My interest in reptiles started with my first dinosaur action figure. There is something so perfect about reptiles, in their design and behavior. They are mysterious, colorful, and inquisitive companions. As a child in Brooklyn, my brother Brian kept snakes and was deeply interested, as a hobbyist. One snake in particular always comes to mind. He had a large black rat snake. It was so beautiful!!! No matter how this black beauty was secured, he would escape. And finally he escaped for good. I was always wondering where he went, and how he would survive. I got my answer the last day in our Brooklyn home, before moving to Long Island. Down in the boiler room, while getting the last of his tools, dad found a fresh shed skin!!! “But dad how can it survive?” I asked. “Well, see there, by the corner?” he pointed to a large crack in the foundation, “that leads out to the rest of Brooklyn. Snakes have been here a long time before us, survive is what they do.” That was it…I was hooked. Of course this snake became the reason why I couldn’t have a snake for many years.

Brian got his own place and on valentines day, his wife gave him a Burmese python. Valentino grew to be sixteen feet, and had his own room. He eventually ended up at the Staten Island Zoo. I, for my part, started reading about reptiles and had a lot of different species over time. Golden tegus, false tegus, retics, burms, and balls. Reptiles are unlike people in one very important respect…they don’t lie. They bite sometimes, but that is their nature and that is fine with me. Most of the time their body language lets you know what intention they have.

I was without reptile companions for many years. Shortly after my divorce, I was in a pet store and the fever was reborn! We are, after all, free men and women, are we not? I bought a little hatch ling Florida king, and brought him to my apartment. From there with the help of my dear friend John Donohue, of www.snakemansexotics.com , I began to build a collection, and from there break into the services listed on this site. For me it is a passion. They need handling, heat, food, water, and sanitation. They get love too, here at Cold Blooded Playthings.