You've heard of dog rescuers, cat rescuers, even fish and marine life.  But snakes? Well, most of you reptile enthusiasts know it to be true and so does Jody, a Northern California resident who's a former member of a team that performs snake rescues for the Wildlife Center in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.  

But don't call him merely a snake rescuer.  He's also a snake chaser! In fact, he finds more in the thrill of the chase then he does in the actual rescue.   While he's kept many over the years, he still enjoys learning about them, looking at them, and holding them in his hands more than he does bringing them to his home.

Jody's had plenty of adventures and he likes to feature them on his blog, NMHerps.  We also had the opportunity to chat him up for a special featured Q&A below.  Let's hear what Jody has to say about his latest escapades.  

How was the Santa Rosa Wilderness in the Colorado Desert? What kind of reptiles did you see there?

Palm Desert was a total bust. It was basically winter there last weekend [Editors Note: Jody went there in last month.] Night temps were in the 40s (F) with winds hitting 50 mph. I saw one Chuckwalla, a few Sceloporus and a Fringe-toed lizard. I got skunked on the snakes.

What is it about reptiles that appeals to you?

That's hard to say, but the very first time I saw one, when I was 8, I caught it, an Eastern garter snake. I've caught almost every snake I've encountered since, if it didn't manage to get away from me first. More than a few have.

If he wasn't married to his wife, perhaps Robby Robbins would be married to the snakes he find in the wild.  After all, searching for them, even when he doesn't get to keep them, is one of his favorite pastimes. 

"Unlike most field herpers, I am not on a biological scavenger hunt just trying to check off all of the species on a list.  Finding reptiles in the wild is a lot more personal to me.  It is like a link to my childhood," he says.

When Robby first began to keep snakes, he took on 6 of them, even when his wife never wanted snakes in the first place.  Still, she has bee ok with letting the others into their home.  While she even asked that his  original plan be only four, guess you can't keep a snake fanatic down. She gracefully accepted the rest. Of course, he loves his pet snakes, but he still continues to search for the rare ones when he can.