Here is a sort of self interview. Really it is a combination of several online reptile enthusiast surveys and I saved my favorite 40 questions and put this together... enjoy.
1. What aquatic reptile would you like to own?
If I could own any one aquaic reptile... Horned Sea snakes.
I already own and or breed: rainbow water snakes, puff faced water snakes, chinese water snakes, tentacled snakes, Bush water snake, western mud snakes, eastern swamp snakes, marine wart snake, Javan wart snake, Arafura wart snake.
Javan File Snake. Photo By Myke Clarkson.
2. Own(ed) any venomous reptiles (i.e. hots)?
From rattlesnakes to mole vipers I have had my experience with hots. I really enjoy rear fanged colubrids as well. More and more as we study these "Warms" we are finding many of them are actually hots. So much needs to be learned here. I really enjoy breaking new ground and with hundreds of rear fanged colubrids still unstudied there is a lot of breaking to be done here.
mangrove snake... a rear fanged colubrid Photo By Myke Clarkson.
3. If you've had any big guys, what kind and how big was your biggest snake?
Big guys, well I bred reticulate pythons (tigers and yellow heads), green anacondas, and burmese pythons, but that market is dead so I sold them off, all but one, she's a 17 + foot female reticulate python with a tude. I used to have a 21 foot burmese python on breeding loan, largest burmese I ever kept. Had it for two years for a project, then returned it to its owner after I got rid of the giants.
4. Biggest snake you think you could handle-
As big as they come.
5. Have you or do you plan to breed any kinds of lizards?
I have had hundreds of lizards, not much the lizard guy, but after owning two reptile websites and a pet store you end up with a few. I have kept everything from Sungazers to Satanic Leaf Geckos.
Angle Headed Lizards. Photo By Myke Clarkson.
6. Kinds of lizards you like best-
Gilas and Monitors. Peach Throats are fun, so are water monitors. Hard to choose a favorite... Ok Gila wins.
And the winner... Gila Monster. Photo By Myke Clarkson.
7. Which one was or is your favorite pet?
Pet? I don't tend to make pets out of most of them, but probably my black throat monitor since I have to tame it down to make a good school display.
Monitor Mug Shot. Photo By Myke Clarkson.
8. Frog pee, how often do you get squirted on?
Often, my giant south african bull frog are quiet the squirters.
My South African Bull Frog... In a shell??? Photo By Myke Clarkson.
9. Owned or want any kinds of crocodilians?
To much room and mess. I have worked with them, and do enjoy them, but feel in most cases are best enjoyed in the wild. Not that some people can't have them, but they need so much room, time and attention I think in most cases they either do not get the care they need.
10. Did you have much luck with your very first pet reptile?
Yes, my first pet reptile was an adult garter snake I caught at Silver Wood lake, that lived 8 years That same year I bought my next two herps (reptiles). My second was a Black belly cal king I got from Vince Schiedt at a reptile show that live 17 years and my third was a ball python I bought for $20. The ball python is 18 years old now and still kicking.
11. Newest herp to your collection-
Aru Scrub Python
12. What are you probably getting next?
Female Woma, Female Macklotts, or more acrochords
13. What would be next if money were no issue?
Most high end herps are simply some lame new morph so for me money is rarely the issue, but finding the animal available, now that's the trick. If I could get the state to approve them legally (we are working on it) I would keep Pelamis Platurus next, also known as the Yellow Bellied sea snakes. I have done a lot of research on them and would love some hands on experience.
14. Feeders you go through the most-
Small mice.
15. Attend any or most of your local reptile shows-
I go to show with in 3 hours driving distance.
16. Own any rescued herps?
Yeah my albino burm I keep for educational displays was a rescue... from a stripper. True story, for another time.
17. How often do you go outside looking for herps, i.e. field herping?
When I am not disabled by a venomous snake bite... several times a week.
All Photos Copyright 2008 Mykeclarkson.com5:30 Am herping. Madera, Az. Photo by: David Alvarado.
18. How often do your animals come out of their cages?
For feeding and cleaning, or educational displays. I do not handle them often
19. Take animals outside?
I never take inside animals outside, to much contamination risk in most cases.
I have a quarter acre outdoor display that houses many natives and such, but they never come in as to not cross contaminate the inside collection.
20. An endangered herp you would breed to at least keep them alive in captivity- Most all endangered herps are already in captivity being bred by zoos and such so its almost a mute point. There are many endangered species I would love to work with and I wish the government would allow the public to participate in endangered recovery programs. Alas they do not so there is no hope for this. Komodos, that would be tempting.
21. Reptile tats?
The words "snake" in Chinese on my left wrist.
22. Watching snakes eat....
Its good to keep an eye on them but is not big thrill anymore. It gets old after so many year, except with new species with new ways of killing, that's still fascinating.
23. Would you take in a komodo dragon if some one was going to just give it to you?
They are illegal, hard to hide, hard to feed, and illegal, did I mention illegal. Local authorities know where I live, I would be caught in a matter of days. Besides, did I mention they are illegal. LOL.
24. Currently waiting for eggs or babies?
Not this time of year...
25. Most visited reptile websites-
mykeclarkson.com
fieldherpforum.com
kingsnake.com
reptster.com
reptilegeeks.com
insitugear.com
26. How often do you get bit by herps?
A lot, every couple days at least.
27. Do all your critters have names?
No that's just silly... ok so some do.
28. Your herps are in what room of your house?
My Lab (i.e. the herp room), my garage, my living room, my bathrooms, my roommate's room, the sitting room.
29. Hardest herp to keep in your opinion-
Hatchling Tiger Snakes, Hatchling Lyre snaks, and Cape File Snakes are all hard, but Spotted Leaf Nose Snakes take the cake.
Spotted Leaf Nose Snake. Photo By Myke Clarkson
30. Better pet turtles are land tortoise or aquatic turtles?
Land
31.First words that comes to mind about these herps...
corn snakes- good beginner snake
tree frogs- photogenic
cobras- alert visual animals
tortoises- eats my cactus garden
crested geckos- money makers
salt water crocodiles- swim faster
fire belly newts- not feeder, don't eat
burmese pythons- eats chickens
anacondas- strong, please don't musk, please don't musk!!!
32. Recomended zoo for herps
San Diego Zoo, LMK's zoo.
33. Ever lose a herp in your home?
All the time, there are always around 10 loose at any given time.
34. Your favorite herp to watch eat is...
Chinese water snakes, they are such fast agile feeders, amazing to watch feed on a bunch of fish because they really freak out. They even get airborne.
35. Favorite snake hybrid-
Not into hybrids. What a waste of two distinct species!!!
36. if you could only keep one type of herp for the rest of your life you would keep-
WHAT!!! That's a terrible question I simply can not answer.
37. Read reptiles magazine?
Yeah been a subscriber since 1996.
38. Breeding your own feeders, is it worth it?
Yeah, just finished my new mouse house for mass breeding, good money maker.
39. Most aggressive herp you keep?
When I was keeping the stiletto snakes, yeah they were snippy!
Though I just got rid of a really aggressive ornate nile monitor.
And shovel nose snakes bite a lot, but most of those are fake bites and
they are so small its kind of cute really.
Shovel nose trying to show me who's boss... at 5 inches long. Photo By Myke Clarkson.
40. Herp you have had or have now that you would recommend most people own and why-
Woma, pretty, tame and easy to keep, everyone should have one.
--Myke
