Herper of the Month - August 2006
"I was introduced to herps pretty much right out of the cradle by my older brothers. One kept an eleven foot reticulated python along with a seven foot red-tailed boa in a huge cage in his bedroom. I was constantly begging him to take them out and play with them. The other brother would frequently take me hiking/fishing/snake hunting to various places around Southern California. My enthusiasm for herps quickly exceeded my brothers' as I began to learn more and more about them. My interest in snakes quickly became a life-long passion." |
| "It
wasn't long before I discovered I could find other people on the
internet who were as wacko as I was about snakes. Since the advent
of the forums in my life, my knowledge of snakes and snake hunting
grew exponentially. Through the tutelage of some close herping
buddies, I quickly learned that finding snakes is a complex science
where you can never know it all... a bottomless pit of knowledge
where there's always some other target species that eludes you.
It became more than the adrenaline rush of grabbing a wild snake.
It's now also puzzle solving. I love having a target species and
researching everything there is to know about it's preferred habitat/temperature/humidity/time
of year etc. in preparation of getting out there and finding it." |
| "The
emergence of the forums in my life also sparked an interest in
herp photography. The desire to capture and immortalize the excitement
that comes from capturing a target species is only a natural continuation
of my passion. A good photo is just as exciting and rewarding
to me as the find itself. I've been known to sit contently photographing
a recently-found snake for an hour while my friends continue scouring
the hillside for more." |
"I have also been fortunate enough to have been able to do a fair amount of traveling abroad in my life. While most trips have not been exclusively based around herping, my excitement for getting out to see the local wildlife has always been hard to bridle. Africa... Costa Rica... Peru... Papua New Guinea..." |
| "I have been teaching fifth grade for several years now and have always integrated my passion for reptiles into my instruction. However, it has only been recently where I have brought my interest in field herping into the classroom. I have started teaching an after-school enrichment program on the reptiles native to Southern California. I teach about 20 of the most enthusiatic and excited ten-year-olds you could have. I keep many specimens of local snakes in the classroom to give them an idea of what's out there and after choosing a favorite, each student researches and presents a species profile on their favorite herp. It has been an extremely rewarding experience that I plan to continue." |
| "If I haven't said it before, a huge thanks to Scott and J.P. for setting up this forum. It has been responsible for a whirlwind of good friends, exciting finds, and great times." |
© Scott Waters Productions