Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I wanted to introduce myself to the forum. I've been reading posts for about a year, rarely contributing (maybe once) and feel as though I know some of you from your posts.

My herp education began with Conant's Field Guide, 1958 publication (I still have the book, well worn) and continues today through all of your informative discussions. I've been in and out of keeping herps for forty years. Currently I have eleven snakes; two Easterns from South Carolina locale thanks to Peter Jolles, seven "goini" blotched phase, and two corns, "oketee" phase from Kathy Love. My collection is still growing much to my wife's dismay.

I live in Baltimore.
Mike Cooper

>> My herp education began with Conant's Field Guide, 1958 publication (I still have the book, well worn) and continues today through all of your informative discussions. >>

Well Mike then you (and perhaps no one else) can probably appreciate this:
back then about the only books a kid could find in the library were Ditmars, Conant and Kaufield. I recall I also got my hands on a little pamphlet book by Ross Allen, perhaps during an actual visit to his place at Silver Springs.
jump forward decades. I'm in a friends house perusing his extensive nature and herp library (literally a roomfull of new and old). He bought many of them from garage sales flea markets and even library's purging sales. and there is the old Conant book. I mean THE very book. It had my Jr High School's stamp inside and I knew 30 years ago I had held that book a hundred times. What are the odds? ! Nice gift, thanks Jose.

meant to include this photo (getting old is ... Umm, I forget the word)

Cool find. I still have my copy somewhere. I was lucky enough to meet Roger Conant at the Philadelphia Zoo when I was in high school. Wish I'd thougt to get his autograph...ah, well.

Back then it was qite common to find indigos in pet stores for $75.00 - quite a lot of dough at the time. You could go to the Pine Barrens in NJ and not just find kings, corns, pines, and hoggies - you could bring them home and no one would say Boo!

I guess we live in more enlightened times now.

Regards,

John D
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

Lindsay, I also have Kauffeld's "Keeper and the Kept" which I got in 1969. You are right there were not many books on reptiles in your average public library back then. I remember a childrens book entitled "Minn of the Mississippi" about an alligator snapping turtle which memory keeps popping up when I tell bed time stories to my five year old.

It is great to see a forum like this for the exchane of information. Back then we had to go to the monthly meetings of the Northern Virgina Herpetological Society to talk snake, turtle, lizard.

I recently came accross this book at my local library.. great book! Will be adding it to my collection as soon as I can find one to buy. I have quite literally been unable to put it down.
Roxanne

How about Diary of a Snake Lover, I beleive it was called? Seem to remember a book about a kid that went through a variety of snakes including a boa constrictor that got mouth rot. My first intro into snake diseases.
Todd Hughes

Don't know "Diary of a Snake Keeper" but do remember purchasing a 1970's text on veternarian surgery for reptiles. I was fascinated by the photos of a turtle with a nylon mesh and expoxy patch.

my brother was able to find me "Diary" and both of Kaufeild's books on the 'net.....try some of the used book places....all were in really good shape...

I found one last year on eBay for seven bucks!
Snakes and Snake Hunting as well.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Welcome Mike! Hey, didn't your mom tell you it's not nice to come to the forum with no pics!? LOL! Let's see them kings and corns.
Todd Hughes

Good point. I'll get my 14 yr old to show me how to post pics sometime later today. Is there a method to post pics? I remember other posts of frustration at getting pics up. Something about a gallery?