :toiletcla

I'll chip in a buck for each of them. Any others beside Chris?
 
turtlepimp said:
Don't get to worked up about Chris Johnson.He appears to be an honest pet store owner,but I am pretty sure he blows his load everytime he can make someone look bad.He has a long history of Napoleonic behavior when he finds a new chew toy.


:rofl: Yes, Yes indeed! :uzi:
 
Hey, whats this, any relation Mike????

associated press said:
Man arrested in Orlando on wildlife smuggling charges
Last Update: 3/11/2005 12:17:16 AM


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A man charged with smuggling endangered wildlife to and from Southeast Asia is headed to prison for two years.

Michael Barrera of Miami pleaded guilty yesterday to a reduced charge. Federal authorities say he admitted importing or exporting more than 500 animals. They had a market value of 200-thousand to 400-thousand dollars.

Barrera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle protected wildlife into the country.

Authorities say turtles, tortoises, lizards and snakes were shipped to Singapore by U-S post and commercial carriers

Link To Story


Just wondering........
 
Same name, hmmmmmmm. Gee, if it is the same guy I wonder how Mitch feels about a convicted felon "covering his back" as turtlepimp says. Not only that, but if it is him, he should probably be looking for somebody to cover his back (literally), before he enters prison, rather than wasting time sending IM's to people, on behalf of someone who may not even want the "help"
 
I dunno if it is or is not, someone actually PM'd that to me thru the board....
 
It would be an awfully large coincidence if it were not him. If it is NOT him, I'm sure one of us will recive a PM from him defending himself.

While coincidences do happen, what are the odds of another Michael Barrera from the same city (Miami) being in the reptile import/export business?

Maybe he really can't afford the $10. Or maybe it's not worth his while knowing he won't have internet access while a guest of the US government.

So, it seems that we have an admitted felon defending Mitch? Gee, with friends like that who needs enemies?

Michael Barrera, here is your sign: :toiletcla

"I am not a crook. I am not a crook."
 
While coincidences do happen, what are the odds of another Michael Barrera from the same city (Miami) being in the reptile import/export business?
I figured that there would be a significant number of Michael Barrera's in Miami, however, when I ran a check on whitepages.com, it returned NO Michael Barrera's, and only 2 M Barrera's. I guess the odds of it being another Michael Barrera are pretty slim indeed.
 
TopShelfExotics said:
I dunno if it is or is not, someone actually PM'd that to me thru the board....


Chris,it is Mike B.It is actually one one of the reasons I IMed you about your Flyrivers.That is what Mike got in trouble for.He got emailed when he was 19 years old about getting Flys delivered to his door,and being young and dumb(really dumb),he made the decision to accept.But since this thread has gone 7 different directions,why not talk about it?
 
I know and like Michael Barrera. He is a good buyer, seller, and breeder. I am willing and able to defend him here.

Any of you should be glad that there is someone like me who is willing to defend a friend, should you have ever or will ever run afoul of the regulators. Any of us can get in trouble at any time!

I don't dump friends unless they are child rapists or something like that. :cool:
 
turtlepimp said:
Chris,it is Mike B.It is actually one one of the reasons I IMed you about your Flyrivers.That is what Mike got in trouble for.He got emailed when he was 19 years old about getting Flys delivered to his door,and being young and dumb(really dumb),he made the decision to accept.But since this thread has gone 7 different directions,why not talk about it?

Ahhhhhh Yes, one of the exact reasons we stopped dealing with them. They're nice 'n cute, but the regulations cant be screwed with.....

Seems like it was a littttttttttttttttttttle more than turtles though.
 
brucestephenson said:
I know and like Michael Barrera. He is a good buyer, seller, and breeder. I am willing and able to defend him here.

Any of you should be glad that there is someone like me who is willing to defend a friend, should you have ever or will ever run afoul of the regulators. Any of us can get in trouble at any time!

I don't dump friends unless they are child rapists or something like that. :cool:


Still, I find it off after this thread that I keep recieving emails and PMs from random individuals about Mike B. Its not very promising hearing a speach such as his (earlier in this thread) then knowing its coming from a convicted felon....

Kindof explains his views on hoggs and ect. dosent it?

Oh well, I've seen all I need to see.... :scatter:
 
Michael Barrera is miamireps here on Fauna. I do not know if he has paid the ten dollars to post on the BOI, but I seem to remember that he has not. I am considering buying him the $25 membership.

:cool:
 
Mike B said:
I personally have an international reputation for sending out some top stuff that you only wish you could get your hands on. I am bragging, because it is true, and honestly please post this, it is funny, please post the entirety as I want to make some people laugh.....well known people....people you look up to...lol...

THIS must be what he was talking about, it all makes sense now, har har har.....
 
Well considering this thread has involved him, or I should say he has involved himself, I do believe webslave ""may" give him the 30 day trial to answer said accusations.
 
Back
Top