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Kingsnake.com
Bill Love
Hisstory of the Retpile Industry
March 1, 2006
PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us at kingsnake.com,
I'm very pleased to welcome Bill Love to our Eighth Annual Chat Week.
PHFaust: 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. Join us for his personal take on the "hisstory" of the
reptile industry.
PHFaust: Thank you so much for joining us, Bill, and welcome!
PHFaust: bill is also willing to answer questions on field herping
as well as photography and Kathy will be here next to talk on corns
fatty_nr: Hi Bill. What are some effective trics you have
tried on baby corns (3-4 months) who refuse to eat? I have only one
recent purchase who wont eat.
blove: Leaving them overnight with a pinkie, scented with
anole, is my best trick.
blove: Kathy can elaborate next chat if you ask her then.
pac-man: thanx for coming to chat with us bill! how cani get
my corn to stay still long enough to get a pic?
blove: Patience, patience, patience. Use a small cup over
them for 5 minutes, then shoot with a flash when you uncover it to
freeze motion if it still bolts.
pac-man: ok kool thanx!
blove: Or shoot it in a hand, as I usually do for kathy.
Adam105_nr: Hi Mr.Love, thank you for coming tonight! Just
curious, in what commonly kept species have you seen the most dramatic
price change over the years. The furthest I remember are $110 normal
baby bearded dragons.
blove: I don't follow all herps' prices so closely now that
I've been out of Glades herp for 10 years. I'm more into photography
now rather than marketing.
Adam105_nr: Oh ok, thank you!
Rhacattack_nr: Hello Bill, First off Id like to say that I
am a fan of your photography! Anyways, My question is, what were some
of the first herps bred for the hobby and when, also, how much did
they cost back then? thanks
blove: Albino corns were one of the leaders, and the first
ones I saw available to me in the early 1970s were $500 each.
Adam105_nr: WOW! Thank you!
blove: Albino axolotls have been around a long time too as
lab animals.
snakeboy434: Thanks for comnig tonight Bill, do you have any
tips on finding eastern hognoses, I cant find one to save my life!
blove: Except for one I found in the field (by accident),
the other 10 or so I've EVER seen were on roads at midday in Florida.
Ralphine1_nr: Thank you for coming to chat with the group!
This is just a "general" Hisstory question! There's a personal account
on the Darwin awards web site from a Bill Love of Alva, FL who tells
about going night hunting for snakes with a friend back in 1972 while
he was in high school. He mistakes his Moma's OFF oven cleaner for
the OFF! Insect Spray, and doesn't realize until he'd already sprayed
it on his legs. It's a very funny story, and I was just wondering
if that was you? And what was the biggest disaster, or funniest thing
you've ever had happen when field herping?
blove: Yeah, that was me, and it's 100% true. We all get to
be young and dumb once in our lives!
blove: I dropped a flash in salt water once, picked it up
quickly as it was recharging and got the shock of my life.
goini04: Bill, since you have spent so much time researching
the history of the herp hobby do you see any problems with how it
was built that could cause us to lose the hobby that many of us love
so much due to state by state legislation?
blove: That could be a book.... Mainly, it was perceived as
a hobby of "unusual" people for so long, that it's going to take another
generation for it to be a "normal", mainstream kind of pasttime accepted
by ordinary folks.
ChocoNumNum: Thank for coming bill. Has there ever been a
type of herp people have tried to habituate to captivity, but having
it fail? And have you ever been the first to photograph something
never before seen on film? Thanks.
blove: It seems like those with narrow habitat / climate tolerances
like Phelsuma cepediana, for instance, have never hit the bigtime
in herpetoculture because people nowadays expect everything to be
easy to keep with store-bought products.
blove: I believe I've had photos published that have been
the first seen by the majority of people lots of times, but I've never
actually discovered and photo'd something new to science.
krn: Hey bill. I am planning on buying your video on the industry
of herps i was wondering if alot were sold? and what does it feature?
thanks for coming
blove: I've sold about 400 ReptileMania DVDs so far. I can't
list all the folks who are on it here, but check out the description
on Kathy's Cornutopia website.
TexasReptiles: Hiya Bill, Randal here, when you get a chance,
talk about the history of the IHS and whats going on this year!
blove: I wouldn't miss the 30th anniversary of the I.H.S.
for the world in San Antonio this summer, June 21-24.
blove: This is THE organization that's fueled the rise of
the hobby.
phiber_optikx: Bill, what would you say was the defining moment
that really started the corn industry?
blove: It has to be Dr. Bern Bechtel hatching the
first amel babies in August 1961, proving that a morph could be reproduced
venombill: Bill, with the new C. adamanteus morphs on the
market, have you thought of getting into some of the new projects
in memory of snowflake? I loved reading the snowflake story and seeing
all the pictures. What a wonderful pet that must have been during
the time morphs were unheard of in the herp hobby. Thanks, Billy
blove: I'll probably leave the next generation of EDB breeders
to someone else, though I might want to buy a leucistic baby if someone
eventually breeds them.
snakeman19_nr: hi bill how are you? what was your 1st snake
you had?
blove: A newborn northern water snake from NJ that I bought
from a 'bigger kid' for $3.00. The kid had chopped off its tail with
a pocket knife, ut i still bought it.
pac-man: what are my chaces of finding a wild corn in maryland
or north carolina??where should i look?where should i look for anysnake
but a venomous one?haha....what would be the snake i would most likely
find in maryland if i turned a log or rock over??
blove: Never saw a corn in those states. I'd try old buildings
near ag fields, just like works well down here in FL.
blove: Or under tin or plywood piles too.
Grunngg: Hey Bill. I was just curious, have you ever done
any work in New Jersey? If so, what Herps have you come across? All
I seem to find are Bullfrogs and Garter Snakes.
blove: I grew up in NJ till nearly 16, but only ever caught
waters and garters near Sayreville. I found a northern pine years
later ona visit when I was seeking a quiet place to use the green
toilet in the pine barrens near Batsto.
Grunngg: Thanks. Thats not far from me, ill keep looking.
PHLdyPayne: thank you for coming Bill. i have seen alot of
your pictures in various books, you are quite talented. of all the
cameras you have used or looked into over the years, which is the
best camera to get for taking pictures of herps that would be easily
used and affordable by the average person? also, have you ever done
any herping up in Canada, if so what did you find?
blove: Never herped Canada, only visited for a meeting. The
new point n shoots are sure simple and easy to use, but I could never
give up the control of my Nikon SLRs. I just bought a Sony F828, but
it can't handle the macro work I need for many herps. I'm afraid I'd
have to recommend what i know best --- 35 mm SLRs, either Nikon, Canon,
Minolta or Olympus are all good.
Cornfan_nr: Bill, have you ever gotten an eastern hognose
to take mice? If so, how?
blove: No, but I've seen friends' specimens gobble them up,
even unscented.
Adam105_nr: Bill, have you ever herped The Hog Islands off
the coast of Honduras for the scarce Hog Island Boa of course? If
not, do you have future plans to?
blove: Never been to Central America at all. Nothing in the
plans at this point, but Mexico is for this summer after the IHS conference.
Adam105_nr: Oh sounds cool. Thanks!
goini04: Bill, do you have any experience in finding northern
copperheads or Timber Rattlesnakes in the field? If so, do you have
any tips that could make my herping trips more successful this upcoming
year so that I can finally get some photos? Thanks
blove: I'd tune into some of the field herping forums for
the best tips. I've never found those species up north because I moved
to FL before I could drive and explore for them freely up there.
snakeboy434: Bill, what do you think about Dr.Frys research
on agamids beign venomous, do you agree with his research? And do
you think it will help encourage more bans against herps in general?`
blove: The humaniacs will try to use any bit of "evidence"
to ban herpkeeping, so it is a concern that many harmless herps may
have traces of venom production. I wouldn't worry about it personally
from the standpoint of being bitten. I'd poo-poo any talk of it being
a threat so people come to regard the new info as nothing to worry
about. i have to assume it's true since I'm not scientist.
phiber_optikx: Bill, what would you say was the defining moment
or event that caused the corn industry to become so popular? Also,
have you ever herped SW Missouri? I am specifically looking for emoryi
but don't know where to look.
blove: I think corns gained slow but steady popularity after
Bechtel hatched the first in 1961, but I can't think of any later
moments that stand out. probably the publishing of some early books,
like Mike McEachern's color morphs booklet, did a lot to raise awareness
of the new 'guppies'.
blove: Never herped SW Missouri, sorry.
blove: Emoryi rats like to overwinyter in old wells out that
way, among other places. At least that's what I saw on the forums.
snakeman19_nr: what kinda snake you have right now
snakeman19_nr: or a web page
blove: I have no snakes at all. Kathy has 100s of corns, though.
I can't travel if I have too many pets.
mavericksdad: good evening mr love...i met you once years
ago a glades herp and im a big fan of your work,especially the redtail
boa pictures...which snake is your favorite to photograph?...and why?
blove: Vipers, especially tree vipers, are my favorite photo
subjects. They stay so nice and still, and are gorgeous!
NJTom732: Hi Bill, can you telll me where I can find info
on the importing of ball pythons and how the ball lords of Africa
control things?
blove: I don't import herps anymore since leaving Glades Herp,
so I'm really out of touch. Why would anyone want to import more balls
except to sell them for peanuts? I have zero interest in that.
Aukabas: hey bill i was just wondering if you have done any
herping in michigan?
blove: Only visited Mark Bell when he lived there way back.
Never herped there, though.
Rivets55: Hi Bill! I'd like to know who came up with the creamsicle
and when? Also, I have 1.1 creamsicles that are 12+ years old from
Glades. Are they too old to breed? What kind of problems do older
corns encounter?
blove: Glenn Slemmer did it and named the creamsicle morph.
12 is approaching the upper limits of reproduction in corns IF you've
bred them heavily, but they can live and breed into their 20s if well
cared for. Older corns get fat deposits, kinks\ed spines from nutrition
deficiencies, mouthes that don't close right due to calcium deficiencies,
etc.
goini04: Bill, how do you feel the wild populations of EDBs
are looking down there? What do you think is there biggest threat?
blove: They're in real trouble in southern FL, due to mostly
habitat loss, but also to willful killing a distant second.
Adam105_nr: I have an HP Digital camera that I use mostly
to take GREAT macro shots. Sorry I do not know the exact model. But
when I take pictures of the entire tank setup I get a blue tint to
the pictures. It almost looks as though a tint coming off a flourescent
bulb. Any advice?
blove: You have to set a white balance on many cameras when
shooting indoors in fluorescent light. That's the problem , most likely.
snake_gal: Hey Bill, have you been herping in California before?
If so, Do you know some good herping spots? And what are the most
common specie(s) found there?
blove: Calif is great for field herping, especially the southern
deserts where I've spent the most time roadcruising. I can't name
exact hotspots, 'cept maybe Whitewater Road, which is definitely no
secret. It's west of LA near Palm Springs.
blove: EAST of LA !
snakeboy434: Do you currently keep any speices of indigo snakes
how hard are they to work with? and what is your favorite corn morph?
Thanks
blove: No indigos, as they're protected in FL and federally,
though i wouldn't cage one anyway because they always rub their snouts
off eventually. Almost always, anyway. My favorite corn morph is the
natural Okeetee.
PHLdyPayne: in the rhac book by Philippe de Vosjoli, there
were many pictures of rhacs you had taken. did you take these pictures
on site, in New Calodonia? if so, what was it like to see these unique
geckos in their natural habitat?
blove: Yes, I spent 3 weeks in New Caledonia with Philippe
in the mid 1990s. It was a great trip, with over 70 leachies seen,
and 17 ciliatus too. I'll never forget the experience of all those
col geckos, and a grey reef shark that came within two meters while
i was snorkelling too.
PHLdyPayne: wow, sounds like it was a great time
PHFaust: On behalf of Kingsnake.com, Jeff B, and myself, I
want to take a moment to thank Bill for being part of our chat week.
Bill, thanks for taking the time out to chat with us on our Hisstory.
blove: OK, Kathy will answer from her computer. Thanks everyone,
it was a pleasure chatting.
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