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The first snake I ever encountered in the wild was a garter snake, but I did not know that at the time. I had been taught that snakes were dangerous and should be avoided. Despite this, my initial reaction to seeing the snake was surprise. I was not afraid. I looked closely at the snake from a safe distance and became very interested in it. I held still and watched the snake and it became clear that it was very concerned about my presence. It soon slithered away and I was left with a strong feeling of appreciation, despite what I had been taught.
It was not very long afterward that I purchased a ribbon snake from a local pet store, and it did not take very much time after that before I had over 30 snakes. As is the case with so many beginners, especially back then, I soon had a room full of Burmese pythons, boa constrictors, Nile monitors, and iguanas. I even kept an African rock python for a few years! My interest in keeping and breeding exotic snakes exploded and still does to this very day. I find it very rewarding to raise snakes, breed them, and then help to bring new life into the world. It is only natural though, that my interests soon returned to where they were first sparked, which was outdoors.
Searching for reptiles and amphibians in nature is a truly rewarding experience that anyone with an interest in our hobby should explore. The ticks, poison ivy, briars, and feral dogs drive a lot of people off, but I encourage everyone to work through these annoyances as the rewards are great.
One of my current goals is to photograph every species of reptile and amphibian that occurs in The Commonwealth of Kentucky. This goal keeps me pretty well confined to Kentucky’s borders but on occasion I do venture into other places. In the field herping section of my website I will share photographs that I have taken of reptiles and amphibians in their natural environs. Most every specimen photographed will be from Kentucky but I will share photos from other places as well.
My interest in searching for herps in the wild soon led me to develop an interest in conducting research whereby I could make a contribution to our understanding of these animals as they occur naturally. I was fortunate enough to meet a hobbyist with similar interests right in my home town. Together, Phil Peak and I work to provide locality information to our local Fish and Wildlife Department and also conduct research on numerous reptile and amphibian species in Kentucky.
Over the years that I have been involved with reptiles and amphibians I have been able to observe my own developing interests and watch fellow hobbyists develop as well. It has been very rewarding. In my case, it was only natural that I would desire to keep a reptile in a cage after my first exciting encounter in the wild. It was then only natural that I would want to keep an exotic species that I had only heard about in the few books available at the time. From that point it was natural that I would want to breed my animals in captivity. After successfully breeding numerous exotic species I believe it was also very natural that I would return to learning more about the species living in my own home state because they sparked my interests to begin with. By the time I had made it to this point I was successfully breeding many exotic snakes and selling them at a profit. It was the next logical and natural step that I use funds generated from my exotic collection to fund native research projects in order to learn more about native reptiles and amphibians and share this information with others.
I hope that my field herping section will inspire people to pull themselves away from video games and televisions and get themselves outdoors. I hope that it puts the economic aspects of our great hobby into proper perspective as well. Getting outdoors to search for herps is healthy in more ways than most people imagine. This genre of our great way of life that some people call a hobby leads to healthy and natural development, so don’t miss out! Enjoy the photos! Will K.E!
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