I was looking for a lost item recently and ran across this old photo. The year was 1977, the place Lawrence, Kansas (aka “Sin City”). A friend who was a promising young photographer wanted to use a couple of my snakes in a fashion shoot for the local newspaper. I suggested Boa constrictors, but he really wanted my male Retic. This was a tame but very nervous animal, and I told him that it wasn’t a good idea. After much insisting on his part, I reluctantly agreed. The boa pictured here was a BCI named “Bozo”. An absolute sweetheart that later produced my second litter of boas. By the way, the person who helped me with the husbandry for the python was a fellow KU student who was starting to make a little money breeding his Burmese pythons. His name: Bob Clark.

I cooled the Retic at room temperature for about three hours before the shoot to settle him down. He did awesome for awhile. I set him on the floor and he crawled right up to the model. He actually crawled up over her head, but my friend didn’t like the lighting in those shots, so I didn’t get them.

After this picture was taken we took a break. The model and photographer went into the next room (attitude adjustment, hey, it was the seventies). I stayed to watch the snakes. The Retic was soaking up heat from the lights, so when the model came back in, I warned her to move slow and easy. “Oh no, it’s okay, he likes me!” Famous last words. She quickly plopped down on the floor nest to the snake. WHAM! He nailed her big time on the thigh. Blood all over the expensive white dress. I thought they would be pissed at me, but they weren’t. They both agreed that I had warned them many times. Needless to say that was the end of the shoot. Ah, the wonderful little moments that make up a life. Oh well, thought you might get a kick out this. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this story is how clearly I remember it. Most of that period is pretty hazy for some strange reason.



Please note: This picture was taken by a professional photographer (who now works for National Geographic), and these guys take copyright laws very seriously. So look, enjoy, but do not copy this picture. Thanks.



Miller Reptiles

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