It is with much sadness that kingsnake.com has learned of the passing of reptile industry pioneer Don Hamper.

I first heard Don Hamper's name mentioned by John Hollister in the late 80s while taking a roadside break while hunting for reptiles out near Langtry Texas. It was all "Hamper had those" or "Hamper bred those" or "Hamper can get those". In the days before the internet word passed from herper to herper about other reptile people across the country(and around the world). Don Hamper's name was prominent among them and it seemed that in some way all herp roads led to Don Hamper. I finally actually met Don Hamper at an International Herp Symposium in the early 90s, where most of the reptile illuminati would gather to listen to lectures and compare keeping and breeding notes. By then Don was famous for hosting one of the few regular reptile expos, the All Ohio Reptile Show, as well as for his pioneering work captive breeding many of the species commonly found in the trade today, and through his work introduced literally thousands of midwesterners to the reptile hobby. Don's pioneering work both in reptile breeding and reptile expos dramatically helped expand the hobby into a true industry and his impact can still be seen in the many reptile breeders that sprouted up in America's heartland in the 90s and early 2000s, many of which are still active to this day.

I would run into Don many times over the next 3 decades at symposiums and expos across the country and each time he greeted me like we were long lost brothers. kingsnake.com ended up hosting his web site for many years as well as helping him spread the word about his expos.

I will miss Don and his everpresent smile and kind word. He was a true gentleman and will be missed greatly by all that knew him. Kigsnake.com's prayers go out to the Hamper family and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts.

- Jeff Barringer

In what may be the most sweeping attempt yet to curb the growing spread of the invasive Burmese Python, President Donald Trump signed an executive order today authorizing the National Park Service to begin construction of a massive snake proof wall around Everglades National Park.

Taking to his Twitter Account the President tweeted;

"Have you seen what they did to the 13th tee at Mar-a-Lago? Very bad. This kind of thing has to be stopped. I saw "Anaconda", with Jennifer Lopez. So sad. What's next? These pythons. They're everywhere. "

"We're going to build a snake proof wall around the Everglades. It will be great. It's going to be the greatest snake proof wall anyone's ever seen. All the other countries are going to be so jealous of our snake proof wall. And we're gonna make Burma pay for it. Believe me. It will create so many jobs. It will be great. Really."

President Trump has directed Ryan Zink, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, to immediately begin taking bids on the design and development of a 30 foot tall barrier around the 1.5 million acre park. The Department of the Interior published two requests for proposals late Friday, which included the specifications it expects for a barrier meant to deliver on President Donald Trump's promise to build a "snake proof wall."

The agency provided 11 threshold requirements for the wall, which it says "shall be physically imposing in height." The wall needs to be 30 feet tall — although "heights of at least 18 feet may be acceptable" — and it should prevent tunneling by going at least 6 feet below ground.

The wall, it adds, should be difficult for getting over and offer features that prevent "sophisticated climbing techniques," though it did not define what that means. Prototypes will also need to prove that they aren't susceptible to a "physical breach"

The federal government expects proposals to be delivered by April 29 and will award a contract based on a prototype that contractors would build around the Mar-a-Lago golf course and club house.

click to see larger image
Fallout from two highly publicized cobra escapes in Florida is leading to changes in Florida venomous snake regulations in 2016.

According to a memo released by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission (see above), the state is banning the use of melamine/particle board enclosures due to their tendency to be warped or damaged by moisture. Venomous Permit holders in Florida have until February 28th, 2016 to bring their caging into compliance.

Also, the Florida is moving ahead with the revision of it's venomous regulations, a process begun last year, before the escapes, with a series of public meetings that began in December of 2014. Based on the input from those 8 meetings, FWC staff is reviewing the recommendations and is preparing draft rules and options for stakeholder input.

If you have questions about either memo, please contact the FWC Captive Wildlife Office at 850-488-6253

In the end it was probably the sign.

There is a right way to run a reptile education program, and then there are other ways.

The first thing any reptile educator needs to do is check to make sure they are not violating either state and local laws, unless they want to get a rather unpleasant education of their own.

Erstwhile reptile educator Jeremy Phillips in Louisville, KY learned this lesson the hard way, when on Tuesday, Louisville Metro Animal Services came and took his four venomous snakes away. Animal Services says that while Kentucky law allows those snakes, a Metro Louisville ordinance does not and the local ordinance supersedes the state law. Phillips says someone snaked him out and reported it to authorities, but he now wants a change in the Metro Louisville ordinance. Phillips will face a judge for his arraignment next month and his case is the first of its kind in Louisville.

He had been putting on free snake shows, but recently was asking for five dollars to cover costs of snake food and electricity to keep them warm. No one has paid for the shows. Phillips said he just put up a sign advertising his $5 snake shows, which he thinks may have gotten him in trouble.

Read more and watch the video at WDRB.com

Just days after capturing the once-missing king cobra from a local garage, Florida wildlife officials on Friday confirmed their intent to revoke the owner's license to own the venomous snake in a revocation letter, sent a day before the king cobra was captured.

"Allowing you to continue to possess your venomous reptiles after three escapes would send a message that there will be no consequences for serious rule violations,"

The owner of the cobra has held permits to keep various exotic and potentially deadly animals for years, but records show numerous violations for not properly containing the animals including being cited in 2001 after another king cobra escaped from a house in the College Park area of Orlando, and in 2004 when an albino diamondback rattlesnake escaped and ended up in a neighbor's yard.

Read more at the Orlando Sentinel