poll-what kind of keeper are YOU?

I'm thinking I just got into the Intermediate Hobbyist stage myself, any further advancement into the Advanced category having to be cut short due to starting college.
I've definitely got this leopard gecko care thing down! And I'm working on mastering breeding them (only hatched 2 so far). but, again, having to put it on hold due to college (hello poor and penniless, lol).
I think I'll feel really accomplished when I get this ball python thing figured out, that's my next clear cut goal, to have an accomplished BP breeding and raise some healthy babies.

What I wish is that I could find a larger breeding or professional to kind of apprentice under or just help out with for a while (anyone in Savannah, GA want to put me to work?) mainly so I can soak up what knowledge they have and get more experience working with other species.

And I'd love to learn more about field herping :) that's a glorious combination of my two favorite things, reptiles and the outdoors.

I would say I may have crossed the line to intermediate hobbyist recently. I feel more confident and like I have alot more knowledge.


Still there's alot more I need to know especially when it comes to heating large snake cages, for instance how do people without heated snake rooms keep Carpet Pythons, Blood Pythons and Boas at the right temp in say a 70 degree room? I have ideas but no practical experience currently a closed air rack is saving my butt with my BP's. But you can't put everything in those racks. Carpets gotta climb and Bloods and Many boas are to big.

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Originally Posted by MissLeMew

4.2 ball pythons, an iguana(male) and I'm working on getting a macaw, because I miss keeping birds.

I said intermediate hobbiest, because I work with the snakes at my job, and I have a handful of bp's.

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OMG I ABSOLOUTLY LOVE MACAWS!!! what type are you thinking about getting??? right now i have a BCC (blue crowned conure):D

I chose "intermediate hobbyist"

I have about 20 snakes, and a dozen lizards.. I breed, but don't have anything SUPER fancy.

I guess I would think advanced hobbyist would be someone that sinks a lot of money into it, has more fancy morphs, etc

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Originally Posted by Miss Tuniwha

I guess I would think advanced hobbyist would be someone that sinks a lot of money into it, has more fancy morphs, etc

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Ok, now I feel the need to put in my 2 cents to what an advanced keeper is. I'm just using your words as the quote, Brandi, but it's not directed at you. I feel a lot of people put the value of someones collection and the coolness of their BP morphs into consideration when thinking about what an advanced keeper is but I think that's about backward of what one is.

IMHO, an advanced keeper is one who has mastered all the tools of being an intermediate keeper and takes it to the next level. You cannot become an advanced keeper by spending money, or even by breeding BP's for the next 100 years, this might make you a BP god, but not an advanced keeper.

An advanced keeper is one with experience with a wide range of herps. They are people who have worked past the caresheets and books. They are people who are ready to work with new species who's care cannot be found by googling it. They use their wide range of knowledge and previous experience with other species in order to add greater understanding to animals that previously have not thrived in captivity.

Too many people put stock in what someones BP collection is like when they think about what level someone is on. That's not where it lies. You can keep and breed 300 BP's in cb70 racks for the next 50 years, but unless you take the plunge into transferring your experience into advancing herpetoculture, you are not an advanced keeper. You're just following someone else's recipe to keeping and breeding the species.

when you list your pets what does 0.0.1 mean?

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Originally Posted by tsdsbd

so what kind of keeper are you? novice hobbiest, intermediate hobbiest, advanced hobbiest, novice professional, intermediate professional, advanced professional.

hobbiest - not trying to make a living off of it (small breeding projects included, not a bussiness though)

professional - make a living off of it, or are trying too.

and i would also like for people chime in on what they think a novice intermediate and advanced keeper is?

what would you consider me, i personally consider myself intermediate, i have owned 4 snakes, different species, and am very educated in each of the species (do tons of research on them) and a general knowledge of snakes and floridas snakes especially.

also please post your animal count and so on and so forth.

HAVE FUN!!!!

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I like to think of myself as PRO... no matter what the situation.... lol.

Seriously though. I would consider myself to be a novice professional. I've had several successful clutches, I just haven't hit the very high end yet. So at best... intermediate professional, but I'll stick with novice professional. I have 37 snakes (1 burm, rest are balls) and I also breed and sell rats. I have about 500-600 breeder rats at the moment.

I would say advanced NOVICE keeper :) I've been keeping since 2007.
I have a BP, a BCA, and a BRB. I haven't had a single problem I can recall, other than some picky eating behaviors. I've never attempted breeding. I do my homework, but haven't had enough experiences that would take me to the next level. I've never even been field herping, except accidentally. I do go to shows but don't participate in any clubs. I hit a few forums but generally don't consider myself qualified to give advice other than offer my limited experiences.

I'm an advanced freshwater fish hobbyist though!

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Originally Posted by garweft

Ok, now I feel the need to put in my 2 cents to what an advanced keeper is. I'm just using your words as the quote, Brandi, but it's not directed at you. I feel a lot of people put the value of someones collection and the coolness of their BP morphs into consideration when thinking about what an advanced keeper is but I think that's about backward of what one is.

IMHO, an advanced keeper is one who has mastered all the tools of being an intermediate keeper and takes it to the next level. You cannot become an advanced keeper by spending money, or even by breeding BP's for the next 100 years, this might make you a BP god, but not an advanced keeper.

An advanced keeper is one with experience with a wide range of herps. They are people who have worked past the caresheets and books. They are people who are ready to work with new species who's care cannot be found by googling it. They use their wide range of knowledge and previous experience with other species in order to add greater understanding to animals that previously have not thrived in captivity.

Too many people put stock in what someones BP collection is like when they think about what level someone is on. That's not where it lies. You can keep and breed 300 BP's in cb70 racks for the next 50 years, but unless you take the plunge into transferring your experience into advancing herpetoculture, you are not an advanced keeper. You're just following someone else's recipe to keeping and breeding the species.

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hrm.. I do understand .. it is an odd line that divides the categories.. hrmm.. *ponders*

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Originally Posted by Eileithyia's keeper

when you list your pets what does 0.0.1 mean?

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male.female.unknown..

so 0.0.1 would mean they have 1 snake, but they don't know the gender of it..


2.1 would be 2 males, 1 female.. you will usually see it listed like this, with just the 2 placings..