SACRAMENTO BEE (California) 22 August 03 Fair faces: Snake breeder is trying to fight unfounded fears (Gwendolyn Crump)

Brad Tylman is an espresso-drinking, fast-talking, Crocodile Dundee type, minus the Aussie accent.

Get him talking about reptiles at the California State Fair, and you may be up to your neck in them -- literally.

"The snake is the most feared animal primarily because of biblical symbolism," Tylman said. "But it's the best animal to safely let children hold."

Tylman's exhibit within the sideshow area of the fair includes dozens of creepy creatures, such as a 200-pound Burmese python, an alligator snapping turtle and a king cobra.

Fairgoers may see clutches of snakes hatching during the fair.

"That's a lot different from chickens and ducks," Tylman said.

For more than 20 years, Tylman has operated Brad's World Reptiles in Corvallis, Ore., where he displays about 2,500 creatures. He also develops animal educational programs for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

He hopes that people who visit his exhibit will develop a better appreciation for animals from the rain forests and deserts.

"Fear destroys habitat," Tylman said. "People don't appreciate or value things that look scary or might be dangerous.

"This is an honorable way to showcase them."

As a child, Tylman's love for critters flourished from picking caterpillars from his grandmother's garden. He bred butterflies and had terrariums full of bugs, snakes, and turtles.

"My parents were supportive of my doing animal projects as long as I was responsible," said Tylman, 44. "I followed my heart."

Tylman earned an associate's degree in science from Clackamas Community College in Oregon and a bachelor's degree in zoology from Oregon State University. He had a minor in animal science and fisheries and wildlife.

He has traveled to Africa and the Amazon to experience different cultures and habitat.

Tylman said he hopes his reptile exhibit helps people see the world differently.

"Some fears of other cultures are also based on false paradigms," he said.
Snake breeder is trying to fight unfounded fears

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• CA Press: Snake breeder is trying to fight unfounded fears - W von Papineäu, Fri Aug 22 12:57:50 2003