Members Profile

Name:   Steve Gott       Age:  39

City:  Jacksonville    State:  FL

Regular job:  zookeeper (reptiles)

Email:   spgott@earthlink.net

Website:

Brief Life History:  Began keeping fish and small semi-aquatic herps like newts and clawed frogs as a child.  After a herpetology class in college, started keeping more herps, concentrating on turtles.  Began working professionally with herps in 1989 at Maymont Park Nature Center in home town of Richmond, VA and then spent nine years as reptile manager at Fin & Feather Pet Center.  From there worked as a commercial herpetoculturist for Rare Earth Inc., propagating several species but concentrating on Australian lizards, especially dwarf monitor lizards.  Worked part time at Three Lakes Nature Center and Aquarium while searching for a zoo job and in 2001, moved to Florida for position at Jacksonville Zoo.

Primary herp interests: Semi-aquatic and aquatic turtles from the Americas.  Also like to work with any other aquatic herps but collection is presently 100% turtles.  Currently attempting to build a breeding colony of spotted turtles. 

Why did you join the JHS and what do you want to get out of your membership?  Joined to meet other herp people as I am extremely shy and slow to make friends.  I still consider myself relatively new to town.  I hope to learn more about herps as I feel you can always stand to learn more and everyone can at one time or another be a good source of useful knowledge.  Even beginners can offer a fresh point of view that might change your thinking on a particular subject.

What has been your favorite JHS experience?  Because I work Saturdays, I have been unable to attend field trips and MVP so have done little more than attend meetings.  I have found many of the presentations to be extremely informative.  My favorite times with the JHS so far however have been the post meeting trips to Players. 

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