just a few snakes.

[Sushigaijin]

haven't been able to get out of the house in a week (I work on the first floor, live on the second) but i have managed to play around a little bit, mostly at 2am. Here's a few pictures to keep myself from going nuts.


Here's a baby prarie kingsnake, Lampropeltis Calligaster, straight out of the egg (hatched tuesday). Once he has his first shed in a day or two, he will be a little more photogenic. Notice the shed pulling away from his new layer of skin, it looks almost like sharpening artifacts.


Here is the most uncooperative red milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum syspila. He just wouldn't give me a good portrait, regardless of how much i harrassed him. One dirty trick of the herp photographer is to put the animal in the refrigerator for a short time before photographing - i haven't gotten there yet with this one, but time will tell....



and here is a view down the snout of a bullsnake, pituophis melanoleucas sayi. The shields form amazing patterns, IMO. She's all piss and vinegar, seconds after this shot was taken i had to dodge a remarkably well-aimed strike at my face, which missed only because i almost fell backwords over myself.




Erik.

[paulnj]

Great images dispite the milksnake hiding. Do you breed herps for a living by any chance?

[Dylan8i]

these are great shots, i tried to take pics of my now ex-gf's brand new albine bananna cal king snake and it was very hard, maybe i'll post one that was ok.

interested if you breed them to, i'm going to get one as soon as i have money and a place to keep it (not my parents house- mom would have a fit) and i'm on campus so no pets.

[Sushigaijin]

thanks very much for the complements!!

I do keep and breed snakes and geckos, mostly stuff that i have found in the wild or taken in as adoptions; I vastly prefer taking pictures of them to actually keeping a great deal of them. At one time i had around 300, but my collection has dwindled to around 14 or 15 snakes and maybe 18-20 geckos. The stuff that i do keep are mostly not desirable for one reason or another, are fairly common, and have free room and board because they remind me of getting out and finding them where they live. I sit on the board of directors of the Chicago Herpetological Society (www.chicagoherp.org) in my spare time (yeah right) . To pay the bills, I am the sous chef of Volo restaurant, www.volorestaurant.com, and chef/owner of sushigaijin.com. Don't hesitate to ask if i can do anything for you, even just a nice meal while in chicago.

Erik.

[AmberC]

Very cool! I really like the last shot. It was worth almost killing yourself lol j/k Its a great shot tho. My dad had a rosy tail boa for a while. He was fun

Amber

[Loupey]

thanks very much for the complements!!

I do keep and breed snakes and geckos, mostly stuff that i have found in the wild or taken in as adoptions; I vastly prefer taking pictures of them to actually keeping a great deal of them. At one time i had around 300, but my collection has dwindled to around 14 or 15 snakes and maybe 18-20 geckos. The stuff that i do keep are mostly not desirable for one reason or another, are fairly common, and have free room and board because they remind me of getting out and finding them where they live. I sit on the board of directors of the Chicago Herpetological Society (www.chicagoherp.org) in my spare time (yeah right) . To pay the bills, I am the sous chef of Volo restaurant, www.volorestaurant.com, and chef/owner of sushigaijin.com. Don't hesitate to ask if i can do anything for you, even just a nice meal while in chicago.

Erik.

That's cool, Erik!

We go to Chicago fairly frequently with family and customers there. I will make a point to look you up for dining/catering.

[Copy_Kot]

That is cool! And, those pictures look like they belong in a herp book.... they are very good!