Sorry guys, I didn't realize anyone was looking for me. Just got a voice mail from Tim Cole, thanks Tim. Scenic City Reptiles disbanded a while back and i set everything back up under just my name. If anyone is looking for me, my web site is
www.chuckhurd.com and my e-mail is
chuckhurd@chuckhurd.com . My phone number is 423.580.7513 (txt capable), but if anyone has ever tried to call me, you know i am hard to reach by phone. i am in class most of the day, and i work at night job and tend to the snakes, so its difficult to answer calls. i am pretty diligent about responding to txts and e-mails. as for the questions:
the 61 female was collected by the late GREAT Keith Taylor of Blackwater Reptiles. He found her on the sand hills of SC. He called me before he even made it home that day and yelled over the phone "Professor, i have something you are going to love." I drove over the next weekend and got her. The male came from a location near Huntsville, AL. i collected him myself from a man made swamp area that is just teaming with cottons. unfortunately, neither of the snakes are still with me. The big female never adjusted to captivity. We ran cycles of meds thru her 3 different times. tried force feeding, scenting food, fish, frogs. changed out the cage sitting, used natural litter, everything i know, but she just wouldn't take off. it happens sometimes. the male died just a few months ago. i think it was probably old age on him. he was a mature snake when i found him. where he came from, the easterns cross with the much smaller westerns, so a 3 foot animal from that swamp is huge, so he was a massive example from that local. I have a male now that is bigger then either of these two. I think me might be the largest in captivity. i will post a picture of him tonight when i get home.
In academia, a PHD is called a doctor, not a professor. In truest form, a professor is simply a teacher. But by evolution of the English language, it has come to mean a teacher or a researcher. My calling in education was troubled children, so i teach at a Christian boarding school that specializes in learning difficulties. That is exactly where i want to be. Fortunately, there is a university 5 miles from my school that has a biology department focused on herpetology. I get to work hand and hand with them on their research and they are always interested in mine. I have provided them DNA and venom samples and they have provided me with live specimens for my goals. As for my research, for the most part, i fund it myself. i have had a few small grants along the way over the years. there is no money to be made on the research end, so it is purely for my benefit and pleasure, so i like to make all the decisions in what i do, so keep outside influences to a bare minimum. I notice a lot of you on here posting are from TX. for my currently project, i am in need of some TX locality canes. if anyone knows of a keeper that has 100% TX blood lines, please send me there way.
Thank you
Chuck Hurd