About Us

Our Team and the Science Behind RGI

Our Mission Statement

Our mission at Rare Genetics, Inc. is to develop genetic tests for reptile keepers that are reliable and affordable. We want to provide you with the opportunity to get to know your pet at the DNA level!

With 20 years of experience both keeping reptiles and developing genetic tests, we are uniquely prepared, and thoroughly excited, to get your shed skins and give you back more information about your pets!

Benson H. Morrill, PhD

Co-Owner and Operator
I grew up catching snakes and lizards from as far back as I can remember. In 1999 I got a ball python, and that was my first experience in keeping a snake long-term. In 2000 I began working in a herpetology lab on campus at Utah State University with Joseph R. Mendelson III. In 2003 I hatched out my first clutch of ball pythons, and got a litter of 19 healthy boas! I have also hatched out Carpet pythons, Woma pythons, Black-headed pythons, Angolan pythons, Grey Banded Kingsnakes, and Honduran Milk snakes. I continued to keep and breed snakes and have worked in molecular biology labs to this day, including doing about a decade of work in genetically modifying the pig genome so that pig organs could be used in human transplants for people that could not get other organs.
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In 2011 I completed my dissertation at Utah State University on genetics in ball pythons, and met up with Shawn for the first time in person at the October Tinley reptile show. Rare Genetics, Inc. is the product of bringing together decades of reptile keeping and breeding experience that Shawn and I have, along with my DNA testing experience and Shawn’s business experience. We are very excited to serve you, and help you get to know more about your reptiles!
Read Ben's dissertation on snake genetics →

Shawn Christian

Co-Owner and Operator
I have been in this hobby since I was a little kid. I used to spend hours in the library reading everything I could about reptiles while I was catching them in and around my home in South Florida. I am a Marine Corps Veteran and was educated at Texas Tech University in the 90's where I studied Advertising, Marketing, and Music (I was a scholarship Trumpet Player). After College, I worked primarily in sales for computer hardware companies while also running some small side businesses of my own, including my very first business which was a reptile import and distribution company when I was 18 years old. That ended abruptly when I was called to serve in the Gulf War, and when I came home, I finished my time at university.

The bug to own my own business never left, and in 1999 I quit my career to try my hand at owning my own companies, and I have been an entrepreneur ever since. RGI was an idea Ben and I had working at the NARBC Tinley show together back in 2011 on "carpet row".   We have been chipping away at it ever since, and launched in Oct. of 2022.  I couldn't be prouder of what we have built, and I hope to be able to retire doing what I love...working with reptiles and reptile genetics!

Kayla Short

Social Media Manager
I am RGI's Social Media Manager. My background is in music education, but I caught the Herping Bug in 2020 after finding my first wild Black Ratsnake in my yard, and it was love at first bite(s)! North American Colubrids--specifically Ratsnakes!--are my main fascination, and I keep several captive-bred Eastern, "Hobby," & Western Ratsnakes in addition to Plains Hognoses. I love going herping, and I also work at a permitted wildlife hospital in my area, allowing me to observe unique wild reptiles who come in as patients.

I use my education chops to teach others about how fantastic snakes are, especially when I can relate it to our region's native snakes and their importance to our ecosystems. When a career shift for me in 2022 coincided with RGI needing extra hands for marketing and social media, my varied repertoire of skills and passion for snakes made for a perfect partnership that continues today! "

For breeders of any size.

"RGI and shed testing has transformed my business! Investing in the genetic profiles of my animals has paid off many times over.”
Justin Kobylka
Kinova Reptiles
"We’ve been using RGI for the past two years, and it’s been a game-changer for our breeding projects. We’ve eliminated the need for raising up breeding back, and proving out individual animals. As ball python breeders, we work with genes that are indistinguishable to the naked eye. Our goal is to combine these genes within a recessive gene to create a unique animal. This process can take many years, but RGI has made it possible and accelerated the timeline significantly!"
Travis Birchfield
Coiled Up Snakes
"RGI has saved us years of time & has eliminated much of the genetic guesswork in Ball Python breeding by revealing with certainty the genetics of my animals. Now I can make informed choices when choosing breeders to pair and hatchlings to hold back. Now it's as simple as an envelope and a postage stamp and before I know it, all my questions are answered! RGI is at the forefront of genetic shed testing and growing its capabilities into new morphs & species rapidly."
Ryan Stuhlmacher
Rhyno's Royals
"RGI is a reliable beacon of innovation. I am consistently impressed with their tireless, interesting research and the upstanding character of the entire team. Every interaction showcases a group that is not only committed but also passionate, making them a standout partner for any breeder looking to elevate their projects and reach the full potential of their animals."
Patricia Cooper