My lifelong fascination with reptiles began when I was too young to even know what I was getting into. When I was about four years old I had my mother cut out paper snakes which I then carried around in a shoebox.

I began keeping a collection of local snakes and other herps in my pre-teen days, eventually advancing to a broad range of species as budget and access allowed. At the same time, I developed a strong interest in snake cage design and construction. Most of my early cages were made from plywood that I scavenged from local construction sites around my neighborhood.