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Chat Week on Kingsnake.com ******************** AskBob: Welcome to our next Guest..Mr. Robert Applegate AskBob: a well known pioneer herp breeder applegate: A good evening to all, lets all herp and prosper! AskBob: Bob, whats the next herp project or can you say? applegate: My next "long term" will be a striped albino Nelsoni applegate: but I am still working on the hypo greeri as well, as that is very new nxt AskBob: what has been your proudest achievment so far applegate: Living to 57 years old and being independent AskBob: What advice do you have for wanna be herp breeders getting started applegate: maybe my daughter, wife, retired early, lots of herp things, who can decide which, and why decide I am proud of a lot of things nxt AskBob: Bob, there are so many tri-colors to choose from. What would you say would be the best for a beginner to start with, if they've not kept snakes before? applegate: Unless they are trying to start with an unproven species, do your homewrok, ask for info, etc, then follow the adfvice applegate: almost any of the milksnakes are easy, but the Pueblan is about the most "bullet proof" to begin with applegate: nxt AskBob: Mr. Applegate how did the gila and beaded production go this year PHWyvern: This chat is being moderated. To ask Bob a question, please doubleclick on the name AskBob in the chat room and post your question to him there. For IRCle folks highlight AskBob and click MSG button. applegate: With Gilas, Bob Zero, Gilas won, Beadeds, there are 22 eggs incubating applegate: I still have not gotten my new Gila cages finished, all bad eggs this season applegate: nxt AskBob: When do you expect them to hatch? applegate: Jan-Feb applegate: They take a long time, eggs laid in July hatch late Jan-Feb applegate: nxt AskBob: Do you plan on visitng any countrys soon for fresh herp stock? applegate: I don't expect to add anything for quite a while, in fact trying to cut down on numbers (too much like work!) but if something interests me, I will go after it applegate: nxt applegate: To add to above, I keep a closed house, and with all the new diseases, etc, I would have to find something really special to want to risk what I have by opening my doors to an addition, even with strict quarenteen applegate: Glad to answer questions about herpetoculture in general if asked PHWyvern: looks like the chat ssytem is going to act up tonight :) applegate: Most of my life has been challenged, why should tonight be any different? PHWyvern: Bob...while waiting to see if matt is still around. How difficult are gilas to keep? Any special requriements? applegate: Gilas are easy, treat them like colubrid snakes, but not quite so cold a hibernation temp in the winter applegate: Obviously, their bite is potentially fatal, so you have to use common sense PHWyvern: What is it about their bites that leads to potential fatalities? applegate: I have an article on my site about a guy that was bitten by a baby, should be required reading for anyone wanting to get into either of the helodermas applegate: The venom is extremely potent applegate: Fortunately, the delivery system is poor applegate: nxt PHWyvern: Bob, do you have a favorite milksnake? One that you could never live without? applegate: No, PH, I have a philosophy on life which is something like, "Why should I choose? When I can have it all! It would be like me asking you (assuming you have children) which child would you keep if you could only keep one? applegate: nxt PHWyvern: Hi, do you do any field research? and if so what on? applegate: The criteria I use is chosing what I work with are "Will it live in my system? Do I like it? Do I want it"? applegate: Do field research per se, I have 15 acres and have "habitats" set up and observe, etc, but for years the captive propagation has kept me indoors and busy PHWyvern: Hi folks, until our question taker comes back, if you would like to ask bob a question please message them to me :) applegate: I wonder what happened to Bill? applegate: I know he is trying to get back PHWyvern: the chat system went a bit wonky. I think a net split. PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob, what is your take on Seward's Gilas, they look great in the catalogue, but wondering if you think they would be worth the investment. applegate: Mark has some great animals, so far the demand is greater than the supply, so if you were producing now, yes, the value is there, who can predict the future? * jeffb has joined #Mainroom applegate: Sir Jeff, welcome back! PHWyvern: hiya jeff, welcome back applegate: You might want to invest in jeffB, he has done some great things with the web, and we expect more in the future! PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: What are your thoughts about the upcoming Honduran season? Do you think there will be a lot of snows produced, and what do you think the price of a snow hatchling will be next season? applegate: The honduran market is a strange one, unpredictable, if everyone who has the potential produces snows, obviously the price will reflect supply/demand, but usually many are not as successful as they expect and there is a shortage, I wish I could tell you for sure, just wait and see applegate: I am not a big fan of snows, an all white honduran?? You lose the beautiful colors!! But..........There will be a market nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob, did you decide at a particular point in time that you wanted to work with herps intensively, or was it more of a gradual process that just sort of developed? applegate: When I was much younger (Since 5 i loved herps) I had to decide what to do for a living. I could not find a way to make a living for my family on herps so I chose being a fireman so I could have a lot of time off to work herps applegate: later they started paying good money, but I still think I made the right choice, I can "play herps" without having to use them to support my family needs applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: what would be the best book to recommend for people wanting to get into milksnakes? applegate: Being the shy reserved person that I am, mine, of course! Free on my web site! applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: how difficult was it to write a book? applegate: You have to realize, most books are opinions of the authors, or the author reads a lot of other opinions, changes the wording, and writes it as original material Listen to those with a lot of experience for a more accurate opinion, which can still be wrong! applegate: Mine was a rather small book applegate: Phillipe asked me to write it applegate: Took 3 evenings at work to rough write it applegate: Then 2 weeks to type it applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: How many beaded lizards do you currently have applegate: Approx 20, but would have to go out and cound noses to be sure applegate: count applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Who are some the "herpers" you have trained? applegate: Trained is a rough word, but gary Sipperley painted some of my early cages to earn herps and desert trips while in high school, I rtook Steve Osborne on his first desert collecting trip, etc, but they learned some from me and did a lot on their own, there have been many who passed through, but you would probably not recognize their names, Dr Lee Grismer used to visit and buy herps when he was in High school applegate: Am I old or what!!?? nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Would you be willing to spend some time showing a very eager student how you run your facility and take care of your animals? applegate: Chris Mattison spent time at my house copying records for his first book applegate: Anyone (with a few specific exceptions) is welcome at my house, I do this for fun and helping the next generation is part of my "pay back" for the nice things herping has done for me PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: do you still produce your own mice? applegate: Yes I have a specific mouse building that produces all I need plus more, just put 1000 surplus in the freezer today, automatic water, sequential a/c, ventilators, auto feed, etc, I have a very nice "mouse house" applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob do you still use the cabinet split level cages that are illustrated in your tri-color book you wrote? applegate: I use those "old cages" and now have newer ones that have 2 levels of glass doors and 6 drawers under the 4 glass on 2 levels applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob how do you feel about hybrids, like say a speckled king x prarie king ? applegate: Reptiles Mag and other articles have shown the new cages applegate: They make nice pets and could be fun, but I personally don't cross or hybridize anything, but if the tree huggers ever get their way and all wild animals are prohibited as pets, the hybrids will be the only legal animals applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: is there any place on the web where there are patterns for the double comparments that are in you book double compartment tanks applegate: Not that I know of, I built the original ones custom to fully utilize a piece of plywood, I would be happy to chat with or show anyone, they are easy to build, but no plans that I know of nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob, sometimes it seems like keeping herps has become a "fad". Do you think we are at the peak of reptile interest, or are we not there yet, or maybe coming down the other side? applegate: We designed the new ones after 25 years of learning with these older ones applegate: With population growth there will be "herp" growth, and if population pressures increase even more, what better pets that herps for crowded apartments, etc? I would think it will grow, my guess! nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: what shows do you go too? PHWyvern: Welcome back Matt :) applegate: I have done every IRBA show on the west coast, a few as invited speaker around the country, and I recently went to my first Daytona show nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Do you enjoy writing? applegate: No! applegate: I wrote that book as a request, and was able to do it at work, the idea of spending my home (free) time writing explains why my "annual message" on my site is 3 years old! applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: How many kingsnakes and milksnakes have you produced? applegate: Not sure, but in the thousands nxt applegate: was producing 1500 a year at our peak operation PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Is there anyone you are sort of training to follow in your footsteps when you retire? applegate: I am retired, and I think I heaR THose footsteps behind me!! applegate: Just kidding, no, sorry to say no one in the family seems interested applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob with the new Mexican President Fox, do you see any possible relaxation in future herping lasw in Mexico applegate: I have heard rumors for years, but from some Mexican friends (Politics only, business as usual) So I will believe it when I see it nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Do you still go herping in the field? applegate: Usually not, but once in a while I will take an out of town guest out, unless you want to count my daily walks about the property! applegate: nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Bob..how many Applegate Pyros do hope to produce next year applegate: Pyros are a low production animal, and we sold as produced, didn't hold many back (thought it was more fair for all that way) but stretching out, I hope for 15-20 nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: to continue with the last questions, how many gilas and beadeds do you expect to produce? applegate: It is always a surprise to produce Gilas, and if the 22 eggs hatch this will be the best so far, I am the top producer of beadeds in the AZA stud book, but Gilas are hit and miss and I don't want to jinx myself by predicting on them! nxt applegate: 22 beadeds PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Is there anyone in the herp field that you haven't met, that you would love to talk with in person? P>applegate: Not that I can think of, but they are all welcvome here nxt PHWyvern: next question: PHWyvern: Is there still a waiting list for the Pyros? applegate: No, actually I have a pair available now, first time in 7 years, which is why I lowered the price this year nxt PHWyvern: ok..last question of the evening comeing up. PHWyvern: Do you do your own photography of your collection. If so what type camera are you using? applegate: Yes and I take slides and prints on an old Minolta SRT (or something like that) with a macro lens and I use asa 400 film and try to take the shots outdoors on cloudy days during hibernation so the animals are slow! nxt applegate: Thank you all for having me jeffb: Thank you for coming tonight bob jeffb: its always a pleasure haveing you PHWyvern: Bob it was a pleasure talking with you :)
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