Herper of the Month - February 2006
"As a kid, I was never really much of a herper. I certainly didn’t know what the word “herping” meant. Like most little boys though, I was always willing to catch a snake if I knew it wasn’t dangerous. Growing up in rural North Carolina, we had our fair share of slithering backyard visitors that came up from the forest behind our house, and my earliest recollection of snakes involved finding copperheads in our yard under our canoe or down by the creek. For the most part, my dad has always had a healthy appreciation for nature, but he wouldn’t tolerate copperheads in the yard, and most of them that we discovered usually met an early death. Any other snakes, though, were welcome to stick around." |
| "I
spent my teens in north central Indiana, where we had moved to
be closer to my dad’s folks, and it was here that my interest
in herpetology was kindled at the ripe ‘ol age of 18. The first
snake I ever caught that I was interested in ID’ing was a northern
water snake that I found in a creek near a friend’s house. I won’t
describe just exactly how it happened, but in the process of catching
the snake, it ended up unconscious. I put it in a trash can in
the garage, hoped it wasn’t a copperhead (yes, I was naive), and
quickly got an ID from Purdue University’s ‘Indiana Snake ID’
website. The water snake was awake when I came back to the trash
can, and it was there that I learned of the unpleasant disposition
of Nerodia and their fondness for biting and leaving one with
a trail of blood dripping from their hand. But it was also there
that I officially became hooked on herps, and since that day I
have been relentlessly pursuing these beautiful animals every
chance I get." |
| "Along
with my interest in herpetology came my interest in photography.
I started out with a Point and Shoot and learned all the basics
of photography, using it to capture the great moments in this
new hobby of mine. Soon I realized that I wanted more versatility
and it wasn’t too long until left my P&S behind for a digital
SLR and the vast array of accessories that inevitably follows.
I have since become addicted to photography as well as herpetology,
and my interests in the former have broadened to more than just
snakes and frogs. Nature, landscapes, portraits, I love it all." |
| "As the years went by in Indiana, I grew tired of living amongst the cornfields and having to drive several hours to view my favorite species. It was for this reason and many others that I decided to make my way back to my home-state, where red dirt roads wind through pine forests, tin sites are a dime-a-dozen, and people say “y’all” and drink sweet tea on their front porches. This is home for me." |
"I
currently work for myself doing web design, and before my school
career is over, I hope to have graduated from medical school and
entered into a career in emergency medicine." |
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