kingsnake.com Chat Month
February 1-March 2, 2008

For the last ten years, kingsnake.com has been presenting an annual online symposium about living with, keeping, raising, breeding, rescuing, and caring for herps. In celebration of this anniversary, together with the rest of the PetHobbyist.com family of websites, we've extended Chat Week into Chat Month.

With more guests and dates being added every day, our confirmed lineup currently includes:

Friday, February 1

Nathan Winograd
Author of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America"
Friday, February 1, at 9 PM Eastern, in the Auditorium
Nathan Winograd's 2007 book "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America" set off a firestorm of controversy -- and inspired an army of animal lovers across the country, calling for serious reform of the American shelter system and an end to the use of killing as a tool of animal population control for all species. Winograd expressly includes reptiles, exotic, and farm animals in his movement for shelter reform. If you have an interest in how the myth of "pet overpopulation" is being used to fuel an anti-pet agenda, this chat is for you!
View the transcript of this chat here!

Sunday, February 3

Bill Love
Photography for Herps
Sunday, February 3, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Bill has always enjoyed seeking herps in nature, and recording them on film in their natural haunts is one of his true passions, whether he's in Madagascar, Baja, or just near home in Florida's Everglades. Bill is known for his love of photography. He is passing that love on to others working with photo contests at the NARBC shows. Stop by to get a few tips of the trade from Bill.

Kathy Love
Cornsnakes
Sunday, February 3, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
With husband Bill Love, Kathy began breeding many colubrid snake species, and drifted towards specializing in selective breeding for attractive color and pattern morphs in her favorites, the corn snakes, Elaphe guttata. She co-authored "The Corn Snake Manual," which originally was published in 2000 and a new revised version released in 2005. Join us and the Corn Snake Queen to talk all things colubrid.

Friday, February 8

Blood Python Panel
Kara Glasgow, Ryan Norris, Rich Crowley
Friday, February 8, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Blood Pythons are the new hot python. Still saddled with a history of aggression related to wild caught species, these strong willed snakes hook those who dare keep them. A big snake in a small package, Whether you keep Reds, Blacks or Borneos, we have someone here to answer your questions. Joining us this evening are Kara Glasgow of Bloodpythons.com; Ryan Norris of the Blood Cell; and Rich Crowley to talk short tails. Venture beyond the reputation of these snakes to learn the truth of the Blood Python!
View the transcript of this chat here!

Saturday, February 9

Chris Dieter
Croc Care
Saturday, February 9, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Chris and Bernadette Dieter are the owners and operators of Crocodile Encounter an educational wildlife company in the Houston area. He is the author of "The Ultimate Guide to Crocodilians in Captivity" and is co-author of a forthcoming title from Kreiger publishing on the same topic. He has written over 40 herp related articles for various herpetological publications. He and his wife maintain the largest group of Nile crocodiles(Crocodylus niloticus) in the USA and these animals and their care are the primary herpetological interest. Chris has traveled the USA researching the various methods zoos and private keepers use to maintain crocodilians in captivity. You can learn more about crocodilian care by visiting the Crocodile Experience website.

Sunday, February 10

Danté Fenolio
The Declining Amphibians
Sunday, February 10, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Danté Fenolio has always loved field work and particularly has enjoyed amphibians. A Ph.D. Candidate with the University of Miami, Department of Biology - Coral Gables, he holds degrees Environmental Studies, Biology, and Zoology. His studies have ranged from Ozark blind cave salamander ecology to the herpetofauna of termite mounds in Brazil to canopy dwelling amphibians of Madagascar's northeastern rainforests. His primary area of research involves the ecology of challenging microhabitats. Danté is also a known field photographer having traveled extensively through the Americas working in the field as well as taking some amazing shots. He has also worked in East Africa and Madagascar. Danté is joining us this evening to discuss amphibians in general, with emphasis on the upper Amazon Basin region.

Dr. Jennifer Periat
Exotic Animal Health
Sunday, February 10, at 10 PM Eastern, in ExoticHobbyist.com's Chat Room
Dr. Jennifer Periat graduated from MSU (DVM and BS in zoology). Having grown up owning a variety of pets and being quite active in 4-H, she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from a young age. Dr. Periat enjoys all types of animals and shares her home with many. Dr. Periat is still usually surrounded by animals, spending a lot of time doing public education about the care and conservation of exotic species, taking classes with her dogs and doing rescue work. She has been a very active member of the Michigan Society of Herpetologists, and now serves on the Board of Directors and as secretary.

Friday, February 15

Kevin McCurley
Large Pythons
Friday, February 15, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
NERD's Kevin McCurley first focused his breeding efforts on Pituophis and other large colubrids, and over the course of time the collection grew along with an interest in pythons, particularly retics and ball pythons. During the past ten years, that focus has brought myriad color morphs and combinations to the NERD collection, many of which were first bred at his facility.The EvilMorphGod joins us this even to talk Big Business. This time Kevin will be joining us to talk about the large constrictors. Golden Child fans come forth.
View transcript of chat here.

Saturday, February 16

Jim Harrison and Kristen Wiley of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo
Anti-venom Research
Saturday, February 16, at 8 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
The Kentucky Reptile Zoo is a non-profit organization featuring a zoo exhibit, venom extraction lab, and educational outreach programs. Founded in 1990 by director Jim Harrison, the zoo's goals of education, conservation, and venom research are at the foundation of everything KRZ represents. The zoo is less than an hour's drive east of Lexington, KY located near beautiful Natural Bridge State Resort Park in the town of Slade.

Frank Retes
Monitors
Saturday, February 16, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
One of the more common names associated with both field herping and captive monitor keeping is Frank Retes, of the Goanna Ranch. Frank is known for raising monitors in as naturalistic an environment as possible. Frank has also one of the leading breeders of monitor species. Often outspoken and occasionally controversial, Frank will join us this evening to share monitor husbandry and advice.

Terry Vandeventer
Snakes of the South East
Saturday, February 16, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Terry has been working with reptiles and amphibians for 51 years. After leaving Southern Illinois University in 1976 for the position of reptile supervisor at the Jackson Zoo in Jackson, Mississippi, he helped with initiating the very first breedings of black pinesnakes, green tree pythons, clouded monitors, banded rock rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, alligator snapping turtles, and many more. His career in reptiles has run the gamut, from "The Living Reptile Museum Educational Productions" running reptile education programs for the public to his breeding company "Arco Iris Herpetoculture" which was among the first to begin producing leopard and fat tailed geckos, blue-tongue skinks, and prehensile tailed skinks. He is also a herpetology field associate with the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, and was honored by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation as 2006 Conservation Educator of the Year.

Sunday, February 17

Jeff Clark
Rainbow Boas
Sunday, February 17, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Jeff Clark of Savannah, Georgia has been hunting and keeping and breeding snakes much of the time since his first pet snake had babies in 1964. He has kept many different species and has captive bred dozens of different ones. He has specialized in Rainbow Boas since 1989. He currently keeps 6 different subspecies of Rainbow Boas and has kept and captive bred one other Rainbow Boa subspecies.

Friday, February 22

Nigel Marven
Friday, February 22, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
From sharks to alligators to anacondas, Nigel has proven he can hold his own in the animal kingdom! You may have seen him hosting Discovery’s "Shark Week," "Nigel’s Wild, Wild World," "Chased by Sea Monsters," or "Prehistoric Park" on Animal Planet. The host, film-maker and author will appear at the second annual North American Reptile Conference and Trade Show on Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23 at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington Texas, but first he will stop by to chat with our members.
View transcript of guest chat here.

Jeff Ronne, Sr.
Boa constrictors
Friday, February 22, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Jeff Ronne is an expert in the breeding of Boa Constrictors, and his writings have detailed nearly every aspect of the entire boa breeding process. His "tunnel vision" efforts enabled him to observe the many previously undocumented little nuances that are unique to boa constrictors -- the "pre-ovulation swell," the "post-ovulation shed," the "heat conservation position," "slow motion ovulation," "yolk solidification syndrome" -- Jeff reveals all!
View transcript of guest chat here.

Saturday, February 23

Tess Cook -- NOTE EARLY TIME!
Box Turtles
Saturday, February 23, at 4 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Tess Cook has been involved with box turtles since 1991 and in 1996 launched an online box turtle care handbook and created a Terrapene discussion group. In 2002, she became a wildlife rehabilitator and has rehabilitated dozens of box turtles, as well as presented educational talks on these animals. She is author of a new book coming soon to a pet store near you, “Box Turtles: A Completed Guide to Terrapene and Cuora.”

Sunday, February 24

Charles "Botar" Black
Inverts
Sunday, February 24, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
Botar was born and raised in Springfield, MO. He attended the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. He has kept a wide variety of animals and invertebrates since childhood, and began selling captive bred invertebrates in 2001. Botar has amassed one of the largest collections in the US, producing thousands of captive bred spiderlings per year. He will be joining us tonight, in a joint chat with InsectHobbyist.com, to discuss the care and keeping of invertebrates.

Thursday, February 28

Dr. Jeff Werber -- Lassie's TV Vet!
Microchips and Your Pet
Thursday, February 28, at 9 PM Eastern, in the Auditorium
From Dr. Jeff: "Like most little kids, all I wanted to be when I grew up was a veterinarian. According to my folks, that's all I ever talked about. Growing up in a household with dogs, this wasn't such an unusual dream. The unusual part about it was that I followed this dream into adulthood. With me, I think becoming a veterinarian was more of a calling than a mere childhood dream. Now, over 20 years out of school and practicing, I'm still in heaven! As many of you know, over the years my career has branched out into many different directions--all revolving around veterinary medicine and my love of our animal friends." Dr. Werber is Lassie's veterinarian, and has also cared for the pets of stars including Ben Affleck, Julia Roberts, and Mandy Moore. He is also a spokesperson for Home Again pet microchips.

Colette Sutherland
Ball Pythons
Friday, February 29, at 9 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room
TSK,Inc. or The Snake Keepers are the family of the Sutherlands: Dan, Colette and their four children, Joshua, Scott, Summer and Nicole. The love of snakes was in their lives long before Dan and Colette ever met. While kids they kept snakes that they would catch. Colette still has her childhood ball python Kashmire. She bought him when she was only 12 years old. He is a little slower now than he was years ago. Colette had completed her degree in Zoology just a year before she met Dan. When they were married Colette brought three snakes with her, Kashmire and a pair of adult albino corns. They began breeding kingsnakes and milksnakes and a few ball pythons. In 1989 The Snake Keeper was formed. Later in 1995 they sold off everything but the ball pythons and began concentrating only on those snakes. Colette joins us this evening to share her perspective on Ball Pythons.

Federal proposal banning pythons and boas
Panel Discussion
Friday, February 29, at 10 PM Eastern, in the Auditorium
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has made a significant move towards banning the importation and interstate transport of Boa Constrictors and Pythons in the United States. Quietly published in the Federal Register, the agency is accepting public comments until April 30. If enacted this will devastate an already hard hit industry, dealing a fatal death blow to a large number of businesses dependent on this segment of the industry and drying up the supply of these pets to pet owners across the United States.

"SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or We), are reviewing available biological and economic information on constrictor snakes in the Python, Boa and Eunectes genera for possible addition to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act. The importation and introduction of constrictor snakes into the natural ecosystems of the United States may pose a threat to the interests of agriculture, horticulture, forestry; to the health and welfare of human beings; and to the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife resources in the United States. An injurious wildlife listing would prohibit the importation into, or transportation between, States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States by any means, without a permit. Permits may be issued for scientific, medical, educational, or zoological purposes. This document seeks comments from the public to aid in determining if a proposed rule is warranted." - http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/E8-1770.html

Invited Panelists:

Marshall Meyers - PIJAC ~ confirmed David/Tracy Barker - Vida Preciosa Intl. ~ confirmed Kevin McCurley - N.E.R.D. ~ confirmed Jeff Ronne - The Boaphile ~ confirmed Rich Ihle - Salmonboa.com ~ confirmed Ralph Davis - Ralph Davis Reptiles ~ confirmed Trooper Walsh - Zoo Genesis, LLC ~ confirmed

Jeff Barringer - kingsnake.com ~ confirmed USF&W Service - Erin Williams ~ confirmed Brian Sharp - Brian Sharp Reptiles ~ confirmed Bill Brandt - Gourmet Rodent ~ confirmed Wayne Hill - National Reptile Breeders Expo ~ confirmed Bob Clark - Bob Clark Reptiles ~ confirmed Brian Potter - NARBC/Chicago Reptile House ~ confirmed Donald Schultz - T-Rex Products ~ confirmed

View transcript of panel discussion here.

Saturday, March 1

Kerry King, guitarist for Slayer Saturday, March 1, at 10 PM Eastern, in kingsnake.com's Chat Room Kerry King, best known as one of the founding members of thrash metal band Slayer, has a passion for all things cold blooded and will be joining kingsnake.com Chat Week again this year. Kerry is a long time reptile keeper and hobbyist breeder who, when he is not touring, would prefer to be watching his snakes hatch. Not quite ready to give up his "night" job to take up snake breeding full time, Kerry will be stopping by to chat about snakes before Slayer launches it's European tour in June. To check out Kerry at his real job take a look at the Slayer photo gallery at club kingsnake! View transcript of guest chat here.