Chat Week 2003 at kingsnake.com:
December 7-13, 2003
Below you will find the current lineup for the Sixth Annual Chat Week at kingsnake.com, where our users met with a variety of noted herpetologists and herpetoculturists in the world's longest running online reptile symposium. More guests are being added every day, so check back often!
Sunday December 7
 Kevin McCurley, New England Reptile Distributors (NERD)
Ball pythons, Retics, Indo Monitors
Sunday, December 7, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
NERD began the same way that many reptile breeders did: a hobbyist maintaining a collection of animals that eventually paid for themselves, allowing that hobbyist to pursue a variety of species & expand his collection. In this case "that hobbyist" was Kevin McCurley, a herp enthusiast since early childhood. His breeding efforts initially focused on Pituophis and other large colubrids, and over the course of time the collection grew along with an interest in pythons, particularly those with which fewer keepers were working at the time namely retics and ball pythons. During the past ten years, that focus on retics and ball pythons has brought myriad color morphs and combinations to the NERD collection, many of which were first bred at his facility.
Richard Cary Paull
Tortoise Care
Sunday, December 7, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Richard Cary Paull has degrees in biology from Harvard and law from Boston University. He founded the Reptile Farm in l953, was President of Marine Research Associates from l964 to l975, practiced law from l966 to l983, founded Turtle Trust in l983, was the largest orchid grower in
the Florida Keys from l984 to 1992, and has written a dozen tortoise books, more than any other author. He is the publisher of Green Nature Books, a giant tortoise broker, and a farmer. He lives quietly in central Florida with his wife Lauraine.
Monday December 8
 Mark O'Shea
From Animal Planet's "Mark O'Shea's Big Adventure"
Monday, December 8, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Come take a wild ride with Mark O'Shea! He's travelled to some of the world's most exotic locations, encountering some of the planet's deadliest and most fascinating reptiles and amphibians.From Arkansas to Argentina, India to Indonesia, and New Guinea to New Caledonia, Mark has come face to fang with king cobras, beaked seasnakes and silent rattlesnakes. He’s got up close and personal with snapping turtles, snappy gators and cryptic crocs. And he’s rubbed snouts with Komodo dragons, giant geckos, and skinks with an “extraterrestrial” twist. View Transcript of Chat: Click here.
Tuesday December 9
 Richard Fife
Care and Husbandry of Turtles, Tortoises, and Other Reptiles and Amphibians
Tuesday, December 9, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Richard Fife is the owner and operator of Riparian Farms where he produces and sells captive hatched turtles and tortoises, including the "Ivory Tortoise" (albinic African spurred Tortoise). He has captive bred 13 species of tortoise plus a number of species of water turtle over the years.
He is a member of the TSA (Turtle Survival Alliance), and works with and has produced several species of Asian turtles and tortoises. Richard is the Past Assistant Curator of Reptiles at the Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, TX.
Wednesday December 10
 Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
Deputy Director of the Australian Venom Research Unit
Wednesday, December 10, at 8 PM ET in Kingsnake.com Main
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry is the Deputy Director of the Australian Venom Research Unit. He says, "I use my work in the field to continue a unique blend of science that focuses on advancing evolutionary theory through venomous animal wrangling skills, innovative science and unique specimens." He and wife Alexia "operate as a team of mutual adventurers driven by our curiousity for the natural world and how it all comes together." He adds, "My wife Alexia and I travel the world over to find the unique animals which contribute to my studies of venom evolution as well as providing Alexia opportunities for extreme photography. Our strange reality is only normal to those who live unusual lives."
KJ Lodrigue, Jr
American alligator management in Texas
Wednesday, December 10, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
KJ Lodrigue, Jr. has worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) on the Upper Coast Wetland Ecosystems Project (UCWEP) for about 3 years. They are the home of the Texas alligator program and handle most of the management issues out of their office. They also manage five wildlif Management areas including Candy Cain Abshire WMA on Smith Point, J.D. Murphree WMA in Port Arthur, and the Tony Houseman SP/WMA on the Blue Elbow Swamp in Orange County. He will be discussing the American alligator.
 Chad Brown
Topic TBA
Wednesday, December 10, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Chad is the owner of ProExotics and a football player for the Seattle Seahawks. He says, "I started Pro Exotics in my mind in 1988 when I got my first snake, a boa my freshman year at CU. It wasn't until I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1993 that I had a little money in my pocket and started to really put this business together." On top of all that, Chad describes himself as a "full time husband and dad." Chad's topic is to be announced. View Transcript of Chat: Click here.
Thursday December 11
.jpg) Craig Hassapakis, Editor/Publisher of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Journal
Conservation of amphibians and reptiles: private sector
contributions, politics, the Internet, publishing, and open-access
Thursday, December 11, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Craig Hassapakis graduated from Brigham Young University in 1988
with degrees in Zoology and Chemistry. With brief stints with graduate
studies in the health sciences (dentistry) and later law, he founded the
journal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (www.herpetofauna.org) which is
now being published as an open-access journal on the Internet, and in print
as well, for distribution to libraries, institutions, and individuals
worldwide. Craig is committed to making scientific and medical literature a
public resource and is thus now working in association with the Public
Library of Science in San Francisco (www.plos.org).
Friday December 12
 Patrick Nabors
Keeping and Breeding "Thumbnail" Group Dart Frogs
Friday, December 12, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Patrick Nabors has been keeping and breeding reptiles and amphibians since 1990. In the mid-nineties the focus of his business, Saurian Enterprises, began to shift from lizards to dart frogs. He currently maintains a large collection of dart frogs, and breeds many different species of frogs and lizards.
 Trooper Walsh
"Komodo Dragons and Other Dangerous Herps Going into the Private Industry...How...?...When...??...Why...???"
Friday, December 12, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
"After 26 years as a biologist in the Department of Herpetology at
NZP, I was forced to retire couple years ago due to work related injuries
(wrestled one too many K-dragons). I now own two herp-related
businesses. "Dragontails" is my herp breeding business, which I have
maintained for over 30 years... most all of which has focused on my work
with Chondros. "ZooGenesis, LLC" is basically a consulting company that
covers everything that isn't snake breeding... writing books and articles
(last year Smithsonian Institution Press published my book Komodo Dragons: Biology and Conservation)...zoo exhibit design and animal
protocols...training classes...lectures...my conservation work with
international K-dragon groups, etc. Currently I serve as a scientific
advisor to both the American Zoo & Aquarium Association Komodo dragon
Species Survival Plan and its European EEP counterpart through the
European Aquarium and Zoo Association. I spend more time working on
dragon management and conservation issues now than I did when working at
the zoo...which says one of two things... Either the zoo really didn't
give a rip about most of my dragon work...or I'm totally out of my mind
now doing this stuff for FREE...lol...! The truth is a little of both."
Russ Gurley, Director of the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group and owner of LIVING ART publishing
Self-Publishing Reptile Books/Keeping and Breeding Turtles Indoors/South American Aquatic Turtles
Friday, December 12, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group Director Russ Gurley was a founding member of the American Federation of Herpetoculturists in the 1980s and served as a creative force behind The Vivarium magazine for several years. Russ is a board member of the Asian Turtle Consortium, member of the Turtle Survival Alliance, the World Chelonian Trust, and an active member of several other turtle and tortoise conservation organizations.
Russ has produced many articles relating to the captive care of aquatic turtles and tortoises. These articles have appeared in journals such as MANOURIA, The Vivarium, The Batagur, and on various websites. Russ’s first turtle-related book, The African Spurred Tortoise, Geochelone sulcata, in Captivity, was published in 2002 and has been very well-received. Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles and Baby Turtles became available in August of 2003 and several other exciting projects are in progress.
Saturday December 13
Hans F. Koenig
Herping in Arizona
Saturday, December 13, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Hans Koenig graduated from the University of Nevada at Reno with a degree: in Zoology. He is the former Assistant Curator for Transvaal Snake Park in South Africa. He has been with the Arizona Game & Fish Department from 1989 to the present, and is currently Field Supervisor. He is a board member of the Tucson Herpetological Society and has contributed to African Wildlife Magazine, Herpetological Review and the revised 2003 edition of Western Reptiles and Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins.
 Mike Ralbovsky
Crocodilians
Saturday, December 13, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's MainRoom
Michael Ralbovsky, (RRS) founder/owner of Rainforest Reptile Shows, is one of only a few who has worked with all twenty-three species of Crocodilians including "Gomek," one of the world's largest crocodiles. Together with the University of Florida's Dr. Kent Vliet, Ralbovsky conducted behavioral studies among the crocodile population at St. Augustine Alligator Farm as well. Hoping to educate and entertain people of all ages about reptiles, animals and the importance of preserving the rain forests, Michael started Rainforest Reptile Shows in 1993.
How to Attend
These events will be held in chat rooms listed above. To access the chats:
If you are a registered user of our site, simply follow the direct link to the chat, which for the main kingsnake.com chat room is Reptile & Amphibian Chat, and log in with your username and password. (Forgot them? Click here!)
If you are not already a registered user of the site, registration is not required - simply go to chat.pethobbyist.com and use the "Guest" log-in option, then select Reptile & Amphibian Chat as your chat room.
There is nothing to download or install, but the system does require you to have java enabled in your browser settings. We strongly suggest you access the room before the chat, so you have time to address any difficulties you might have. You might want to drop by one of our regular weekly chats as a test run. Prior to that date, our chats will still be held in our old chat rooms. If you have trouble, please visit our Chat Help Area.
More Information
There is more information about each chat available at the links in the right hand column. Simply click on the species in which you are interested for a more detailed listing. Some of the chats even have free email reminders you can sign up for!
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