20 Years or More

LISA127 · 07-26-12, 10:39 AM

I don't quite make 20 years, but I've definetely been keeping herps for well over 15 years. And with no corpses.

CDN_Blood · 07-26-12, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LISA127

I don't quite make 20 years, but I've definetely been keeping herps for well over 15 years. And with no corpses.

That's awesome, Lisa! Congratulations on a job well done and kudos to you for sticking with it so long. 15 years is certainly nothing to sneeze at

LISA127 · 07-26-12, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDN_Blood

That's awesome, Lisa! Congratulations on a job well done and kudos to you for sticking with it so long. 15 years is certainly nothing to sneeze at

I wouldn't think of not sticking with it. I love reptiles too much!

and yes, I'm talking consecutive years when I've had at least one herp the whole time. There was a few years there when my kids were little that I was down to only two reptiles, but never less than that.

CDN_Blood · 07-26-12, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LISA127

I wouldn't think of not sticking with it. I love reptiles too much!

and yes, I'm talking consecutive years when I've had at least one herp the whole time. There was a few years there when my kids were little that I was down to only two reptiles, but never less than that.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, right there

As for being a long-time member here, for your years of dedicated service to the group, you get this:

I make them myself ya know, and I don't go around handing those out to just anyone - you gotta *earn* one of those babies

MDT · 07-26-12, 10:57 AM

Def more than 20 yrs...My first snake was a Lined snake that I caught in 1975. "her" name was Margo (after the lady whose backyard I found it in!). I had it for prob 2 yrs before it passed. A lot of the husbandry was very fly by night.

Back in the mid to late 70's, the husbandry for reptiles seemed sketchy at best. As a grade school kid who fell in love w snakes, I must admit, there were several Lined snakes (V. striatula), Garters, rough green, etc...that didn't fare well....they were part of the "learning curve" unfortunately. Moving into the 80's, and the use of "hot rocks" etc., seemed to improve things (a little)...

Now, it is really awesome how much the science of keeping AND actually breeding reptiles has advanced since then...Heat tape, actual molded cages (not just aquariums or slapped together wooden boxes), temp guns, learning and applying genetic principles to breeding.

Things have come a LONG way. I do have my share of corpses starting out, though thankfully, none in a very very long while.

StudentoReptile · 07-26-12, 11:02 AM

My first "official" herp was a green iguana I got in 1991. I was 11 at the time. That is more or less when I consider my hobby began.

In Jan 1995, I got my first issue of REPTILES magazine.

When I was 16 (1998), I started working at our LPS and continued to work there off and on until 2010.

Sometime either in 2000 or 2001, I bred my first corn snakes.

Somewhere during my later years of college (2003-2004), I really started entering the internet aspect of the herp industry, joining forums, browsing Kingsnakes everyday, etc.

In 2008, I started to get into seriously breeding African house snakes and building my collection. This was also around the same time USARK was founded and herp-themed media such as Reptile Radio and SnakeBytesTV was taking off, stimulated a renewed interest in the hobby in general.

In 2010, I founded a herp society in our area.
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Now....I say all that to say this. IN all that time, I kept a wide variety of different species. One could say that I know a few things about a lot of species, and a lot about a few species. I have also had more than a handful of animals die or escape while in my care, simply due to improper housing or husbandry.

I don't necessarily think that if someone has ever killed a herp, that detracts from their experience or their "herpetoculture resume." Every mistake or loss is an opportunity to learn. However, if someone is repeating the same mistakes over and over, then thats a different story. The key is keeping an open mind and always be learning. That is how you move forward.
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To those with a "spotless" record (no corpses), fantastic. I applaud your success. I'm pretty sure that's everyone's goal. It certainly is mine!
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One thing I can say is that I also have my original snake, a ball python since 1993.