The Frog Man
By Terry Gampper (PH Frog)
My interest in reptiles and amphibians began in the early 1960s. I was an elementary school kid living in central Florida, just outside Orlando to be precise. Our backyard was adjacent to a creek and a large swamp area. I didn't have to go too far to see snakes, turtles, lizards and a wide range of amphibians; gators often came up in our yard to sun themselves. They created a bit of a problem when I went out to mow the lawn! It was exciting to be surrounded by your very own zoo.
My dad was in the military and we did a lot of traveling. After our 3-year stay in Florida, we moved to Germany. My interest in amphibians really took off. We lived in an area where you could find some of the most beautiful newts and fire salamanders in the world. During that time I kept a couple of fire salamanders and European crested newts. By the time I was in high school, I wanted to be a biologist or a paleontologist.
In college, I studied botany (plants?). Yes, plants; strange thoughts were entering my mind at the time! After a couple of years of botany, I scrapped the whole idea of being a biologist and became a social worker. Actually in the 70s, saving the world through social intervention was a cool thing to do. So, being a really cool person, I attempted to save humanity from itself. After several years as a psychiatric social worker, I found that there was no way I could save the world. Currently, I work for a large company in their computer network department. I also moonlight as a radio announcer, but that's another story.
I currently live in Omaha, Nebraska. I moved to here from Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1988. I joined the Nebraska Herpetological Society in 1992 after my interest in reptiles and amphibians was renewed. The NHS was very active and has around 200 members. I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker several times, sharing my special interest in amphibians. A big surprise to me came in 1994, when I was elected as President of the Society. It was even more mind-boggling when I was elected for a second term! At this time, I became a staff writer for the Omaha Pet Gazette, a monthly newspaper covering the pet scene in Nebraska and Iowa.
About 8 years ago, I volunteered to be a reptile and amphibian forum host with the Pet Care Forum on America Online, and stayed on with them when they moved to the Veterinary Information Network's website. Now, I am honored to continue to be part of this community in our new home on PetHobbyist.com and Kingsnake.com.
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