Python Projects
Blood Pythons
Womas
 

Boa Projects
Dumeril's Boas
Dodoma Valley Sand Boas
 

Colubrid Projects
Indigos, Cribos, and Coachwhips
Eastern Kingsnakes
Speckled Kingsnakes

My interest in reptiles began at an early age catching every type of reptile I could wrangle around my parent's farm.  I was mostly content to catch them, look them over carefully and release them because I was not allowed to bring them into the house.  At 14, I finally talked my parents into letting me keep a pet snake in my room and my addiction exploded from there.  I scourged over every book and magazine I could find trying to decide on my next pet.  Contrary to my friends ideas of value at the time, I worked hard and saved my money for gas for herping and reptiles for my hobby.  I went to the University of Kentucky after graduating high school (Go Cats!) and earned my Bachelor's degree in Biology.  After working for a few years, I decided that I enjoyed working with kids and I loved teaching others about biology, the field of study I had spent half my life studying directly or indirectly through my hobby/passion.  I returned to school to get my Master's in Education and currently teach biology and environmental science at a high school in Lexington, Kentucky. 

My wife, Nicci, has been the most supportive person in my life.  She has continually put up with my love of reptiles and has frequently volunteered her help in cleaning, feeding, photographing, and anything else that relates to this hobby of mine.  She has endured to good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and she has always been there encouraging me in whatever I do.  She is has much a part of Selective Origins as I am and I feel very blessed to have her in my life.  We have three wonderful kids that are growing up to have the same interest and respect of life as we do.  They have even picked up a few reptile projects of their own and we couldn't be prouder!

My collection has changed several times over the years as I have had the pleasure of working with a wide variety of reptiles.  I have learned many things about snakes, and also, many things about people from my experiences in buying, breeding, and selling herps and I am thankful for all of my experiences.  At this point in my life, I am most interested in snakes that are hardy, dependable, beautiful, and interesting.  I am interested in selectively breeding for the best expression of a particular trait.  I have learned to appreciate the look of a snake regardless of it's price tag or potential economic future and now focus on the tried and true species that I have always loved to work with, but often decided against because of limit profit potential.  The truth is, if you love something and you do your best with it, everything else will fall into place.  There is always a market for pretty snakes!