About Us: by Windy
Welcome to our website.. We have striven to create a site that is informative and easy to browse. The best way we could do this is to keep our emphasis on the text and the graphics simple. Images were captured using a Cannon DC210 digital camera under "Vita Lites" and are presented without any color manipulation unless otherwise stipulated.

Chesapeake Herpetoculture started out in the early 1990's as a small breeding facility focused on producing high-quality captive-bred reptiles.. Though our interest and experience in reptile breeding has grown, we continue to focus on producing quality snakes and lizards rather than quantity.. While we do produce a few high-end species, we particularly enjoy providing the beginning enthusiast with his/her first pet reptile.

In building this website, we wanted to take an opportunity to share a little bit about ourselves, and why reptiles are important to us.. Both of us are career-oriented and hold full-time jobs.. I am a Project Manager in Information Technology, and Tony is an Environmental Specialist working with water-quality issues.

Tony developed a deep interest in nature during his early childhood.. Those who know him, have repeatedly endured his stories of encounters with reptiles.. These encounters span from childhood accounts of snakes loose in his grandmother's house to unsuccessfully sneaking new animals past me and into the collection.. Early on, his enthusiasm for reptiles spread into other areas of his life and eventually led to his career pursuit of environmental-related issues.. Chesapeake Herpetoculture provides him with an outlet to share his love of nature and the opportunity for civic involvement.. Tony regularly conducts lectures, talks and programs for students and other enthusiasts in various settings providing a forum by which to share his concerns and insights..

My enthusiasm for reptiles occurred much later in life, actually about the time Tony and I met.. It was readily apparent that the reptiles weren't going away; so I determined that I was going to have to start liking them.. You can now find me feeding lizards, separating baby snakes, coordinating reptile-events, listening attentively for hours about the next great breeding project, as well as providing love and understanding when Tony spends more than he makes at a reptile show.. Honestly, we are not in this just for the financial gain, we truly love the animals and cherish the friendships that we have developed with those who share our excitement.. Many thanks to our family, friends and customers who have supported our efforts over the years; we could not have made it this far without you.

Our future plans for the website include feature stories and articles so be sure to check back often.. You never know what new things we may have added, and by all means e-mail us at tdongarra@home.com and let us know what you think about the site.. We'd love to hear from you.

Home