PetHobbyist.com's 11th Annual Chat Month Complete Chat Month Schedule and Transcripts Subscribe to our free email newsletters about pets and animal issues Email Address:

PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us at kingsnake.com, Bill Love to our 11th annual Chat Month..

PHFaust: Bill has always enjoyed seeking herps in nature, and recording them on film in their natural haunts is one of his true passions, whether he's in Madagascar, Baja, or just near home in Florida's Everglades. Bill, along with wife Kathy have traveled the world and can help you plan your next Eco-Venture.

PHFaust: Bill is known for his love of photography. He is passing that love on to others working with photo contests at the NARBC shows.

PHFaust: Bill will be helping us get out and experience reptiles beyond our racks and in their natural habitat and have advice for us along the way.

BillLove: I'm in Charlotte, NC at the moment replying on my laptop, and the room light is bad, thus all the spelling errors.

BillLove: Fire away....

BillLove: All set. Hello, everyone. I'll assume the majority of he crowd enjoys getting out in the field to see / catch herps at times. It's my MOST enjoyed aspect of herps these days, combined with photographing them. I look forward to your comments and experiences toward that goal tonight. With spring just around the corner, I'm already busy planning some fieldtrips for March - June.

SilentHouse: What would you say is the most essential gear for a field herper?

BillLove: Essential gear? Hmmmmm...... for me, my camera. I love sharing my finds with the world on forums, mags, etc.

BillLove: Comfy shoes, next most important.

blackmamba1: where is your favorite herping place

BillLove: So far, I find western Texas a most frustrating yet exciting places to herp. Southern Georgia has been fun the last few times too. GA

Herptile_nr: I have heard accounts of timber rattlesnakes in my area and intend to investigate them soon. They sound pretty reliable. These snakes are rare in my area. I also Have heard rumors of Bog turtles.....EXTREMLY RARE were I'm from. A local university found a dead specieman a while ago and a trail in my county had them a couple decades ago. What my main question is, Who should I tell about this so It can be recorded? I don't wan't to tell anyone for conservation reasons. ALSO were in florida would i be most likely to find Indigos. ALSO I heard fish and wildlife stopped recording data for were herps are. Is this true?

BillLove: Ask your state herpetologist about where to submit state sightings. DON'T publish hem anywhere in cyberspace unless you want the world to know.

BillLove: Indigoes in Florida? Away from the coasts, basically. There are no hotspots anymore, just lucky sightings mostly.

BillLove: I don't know about the feds wanting / needing info on native herps' ranges. Mostly it's local museums who track such data. GA

Charliebrown_nr: I hear a lot that when traveling to forgiven countries vaccines are suggested.. Do you suggest these? I'm looking at Brazil in a few years

BillLove: I take malaria preventatives, but rely on common sense to avoid all the other scary stuff that everyone tries to frighten you with.

JungleDancer: I am wondering,what is the largest and smallest herps you have photographed in the wild and have you had any interesting scares you can share?

BillLove: A roughly 9-foot olive python was my longest herp found to date (in the NT, Australia). The smallest was Brookesia minma in Madagascar. Hmmmm....... scary? Probably a western d'back last summer in AZ that slid down from a cactus base when lunging and laner at my crotch as I leapt backwards.

Slacker6848: what is your favorite herp to find in the field and why? also I see that you said you enjoy west texas, do you know any good spots in south texas around the Houston area?

BillLove: I've had more fun the last few years seeing veiled chameleons in the field in Southwest Florida than anything else. I love observing their activities in their own nature. I've never herped around Houston, TX. GA

blackmamba1: what is your favorite hook to use while field herping

BillLove: Fav field tool --- Stumpripper - without a doubt.

Myko_nr: I havent done any real herping... I live in a city. But I would love to get out into south america. Is there a great location that is reasonably office worker friendly for a trip? I mention office worker, because I work sitting at a desk for 60 hours a week

BillLove: I loved the 2 weeks I spent in the Iquitos, Peru area on a Greentracks tour 12ya and would recommend that highly. It was NOT the most 'office worker' friendly trip, though. Be prepared for some rain, bugs, etc. But that's part of what made it so memorable and fun.

RiseAbove: Are you brave enough to sleep on the sand while in Baja?

BillLove: I have slept in the sand in Baja - in the mountains above Cabo, in a dry wash, with no cover at all. One of my best fieldherping memories ever!

Herptile_nr: What place that you've herped in do you think has been the most decimated herp wise by people recently and why?

BillLove: The 'Carolina tin fields' have been getting picked up a lot lately. They'll soon be distant memories of oldie moldy herpers like me. Tin is going the way of the dinosaur as building material in the countryside in southern Georgia and the south in general.

Brent_nr: Do you see that with the move towards getting involved in conservation more people are looking towards eco tours like what you put together?

BillLove: I think more folks want to go, but the economy will hold many back, and the fear-mongering of the evening news -- to make the whole world seem unfriendly and unsafe --- will scare others away. Hardy travelers in general are becoming scarcer all the time.

Kevin_nr: What tour spot is your favorite and why?

BillLove: I'm pretty partial to Madagascar due to oddities found only there, and the friendly people. Mexico may be a close 2nd for the same reasons.

Dave Northcott: What's the optimum time of year to herp in Florida?

PHFaust: We all know Dave is bringing the camera

BillLove: April - May with the flurry of herps on the move seeking mates are the top months, but Nov - Dec would be second.

BillLove: August is great roadcruising too with lotsa babies.

Ossie_nr: ever sampled unusual local fare when on the road? What was the most unusual?

BillLove: I ate grilled tenrecs (Mad. 'hedgehogs') being cooked over a campfire in SW Mad. once. Also smoked giant eels there. None of my tour members cared to indulge with me ? ? ? ? ?

Reedie: What is your most memorable Malagasy herp story?

BillLove: I had to get a tour member back to the states stat for an emergency, and had her fake an epileptic seizure to get a doctor's emergency order to get hr on a full plane. I kept whispering to her hoping she was still faking it only. I NEVER want to deal with a real epi-seizure after that !

Herptile_nr: A good friend of mine claimes to have seen northern red, Marbled, and long tailed salamanders in New York. How likely is this? This person has been known to mis identify things a few times.

BillLove: I'm far from a salamander geek. I have no idea w/o consulting a field guide, honest!

blackmamba1: have you ever done any field work in north carolina which is my home state

BillLove: Never official field work, as I'm not an academic. I've herped around the sandhills south of Raleigh last fall, but pretty much bombed on herps.

Stormee: i live in south texas, near a heavily wooded area, but have not had much success in my field herping what should i be seeking in my environment for a successful herp adventure?

BillLove: Try along the edge zones of the heavily wooded area because herps nearly always prefer to hang in the transition zones where the most food and basking ops are.

Crazy4reptiles88: I know this is off topic but do you guys go to the birmingham reptile shows? Also I have done some field herping in my backyard and have found fence swifts and other reptiles in my back yard like black kingsnakes, Thanks

BillLove: I was in Birmingham in Jan 2009, but it was in the teens, and herps were scarce, not surprisingly. I may try the show, and local herping, again in April-is next.

Myko_nr: what sort of areas are best for snakes? Looking in the Iowa WI Border

BillLove: Look near the bluffs where rocky hills meet rivers, especially in spring and fall when herps are moving to and from hibernacula.

Stormee: do you recommend any sort of first aide pack to take on trails?

BillLove: I have a basic first ad in the car, but don't carry me on me in the field.

Kevin_nr: How do you feel on the topic of collecting wild speciems in the US?

BillLove: I have no beef against collecting for personal use. In fact, I promote it. I tire of all the ultra humanias who preach like it's a problem.. But I don't think it needs to be done to supply pets for the mass market anymore. CB herps can handle the bulk of demand now, and should.

Reedie: What books that deal with field herping in general would you reccomend?

BillLove: There are only a couple recent ones --- Hunting the Carolina Tin Fields and the new one by Will Bird and Phil Peak on KY fieldherping. Kauffeld's old classics are still good too.

PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us here at kingsnake.com, Thank You for taking your time to chat with us. Transcripts will be posted with in a few days. Once again, Thank you Bill!

PHFaust: Please visit Bill's website at www.bluechameleon.org

BillLove: Da nada, all. Thanks for the invite again! Happy Herping!

BillLove: Thanks again.. Going to accompany a colleague radiotracking indigoes in southern Georgia Monday in the weather is good.