Russian rat snake breeders?

[John1982]

Just have to keep you're eye out. Unfortunately the hobby isn't as varied as it used to be. (IE everything is ball pythons now) So people actually producing the "miscellaneous" snakes are a lot more rare. Keep some money to the side and be ready to pounce when the babies start hitting faunaclassifieds and kingsnake.

There's always going to be a "popular" species that takes the lion's share of space at reptile expos. That's what these events are for after all, selling animals and supplies to other folks. If you are producing colubrids and everyone at the show seems to be looking for royals, you're going to find other venues or maybe trade a portion of your stock for what's in demand. Before royals it was corn snakes, now hognose snakes are gaining in popularity. Sure, there are more people producing ball pythons than probably all other species combined but that certainly doesn't mean there are any less people producing the other stuff. I'm not sure how having more people interested in reptiles, whatever species draws them in, can be construed as a negative anyway. The more people with a vested interest in reptiles, the easier it is for us to fight nonsense legislation. Consider where the hobby might be today, what you could legally keep even, if it weren't for this one species with such a massive following. As for finding those "miscellaneous" snakes, if you're looking for pigeons, you ain't gonna find them staring down rabbit holes.

Thats just the breeding rotation for most colubrids bud. It'll be like that till people get tired of Ball Pythons.

You seem to be harboring a bit of resentment, friend. How does ball python popularity affect colubrid breeding cycles exactly?