Hello everyone,

My name is Justin, and this is my first time posting on the field herp forum. I live quite close to brick911 in Mercer County, NJ an have admired many herpers on the forum. I am 13 and consider myself an aspiring herpetologist growing a healthy library with the help of friends. I'm not the best tool in the shed when it comes to herping, and would accept any help at all to improve my skills to check off herps on my life list. I have been to Brazil many times, as well as Canada for vacation. I have also been to Montgomery Co. Maryland where I have found lots of Carphophis and a Nerodia sipedon that musked me so much my parents almost kicked me out of the car . I have also been to Ithaca to meet a friend and found my first milksnake and spotty.

My interests in herpetology now focuses on the Cochise region of the US and Mexico. In fact the forum's possible county records topic has helped me gain insight on this region. I also want to focus on how this region's milksnake, because it cannot be identified by any ssp.


Thank you for reading,


Justin

Welcome to the forum and the Northeast Chapter, Justin. You sound like me at 13 aside from the trip to Brazil

Please read our Beginners Thread - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9622

I look forward to seeing more from you in the upcoming season. Welcome aboard.

Mike VanValen
Vice President
NAFHA - Northeast

Thank you so much Mr. VanValen. I will make sure to post lots of stuff on the forum.

Justin

Welcome Justin, Good to see your interest and enthusiasm.
Just remember when you post not to tip your hand as to where you found what.

Got a story for ya,
When I was your age all this was new and everything was plentiful.
My friend and I found a bog turtle habitat that became big news at the time.
Big enough news to catch the interest of a market collector that made good on our discovery and wiped them out to line his pockets with cash.
His kind of greed and lack of respect for the wilds was something we had not conceived of.
I know, an extreme example but it happened.
So with that said, remember that its kind of a code here, keep the locations to yourself.
Follow this and some folks here may trust to share some precious locals with you one day!

To Mike,

Ok, I will make sure to keep my localities to myself. That story broke my heart thats just to show how much corruption and greed there is in our world. However, the story kinda sounds like "Dr Seuss' the Lorax". Luckily we are the good people who can keep our world full of species .

Thanks,


Justin