I vividly remember my first encounter with snakes. I was ten years old and a young boy was walking down the street with a box. I asked him what was inside and he replied snakes. Upon opening the box, my love of snakes unfolded simultaneously. There lie garters, dekays and red bellies crawling in a mass. This was the start of my love for snakes.

As with many parents, mine wouldn't allow me to keep snakes. Lizards, salamanders and mice were ok but not snakes. At 16 years old, somehow I did talk them into letting me get a baby boa constrictor. A few years later, after moving out on my own, I went to town and got the "fever." I purchased numerous species over a period of years, from corns to leucistic Texas rats to Turk Island boas to Burmese pythons, just to name a few. However through the array of snakes I owned, the one constant in my collection were garter snakes. I found garters to be extremely interesting. Their diurnal nature, inquisitiveness and color variability are what drew me to them. Currently working exclusively with garter snakes and working full-time jobs as well, this is a hobby for us. If you take a look at some of the unique morphs we have, I think you will be amazed at the diversity of garter snakes in general.