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kingsnake.com user Marrya Canales is a breast cancer warrior. She has one more surgery before she "gets to get on with her life."

Marrya hasn't been active on the site much lately, and we understand why. Seven children, one young and “part raccoon” according to her, and the time and energy fighting breast cancer has stolen.

For the last two years Marrya has been through numerous surgeries, procedures, chemotherapy, insanely long appointments and is now happily recovering.

Prior to the cancer, Marrya kept turtles, large boids, geckos, chameleons, and numerous others, and has been a big supporter of conservation and education in her town. Marrya has had to take a short break from her work with reptiles because of her illness, but her love of them has not gone.

Marrya has found sanity, education, advice, humor and companionship within the 3 Day Community. Right now she's asking our reptile community to help her reach a fundraising goal of $2300 to participate in the 3 Day Walk, part of Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure; net proceeds are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.

Now you're wondering about the title of this post, right? The "Hookers" in question are snake hooks! Showing Marrya's love of herps and the great outdoors, her 3 Day Walk team is inspired by one of the tools of our trade. Perhaps there's a Midwest Tongs sponsorship is in their future?

To learn more about Marrya and her team, you can visit the Hookers for Hooters Facebook Group.

Marrya also wants to reach out to others struggling and surviving this disease. If you know someone going through the same battle, she's willing to chat. You can contact her by emailing marrya@sbcglobal.net. Just like all herpers, she is willing to open up her world to help and educate.


Front view of the fishing shirt



Front view of the herper shirt


Back view of the shirts

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Turtles and tortoises are the quiet guys of our hobby, but the San Diego Union Tribune gave them some attention the other day:

Contrary to conventional wisdom, even a 100-year-old tortoise will move pretty fast -- if there’s a yam in front of him.

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park wrangled its entire herd of 17 endangered Galápagos tortoises into a trailer yesterday morning for relocation to temporary quarters while their longtime home gets a $1 million makeover.

Moving the 400- to 600-pound reptiles -- including some that have lived in the exhibit since 1928 -- required coaxing, prodding and, occasionally, a well-placed shove on a shell.

It's Sunday morning but the sun is yet to be up. Sumitha had been getting dressed since midnight in order to return home. Her mother meticulously prepared her for the journey as a crowd of friends eagerly watched. Finally, minutes before daybreak, she sets off on the voyage, pausing thrice for friends and photographers who have formed a receding semi-circle in front of her. Finally, the semi-circle opens up and Sumitha strides into the sea.

A rescue station and conservation park for endangered turtles would be built in central Quang Ngai Province by the Asian Turtle Preservation Programme (ATP).

The conservation area would include different zones to encourage turtles to stay and increase their population, while the rescue station would aim to help turtles multiply for release back into the wild, Nguyen Dai, head of the provincial Forest Management Department, said.

Other project components included boosting local awareness to curb the wildlife trade of endemic turtle species, and boosting the abilities of local authorities to conduct research and preservation activities, Dai said.

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She was a true-blue American Pit Bull Terrier, with the heart of her namesake Warrior Princess. And she's gone where all good dogs -- and heroes -- go.

I got to know Xena through my work with Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue. She was one of the early ones who joined my now-extended family. She was owned by Carolyn, our fearless leader in the rescue and the same woman who now owns my Caesar's littermate Pilot.

Xena understood people are people, some good and some bad. She knew to love the good and ignore the bad. She was also able to overcome her past. Last night, when her mom texted me to tell me she had left, I shed a tear for that chunky girl, the one-eyed wonder, who I loved for her strength, power and amazing ability to love and forgive. She is a shining example of why I love this breed.

For my dear friend Carolyn and the Mighty Xena, our Southside Warrior Princess, I wanted to share this tribute Carolyn wrote last evening. Xena's start was not a good one, but she was given a long life of love and adoration. This is Xena's story:

I got a call from an elderly lady who had said, "The gangbanger next door beat the dickens out of his pitbull puppy because she wouldn't fight. I went out with the broom and gave him a whupping like his momma should have done years ago!"

I asked if she called the police and she said, "Child, I live at 79th and Cottage Grove. The police ain’t coming out for a dog!"

I arranged to pick up the puppy in the morning and as I pulled up, I realized that this was not the North Shore. A couple little kids ran up to my car and said, "You’re the pitbull lady!" I was puzzled and asked how they knew. Giggling, they answered, "Because white people don't come around here." They grabbed my hands and led me into the building.

I walked in to see the most pitiful, beat up emaciated puppy laying on the couch with a teenage boy. She had a bandage over her eye… I realized after I took the bandage off that it was there to hold her eye in place. I quickly picked her up and carried her to the car. Off to the vet we went.

It was discovered that she had multiple old and new breaks in her shoulders, legs, ribs, and pelvis. She also had an electrical cord embedded under her skin. After some more x-rays, we discovered her muzzle was cracked and she had 3 spots on her head that were shattered. And she was only 4 months old.

Xena lived a long -- but not long enough -- life with multiple dogs around, kids going in and out all the time, and truly lived up to her name. She was the Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue mascot for years and accompanied me to every event to show off just how good pitbulls -- even abused ones -- can be. My fondest memories of her will be her sitting on a chair at the front of our booth waiting for people to pet her. As soon as they saw her eye and asked what happened, she turned to look at me as if it were my cue to tell the story.

She's always had difficulty walking but the last few months were the worst. She had a hard time getting up a couple of days ago and stopped eating yesterday. Thinking it was still her leg bothering her (especially with the change in weather) I wasn't too concerned. When I came home today and she just groaned when I rubbed her belly, I felt the distention and how cold her extremities were. Her gums were white and she had limited blood flow. She was bleeding internally from a mass on her spleen that ruptured.

Xena passed peacefully with her mom, Uncle Steve and friends Anna and Morgan with her this evening.

I just got home from the Cartier exhibit at the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor, where I discovered that Queen Elizabeth I wasn't the only little-known herp-lover in history.

Mexican movie star María Félix apparently had a thing for herps and jewelry, and Cartier was only too glad to create the pieces one of the most famously beautiful, exotic and eccentric women of the day designed.

Félix kept a number of exotic pets, including crocodiles, and it's said she brought a bowl of crocs to Cartier to help him design her crocodile necklace (shown above right) -- a story that's certainly not true, but lives on regardless.

The exhibit included the crocodile pieces as well as a snake necklace studded with the 2,473 diamonds (shown in the photo and the video below the jump). It took Cartier one year to make it.

Who knew the first Queen Elizabeth was a herper? From BBC news:

A mysterious image of a coiled snake has appeared in a 16th century painting of Queen Elizabeth I, the National Portrait Gallery has said.

The Tudor queen was depicted with the snake clasped in her fingers in an original version of the work, but it was replaced with a bunch of roses.

The paint has deteriorated over the years to reveal the serpent's outline.

The painting will go on display at the London gallery on 13 March for the first time since 1921.

It will form part of the Concealed and Revealed: The Changing Faces of Elizabeth I exhibition, which runs until 26 September.

A species of frog has been found alive in the New South Wales Southern Tablelands, more than 30 years after it was thought to have become extinct.

New South Wales Environment Minister Frank Sartor announced this morning the discovery of a population of yellow-spotted bell frogs.

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Wow... even with the shortened schedule because of the Tinley Park Summit, our 12th Annual Chat Month was jam packed with lots of talking goodness. Thanks to all who came and helped us kick off our streaming audio chats.

For those who couldn't make it, we did miss you, but here are the transcripts. Sit back, relax, and listen while you cruise the net or clean your cages. Much more fun than the usual reading, wouldn't you say? More are still coming, but I wanted to release these as soon as possible.

Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry interviewed by Cindy Steinle

The Rainbow Boa Panel with Dave Colling and Jeff Clark interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Terry Phillip interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Chad Brown interviewed by Cindy Steinle and Jeff Barringer

John Binns interviewed by Cindy Steinle

Julie Bergman interviewed by Cindy Steinle

As I said, more are still coming and get ready: everyone loved this so much we'll be making it a regular feature!

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There are lots of great pet photos in our Photo Gallery... and throughout the year, we'll be featuring the best of the best. So come upload yours... it's free.