My name is Steven Krause, and I am a herpetology nut . As of yet I have not heard of any rehabilitation centers that might
help with this addiction. There is no "Herps Anonymous" that I am aware of...and so I rejoice!
Humboldtherps was an idea that pipped from the shell about five years ago shortly after my family moved to Humboldt
County. At that time we had in our keeping one classic corn snake by the name of Snakie (not too original, but that was his
given name when we adopted him...snakes are deaf anyway!). In late 2001 we adopted an amelanistic corn named Jory
and housed her with Snakie. In the spring of 2002 we hatched our first baby corns, only three, but that was the beginning of
things to come. I, with the loving support of my wife Kim, dove headfirst into the fascinating realm of snake breeding.
Spending countless hours researching corn snake genetics via the internet, local pet stores, and books, books, and more
books, I thought to myself, "Wow! Wouldn't it be neat to start a website of my own!"
Unfortunately, that idea did not materialize for quite some time. First, I am somewhat computer-phobic, and wasn't ready to
embrace website design. Second, it wasn't long before I learned that breeding and selling corn snakes, the initial focus of
the website, wasn't the lucrative endeavor I thought it might be. I've met a number of disappointed breeders. A small
collection of snakes, limited space, expenditures for cages, substrate, food, and electricity all amounted to a rather lofty pipe
dream. Also, I soon realized that my interests in the field of herpetology were not to be limited by just one species.
Corn snakes are beautiful snakes; they come in over one hundred different color morphs or patterns; and they are easy to
keep. They are however overly abundant, sometimes called "the goldfish of the snake trade". There are hundreds of
commercial corn breeders, and many these days are interested in high volume sales not caring for the overall integrity of
the snakes' well-being. Young adults are bred too early yielding smaller offspring. Recessive mutations are overly inbred
causing health and behavioral defects. Ignorance of simple genetics has intermixed unique traits and polluted the original
strains, thus making the genetics muddled and difficult to predict.
Realizing that I didn't need a website to sell corn snakes, my idea slithered back into one of those dark crevices you can't
quite get your hand into. I did however continue to breed my corns in 2003, 2005, and 2006 with varying, yet always
fascinating results, and I continue to do so. I barter with local pet stores (low volume), and since I breed my own mice, I
trade the excess of those as well. I am happy to say we have a financially self-sustaining hobby (...except for the occasional
electrical spike!).
I have to say "we" for my wife has become quite enamoured with our slithery friends and is actively involved in their upkeep.
Kim loves to come with me on herp hikes, and I have to say she often spots the critters before I do. We scan differently.
How romantic! Currently, Kim helps me out with 10 corn snakes, 3 kingsnakes, 2 black rat snakes, and one gopher snake.
At any given time we might have between 40 and 100 mice (mouse propagation is an adventure all its own!). Kim has a
pink-toe tarantula named Heidi.
Our 16 year old daughter Kajdien is tolerant...
And we have a fish tank...
And a cat...
help with this addiction. There is no "Herps Anonymous" that I am aware of...and so I rejoice!
Humboldtherps was an idea that pipped from the shell about five years ago shortly after my family moved to Humboldt
County. At that time we had in our keeping one classic corn snake by the name of Snakie (not too original, but that was his
given name when we adopted him...snakes are deaf anyway!). In late 2001 we adopted an amelanistic corn named Jory
and housed her with Snakie. In the spring of 2002 we hatched our first baby corns, only three, but that was the beginning of
things to come. I, with the loving support of my wife Kim, dove headfirst into the fascinating realm of snake breeding.
Spending countless hours researching corn snake genetics via the internet, local pet stores, and books, books, and more
books, I thought to myself, "Wow! Wouldn't it be neat to start a website of my own!"
Unfortunately, that idea did not materialize for quite some time. First, I am somewhat computer-phobic, and wasn't ready to
embrace website design. Second, it wasn't long before I learned that breeding and selling corn snakes, the initial focus of
the website, wasn't the lucrative endeavor I thought it might be. I've met a number of disappointed breeders. A small
collection of snakes, limited space, expenditures for cages, substrate, food, and electricity all amounted to a rather lofty pipe
dream. Also, I soon realized that my interests in the field of herpetology were not to be limited by just one species.
Corn snakes are beautiful snakes; they come in over one hundred different color morphs or patterns; and they are easy to
keep. They are however overly abundant, sometimes called "the goldfish of the snake trade". There are hundreds of
commercial corn breeders, and many these days are interested in high volume sales not caring for the overall integrity of
the snakes' well-being. Young adults are bred too early yielding smaller offspring. Recessive mutations are overly inbred
causing health and behavioral defects. Ignorance of simple genetics has intermixed unique traits and polluted the original
strains, thus making the genetics muddled and difficult to predict.
Realizing that I didn't need a website to sell corn snakes, my idea slithered back into one of those dark crevices you can't
quite get your hand into. I did however continue to breed my corns in 2003, 2005, and 2006 with varying, yet always
fascinating results, and I continue to do so. I barter with local pet stores (low volume), and since I breed my own mice, I
trade the excess of those as well. I am happy to say we have a financially self-sustaining hobby (...except for the occasional
electrical spike!).
I have to say "we" for my wife has become quite enamoured with our slithery friends and is actively involved in their upkeep.
Kim loves to come with me on herp hikes, and I have to say she often spots the critters before I do. We scan differently.
How romantic! Currently, Kim helps me out with 10 corn snakes, 3 kingsnakes, 2 black rat snakes, and one gopher snake.
At any given time we might have between 40 and 100 mice (mouse propagation is an adventure all its own!). Kim has a
pink-toe tarantula named Heidi.
Our 16 year old daughter Kajdien is tolerant...
And we have a fish tank...
And a cat...
HumboldtHerps.com
About Steve
We've been living in Eureka, CA for over five years now. It's location affords us countless herp excursions in every direction
but west (water's too cold for sea snakes and sea turtles!). When I'm not working as a waiter at the Ingomar Club, and my
wife isn't swamped with her Dickies clothing website, and there's no school for our daughter, we will often hit the trails.
Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties offer an abundance of unique environments for the avid herper to enjoy
- beaches, marshes, redwood forests, grasslands, serpentine bogs, alpine meadows and lakes, and rivers and streams
galore!
Wanting to keep records of these adventures I've become quite interested in photography. And I've begun to take notes as
well, documenting individual species - where, when, and how many found. Kim has taken quite an interest in entymology.
Kajdien spends a lot of time wondering when the trail is going to end.
More recently I've come to understand that the trail has only begun.
but west (water's too cold for sea snakes and sea turtles!). When I'm not working as a waiter at the Ingomar Club, and my
wife isn't swamped with her Dickies clothing website, and there's no school for our daughter, we will often hit the trails.
Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties offer an abundance of unique environments for the avid herper to enjoy
- beaches, marshes, redwood forests, grasslands, serpentine bogs, alpine meadows and lakes, and rivers and streams
galore!
Wanting to keep records of these adventures I've become quite interested in photography. And I've begun to take notes as
well, documenting individual species - where, when, and how many found. Kim has taken quite an interest in entymology.
Kajdien spends a lot of time wondering when the trail is going to end.
More recently I've come to understand that the trail has only begun.
Summer of 2006 here in the Northwest offered some incredible opportunities for wildlife discovery, and it reignited the
spark that was needed to reawaken my idea for a website. Establishing the goal of the site was to be the first challenge.
I am an amateur herpetologist, but consider myself to be well-versed in the general field. I specialize in snakes, but don't
dare try and hold me back if I spot a frog, salamander, or a lizard!
I grew up in the northern suburbs of San Diego (Rancho Penasquitos). I spent a good portion of my childhood chasing
snakes and lizards in the fields and canyons behind our house, and I occasionally still do. Back in the mid-seventies this
area still had cattle and barb-wired pastures. Coyotes, bobcats, jackrabbits and cottontails, ground squirrels, and a variety
of small rodents; golden eagles, great horned owls, hawks, kites, and roadrunners; and of course ...red diamond and SW
Pacific rattlers, CA kings, San Diego gophers, San Diego ringnecks, garters, San Diego coast horned lizards, western and
Gilbert's skinks, blue-bellies and side-blotched lizards, slender salamanders, chorus frogs and western toads... All of
these could be seen on a regular basis. Today, "my canyon" is completely surrounded by suburbia and Interstate 15. The
cattle pastures are gone. The creek across the freeway where we used to look for crayfish has been enveloped by track
housing and has been turned into one of those sterile nature jogging paths complete with posted exercise instructions. We
haven't seen a jackrabbit or a bobcat in over 25 years. Eagles, owls, kites, and roadrunners are rare. Gone are the horned
lizards, the Gilberts, the red diamonds, the garters, most of the frogs and toads. Even tarantulas have become scarce.
During my last trip to San Diego (Feb, 2007) all this got me thinking "I'm sure someone's noticing these reductions." This is
true of course. Several organizations are documenting these trends for species decline and trying to address the problem.
Funding for these projects is often an issue. Most of the research occurs on outlying borders of the communities where
wild land still exists. Little thought is given to the last vestiges that have become islands between housing developments.
Long term forecasts might surmise that the species that live in these micro-niches are doomed to inbreeding or becoming
roadkill.
So I asked myself, "Who's interested in MY field notes and photographs?" I don't have a degree in wildlife management.
I'm not a statistician. But how many amateur herpetologists are out there doing this just for fun? I'm sure I'm not alone
here!
Suddenly everything became clear. HumboldtHerps' goal would be to educate. My computer whiz Kim gave me a kick in
the butt, and here I am learning to build a site. What a tedious time suck! I am enjoying every minute of it! It really satisfies
my obsessive compulsiveness. Kim's calling it my new mistress (the old one was my succulent garden!).
We invite you to share our findings with other like-minded souls. Please feel free to download any pictures you like, but if
you decide to use them please give credit where it is due. Most of the photographs in the NATIVES index, unless otherwise
specified, are property of Steven Krause. There is a Photo Contributions page where we post referenced pictures sent to
us by the public. I also post referenced photos from fellow herpers, which I use to represent specimens on the species or
sightings pages.
We hope our website will inspire you to get out there and see the herpetological wonders of California's Northwest. We
hope our notes might spark some interest from the professionals. For the amateur enthusiasts in the local area and
abroad, we invite your feedback, for we would love to become the hub for a herpetological network in the area. Since we
still breed snakes we will include information on that topic as well. And we'll still be visiting "my canyon" down in San Diego
(at least until the bulldozers come...).
HAPPY HERPING!
Sincerely,
Steven, Kim, and Kajdien Krause
March 3, 2007 [Edited 09/08/07]
Eureka, CA
NOTE! One month after this was written, I discovered that there was another local herpetological endeavor under the
same name. This was and is the current message board for HumboldtHerps. I supplanted my home page with the HCHS
home page and renamed my page as the NATIVES index. HumboldtHerps is now an informational hub for both natives
and exotics. Combining our efforts we have aspired to become a herp society that is well-received by the community.
spark that was needed to reawaken my idea for a website. Establishing the goal of the site was to be the first challenge.
I am an amateur herpetologist, but consider myself to be well-versed in the general field. I specialize in snakes, but don't
dare try and hold me back if I spot a frog, salamander, or a lizard!
I grew up in the northern suburbs of San Diego (Rancho Penasquitos). I spent a good portion of my childhood chasing
snakes and lizards in the fields and canyons behind our house, and I occasionally still do. Back in the mid-seventies this
area still had cattle and barb-wired pastures. Coyotes, bobcats, jackrabbits and cottontails, ground squirrels, and a variety
of small rodents; golden eagles, great horned owls, hawks, kites, and roadrunners; and of course ...red diamond and SW
Pacific rattlers, CA kings, San Diego gophers, San Diego ringnecks, garters, San Diego coast horned lizards, western and
Gilbert's skinks, blue-bellies and side-blotched lizards, slender salamanders, chorus frogs and western toads... All of
these could be seen on a regular basis. Today, "my canyon" is completely surrounded by suburbia and Interstate 15. The
cattle pastures are gone. The creek across the freeway where we used to look for crayfish has been enveloped by track
housing and has been turned into one of those sterile nature jogging paths complete with posted exercise instructions. We
haven't seen a jackrabbit or a bobcat in over 25 years. Eagles, owls, kites, and roadrunners are rare. Gone are the horned
lizards, the Gilberts, the red diamonds, the garters, most of the frogs and toads. Even tarantulas have become scarce.
During my last trip to San Diego (Feb, 2007) all this got me thinking "I'm sure someone's noticing these reductions." This is
true of course. Several organizations are documenting these trends for species decline and trying to address the problem.
Funding for these projects is often an issue. Most of the research occurs on outlying borders of the communities where
wild land still exists. Little thought is given to the last vestiges that have become islands between housing developments.
Long term forecasts might surmise that the species that live in these micro-niches are doomed to inbreeding or becoming
roadkill.
So I asked myself, "Who's interested in MY field notes and photographs?" I don't have a degree in wildlife management.
I'm not a statistician. But how many amateur herpetologists are out there doing this just for fun? I'm sure I'm not alone
here!
Suddenly everything became clear. HumboldtHerps' goal would be to educate. My computer whiz Kim gave me a kick in
the butt, and here I am learning to build a site. What a tedious time suck! I am enjoying every minute of it! It really satisfies
my obsessive compulsiveness. Kim's calling it my new mistress (the old one was my succulent garden!).
We invite you to share our findings with other like-minded souls. Please feel free to download any pictures you like, but if
you decide to use them please give credit where it is due. Most of the photographs in the NATIVES index, unless otherwise
specified, are property of Steven Krause. There is a Photo Contributions page where we post referenced pictures sent to
us by the public. I also post referenced photos from fellow herpers, which I use to represent specimens on the species or
sightings pages.
We hope our website will inspire you to get out there and see the herpetological wonders of California's Northwest. We
hope our notes might spark some interest from the professionals. For the amateur enthusiasts in the local area and
abroad, we invite your feedback, for we would love to become the hub for a herpetological network in the area. Since we
still breed snakes we will include information on that topic as well. And we'll still be visiting "my canyon" down in San Diego
(at least until the bulldozers come...).
HAPPY HERPING!
Sincerely,
Steven, Kim, and Kajdien Krause
March 3, 2007 [Edited 09/08/07]
Eureka, CA
NOTE! One month after this was written, I discovered that there was another local herpetological endeavor under the
same name. This was and is the current message board for HumboldtHerps. I supplanted my home page with the HCHS
home page and renamed my page as the NATIVES index. HumboldtHerps is now an informational hub for both natives
and exotics. Combining our efforts we have aspired to become a herp society that is well-received by the community.
