So....how long have you been a herper?

[joey]

I'm relatively new to this hobby---almost 2 years and going strong.

[Asian Jon]

For me not very long....I'm reaching the 2 month mark. Keeping snakes have been very enjoyable thus far, and I hope to continue increasing my collection.

[CDN-Cresties]

Im also new to this hobby, maybe 3-4 years.

[RepTylE]

I have been involved in herps for 12 years this coming january. Started out way back in 92 with a couple of green anoles. I soon got hooked on geckos and had leos all this time. I held off getting into snakes for all that time until last year. I had read lots about snakes but never got one until then.

[BoidKeeper]

I got my first herp, a turtle when I was 13. Since then I've only gone 1 year with out a herp. I don't really count any of that though. The clock for me really started on November 1st 2001 when I got my first snake.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Removed_2815]

12 years. 12 years ago this coming March was when I got my first Chameleon, this guy came soon after:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Hoppus1.jpg
And I still have him...
There have been many snakes and lizards since then.
Cheers,
Ryan
*edit: right, if we're defining "herper" as in the traditional sense, then I have been a "herper" (observing, photographing, studying reptiles and amphibians) for about 18-19 years. A captive "herper" for about 12 years.

[Kimo]

Herping? uhhhh almost all my life, wich isnt very long, im 23 now, but been keeping, studying, and catching herps since i was oh...about 7 (thats when i got my first herp an Iggy!) so uhhh 16 years actively!

Josh

[RepTylE]

My old male made it to 10 before he passed this year, ryan. He is the father of the leos I have now. I didn't go into breeding in a big way, more to just have the accomplishment of having eggs, incubating and raising the babies.

[Nicky]

4 years now and no intentions of leaving this hobby in the near future.
Kayla

[Bartman]

Well ive been into this for about 2 and half years now. Its been GREAT, and I couldnt imagine myself without them. I also couldnt see myself with out them in the future.

[Jason Wakelin]

1981 or 82 I got (captured) and kept my first snake(s). Not too long after that I joined the OHS and became more "serious" about captive husbandry of reptiles. Though, for a couple of year period during the mid 90's I wasn't keeping anything. So I guess my answer is between 15 to 20 years now, and loving every minute of it!

[bighillreptiles]

for me it's been a long time over twenty yeary off and on love all the things i have seen change over the years lolI will keep herping till the day i die
: Paul

[harp]

28 going on 29 for me And still loving every moment of it too. And still learning something new everyday too, it's great.
Dean
www.wrappinaboutreptiles.com

[xith]

I'm waiting for my lovely geckos to arrive in the mail! I'm very new, hehe

Nice to meet you all!

Michelle/xith

[Ontario_herper]

I've been catching snakes, frogs, and turtles since I could walk. I kept a few herps when I was younger and then started really getting into keeping herps when I was about 12 or 13.

[Xetox]

I think its been about 14 years for me...it was 90 when I got my first corn snake...its been on since then.

O yea I still have that corn snake to!

[damzookeeper]

hmm, well, I was catching frogs and salamanders as young as 3 or 4 , my grandparents lived in a great country area, but I got my first herp pet at 7. It was a painted turtle and it was actually bought at a pet store in Quebec back then. lol. After my turtle died I fell away from the hobby for some years but once my daughter was old enough to want a pet I got back into the hobby. In 1999, she was 5 at the time and we've been going strong ever since. I am passing my love of the herp world onto her and she is helping pass it on to all her young friends. The kids love to come over and visit, they call our house the friendly neighbourhood zoo. lol but aside from the herps we also have a ferret, a hedgehog, the rats and some birds. So, I guess I"ve only been a serious herper for about 5 years now. Still a baby herper. :D But I plan on having them in my life for a long time to come.

[SDSnakes]

I think its been about 10 years since I got my first herp, but I've been bringing them home to scare my mom for as long as I can remember :p

Crystal

[Kury]

It seems like everyone is stating when they got their first captive herp, not just when they first fell in love.

My first captive herp was actually only 3 or 4 years ago, a little frog. It died though, due to some moron giving me improper care instructions, and me not being able to find information quick enough. Then two years ago I got my leopard geckos, which are still alive- even though the information their owners gave me was improper (they were really underfed and a lot of other stuff) But for snakes, I'm totally new. I got my first snake in August this year. Now the total is 7. Off to a strong start...

And I intend to stay in the hobby as long as I'm able.

[burmese maniac]

It's been 20 years, oh god makes me old. lol only 33

[foman]

July 30 1975, but in 79 got my first newt.lol

[RepTylE]

ohhhhhh when I first fell in love with herps? Let's just say that is was before 78% of this site's members were even born. Before their parents' were even out of highschool in alot of cases lol. I caught toads, garter snakes, snapping turtles you name it when I was a kid. I even dissected a garter snake that I found dead on the road when I was about 8.

[Corey Woods]

16 years for me.

Corey

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

JOEY:

I started late in this hobby being now in my 30s. But have kept animals all my life from fish to dogs, from birds to boids. Experience and caring for in boids it has reached 4.5 years now and if you include the researching I did before getting into boids add another 3 years.

Cya...

Tony

[LISA127]

I've been keeping herps for about 7 years. :)

[crossley]

Been herping since 1963,guess I'm dating myself,lol. Grant

[CamHanna]

I've diddled around with herps and fish for a decade but only really been in the hobby for about 3 months now.

[Stockwell]

This is my 25th consecutive year as a reptile breeder.
Prior to 1979 I was simply a keeper.

[hhw]

My first herp was a red eared slider when I was 8 ('89). From then onwards, I had various things like anolis, green tree frogs, and firebelly newts.

I was a serious herper from '93-'97... i.e. having to buy every single type of herp food available at the pet store and in sizable quantities, LOL.... as well as quail eggs for my African egg-eating snake. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I lost my collection though and didn't keep anything for several years.

Now, I am back into it since May of this year with a bunch of ball pythons and a few other things. If I manage to have any success with my bp's, I'll use whatever proceeds to make other additions to my collection.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Well, Im now almost 15. I got my started keeping frogs when I was 6. I also did alot of looking on my own for snakes(just garters), then at 10y/o, after 2 years of trying my parents finally broke in and I got a rat snake. It was all downhill from there and I have kept several different types of things on and off but now im settling down a little more and getting serious. Lol. So almost 9 years now for me.

C.

[joey]

There's just something about catching garter snakes when you're a kid. Fond memories.... ;)

[BWSmith]

What's a "herper"?

;)

[BellyDraggers]

I worked in a pet store since i was a kid and have been into herps ever since over 30 years now. My son Scotty has grown up with reptiles of all sorts all of his life.. Wow time really goes by fast

Les & Scotty

[joey]

Have we heard from any mods yet?

[RepTylE]

A herper is someone who is fanatically obsessed with reptiles and not someone covered in cold sores. How's that for a definition, BW? :P

[joey]

lol....

i guess you could be someone obsessed with reptiles AND be covered with cold sores.

[RepTylE]

theoretically yes but would you want someone like that to marry your sister?

[Thrush]

I've had turtles and box turtles since I was a kid, but I really got into herps with my first chameleon three years ago :)

[sapphire_moon]

Hmmm, I've been into herps all my life, from the time I was little I always kept some kind of reptile (usually turtles). But only in the last couple of years have I really been able to get into herps, and recently I had to give up 4 of my 5 snakes :(, but will eventually build my collection back up again. :)

[bahreptiles]

I've been keeping snakes since 1992. My first snake was an Anerythristhic Boa. He is the founder of MY line of Anerys. I still have him today. Since then I have bred several litters of Boas over the years. I have had as few as 1 Boa and as many as 52. Currently I am keeping 21. I do have 4 litters coming this season including Albinos, Anerys, Hopefully Sunglows but that is a joint venture with another fellow herper, and all that goes with the mixed litters associated with them. Should be a GREAT year.
Here is a pic of my Albino male.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/bahreptiles/Albino%20pics/Im003794.jpg

[BoidsUnlimited]

Been interested since I can remember.

Actual KEEPER for about 6 years

[snakegal12345]

A year and a month.

[bistrobob85]

I spent my time catching toads and frogs when i was younger, used to bring them back home in a big aquarium and feed them worms and everything i could find... Got my first herp ( green anoles, hehe ) in 1994, then i had a gold skink which died in the 1998 ice storm... After that, i had my first snake, a little cal king in the same year and i've been into herps ( in general ) for 10 years, and intensively into herps for 5 years now. It also seems to me like i'm very old... How sad, i'm not even 20 yet!!!

phil.

[capsicum]

I kept frogs and toads since I was 9 years old...got my first RES at age of 10...didn't start keeping snakes and lizards until a year ago. So I have always loved herps, but have only kept a select few for 16 years.

TK