zookeeperfrank
New member
Hi All,
It is said that people who make careers of their passions never work a day in their lives…those of us who have turned our hobbies into livelihoods are indeed fortunate. The following ideas have helped me along the way – I hope they are of some use to you.
Read
Read, read, read! The internet is a wonderful resource, and more herp books have been published in recent years than I dreamed possible, but don’t forget the classics. Most herpers are aware of Kauffeld’s “bibles”, but there are scores of other treasures out there.
Books written when people spent time observing and recording behavior offer insights that are unique, and differ from those made later-on. Ditmars’ The Reptiles of North America was published in 1907, but I challenge anyone to read it and come away without much of value. From The Giant Snakes by Pope to the more “adventure-oriented” works of Ionides, Allen and others, you’ll learn much and enjoy yourself immensely.
Travel logs and autobiographies cannot help but inspire. Try Raymond Ditmars: his Exciting Life with Reptiles, Animals & Insects and In Search of Reptiles and Amphibians, a 1988 gem by modern-day herp legend Dick Bartlett. Read article here: http://bitly.com/J7Cqpz.
Comments and questions appreciated. As I do not place notices here each time I post a new article on That Reptile Blog, you may wish to check in periodically or subscribe; you can do so here http://bitly.com/JJNk9h. Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj.
Thanks, Frank
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Face Book http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
It is said that people who make careers of their passions never work a day in their lives…those of us who have turned our hobbies into livelihoods are indeed fortunate. The following ideas have helped me along the way – I hope they are of some use to you.
Read
Read, read, read! The internet is a wonderful resource, and more herp books have been published in recent years than I dreamed possible, but don’t forget the classics. Most herpers are aware of Kauffeld’s “bibles”, but there are scores of other treasures out there.
Books written when people spent time observing and recording behavior offer insights that are unique, and differ from those made later-on. Ditmars’ The Reptiles of North America was published in 1907, but I challenge anyone to read it and come away without much of value. From The Giant Snakes by Pope to the more “adventure-oriented” works of Ionides, Allen and others, you’ll learn much and enjoy yourself immensely.
Travel logs and autobiographies cannot help but inspire. Try Raymond Ditmars: his Exciting Life with Reptiles, Animals & Insects and In Search of Reptiles and Amphibians, a 1988 gem by modern-day herp legend Dick Bartlett. Read article here: http://bitly.com/J7Cqpz.
Comments and questions appreciated. As I do not place notices here each time I post a new article on That Reptile Blog, you may wish to check in periodically or subscribe; you can do so here http://bitly.com/JJNk9h. Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj.
Thanks, Frank
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Face Book http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
