Rockdoc Reptiles:
I went public with Rockdoc Reptiles in September 2015. This was a long time in the making and mainly arose from the need to have a contact point where people could see what I have and contact me. I have never been too active on social media (I frequent often, but seldom post) and I do know that most transactions are now done on the internet (I am like that myself, I find it hard
to deal with people who do not have a website or page). It was also disappointing for people that I would meet to hear about my collection and plans, but not being able to see any of it on the internet or not have an easy way to find me. This name was chosen because I have a Ph.D. in Geology, which basically makes me a “rock doctor”.Rockdoc Reptiles now has a presence on the internet as a full website, Facebook and Twitter. You will find pictures of my collection, animals for sale, as well as current and future projects. I will be posting regular updates on the collection and breeding. I am quite open to suggestions and discussions, so if you have a breeder that might like to work on a breeding project with me or someone who sees two animals in my collection that may make an interesting pairing, please feel free to contact me. About me:
I have been keeping reptiles and amphibians for the last 30+ years, with a couple years of hiatus here and there. It all started as a child with a read-ear slider (looking back my husbandry was quite terrible), then progressed to anoles, salamanders and toads. I got my first snake when I was 18 (boa constrictor) and that is when I got hooked. Since then I have owned, boas, pythons and colubrids. A move to Saskatchewan in 2007 meant I had to part with my boas and pythons. Since then, I have found a real passion in colubrids, in particular the different phenotypes of corn snakes. Philosophy:
All the snakes I own have names and as considered pets. I house all my snakes in large display enclosures except for the hatchlings that I do not intend to keep. All other hatchlings are in display enclosures. Although this way of keeping my collection may be more time consuming when it comes to maintenance and cleaning, I like being able to walk by and observe all my animals without disruption. All the greenery and accessories in the enclosures also makes for nice visuals and the animals to seem to enjoy their environments. This set-up also allows me to observe the behaviour of the animals on a daily basis, and I feel it makes it easier to pick up on certain cues, especially during breeding season. I try to understand the physical language of the animals instead of forcing breeding decisions on them. Having display enclosures also means that my space is more limited and that acquiring new animals requires decent investment and some creative thinking to create the space. I see this as a way to prevent scope creep in my collection because, as many hobbyists know, self-control in acquisition of new specimens is difficult…
I try to handle my animals as much as I can, and let my family interact with the animals as well. I believe that by routine handling, the animals do get accustomed to humans and are more easily handled by others, and that hopefully the speed of acclimatization is a trait that can be transmitted to future generations. Handling the animals also makes it easier to detect ailments or physical problems that might arise with certain animals. It also allows me to get the know the animals better, which helps in selecting which animals might be suitable for educational programs or letting other people handle. The snakes I own are mainly a collection. My goal was never to become a breeder, just a hobbyist that enjoys his specimens. However, two reasons have pushed me to become a breeder: 1) as my curiosity in genetic inheritance grew, I had to start breeding my animals in order to test outcomes of gene combinations, and 2) it was difficult to find specific species, genotypes or phenotypes within Canada and I figured out that the market could use more diversity. About the market: I like to keep in mind the size of the market when deciding what I will breed. If the market can’t accommodate what I will produce, I will think twice before producing those animals. I do not believe in mass producing animals nor am looking into beating the “competition”. I think the hobby could use more collaboration between breeders, working on interesting common projects rather than trying to take competitors out of the picture and always craving a bigger share of the market. That is why I will not breed all my animals during a specific year and might even skip years altogether. This is still a hobby for me, and the minute I will start seeing it as a business, it will time for me to stop.
