Behind Spitfire Reptiles is longtime herpetoculturist, Yasser Moustafa.  He brings over 30 years of firsthand experience and a lifetime of interest in reptiles and amphibians. Raised in New Orleans, he developed a keen fascination with all the creepy crawly things nature could provide, from "Doodlebugs" to Box Turtles.  After decades of breeding many species of exotic pythons, boas and colubrids, he walked away from the world of herpetoculture in search of a new way of life. A few years later, with his mission accomplished and a wonderful new bride by his side, he elected to move back into the world of reptiles again but this time with a twist.  Instead of treading down the same path with Indo-Australian pythons and such, he decided to work with nostalgic species he remembered finding as a child in Louisiana. He started with Speckled Kingsnakes.  That spark that came with seeing the natural variation of Speckled Kings from Louisiana vs. Texas or Missouri, propelled him down a rabbit hole, looking for the subtle nuances of what visually makes each locality appeal so differently to his eye.

And so began his interest in the propagation of locality specific Ratsnakes and Kingsnakes.  Now residing in the Pacific Northwest, he enjoys his time with his wife and 5 dogs any time he's not working with the reptiles.