About Rob Carmichael

As a professional herpetologist, I oftentimes stare in amazement at the wonderful world of reptiles. My official title (job) is Curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center (I founded it in 1995) but in actuality, I’m just a steward of one of the most amazing collections of reptiles on earth. You can learn more about what I do at work by going to www.girconservation.com . My wildlife center features one of the largest public displays of rattlesnakes in addition to other venomous herps including mambas, cobras (the king cobra, my favorite), African vipers, and, the bushmaster. We also have many harmless species including many large constrictors (burms, etc.), monitors (croc monitor, black throats), many other lizard species, crocodilians (even a saltwater crocodile!), and turtles and tortoises. My facility is a combination of a zoo, nature center and museum all rolled into one. If you want to find more exciting information about my facility, go to:

You would think that after spending all day at “work” (I really can’t call this work because its my passion….but, it pays the bills and allows me to do something that I truly enjoy), that I would be pretty sick and tired of being around reptiles. Not so! My own home collection is quite impressive and has provided the impetus for putting this website together. My home collection features some serious breeding projects and right now, I am working with the following:

Black Headed Pythons, Aspidites melanocephalus
Eastern Indigo Snakes, Drymarchon couperi
Baron’s Racers, Phylodryas baroni
A couple of top secret projects in the making!

There’s still nothing more rewarding than seeing a baby snake or lizard hatch from an egg or born alive; it’s a thrill that never dulls with age. I keep and breed reptiles at home as a HOBBY….this means I do it for strictly fun and I enjoy giving away all of my breeding secrets to those who purchase animals from me. If I can sell enough to pay for the direct costs of maintaining a large home collection, then I’m a happy camper….and so is my very understanding wife! This year, I expect a variety of clutches to hatch and hope to have them on this website for sale. My animals reflect the top bloodlines in the world and I stand by my 100% guarantee on anything I sell. If you are not happy, I will make sure you are happy by listening to you and finding a solution. In my 20 years of serious breeding, I have only had one animal returned (and that animal is still in my collection).

As fun as working with reptiles is, nothing is more rewarding than being involved with conservation. Right now, I am focused on several projects including the eastern indigo snake, the eastern massasauga, and, the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard project. My most recent endeavor involves a radio telemetry project I am working on in conjunction with Dr. Michael Corn and wildlife biologist Gary Glowacki studying the western fox snake. I am passionate about conservation and finding ways to support these important projects. We can’t just talk the talk but we must walk the walk as well. If you are interested in supporting some of these projects go to TheGrassIsRattling.com and learn more!

When I am not working with reptiles, or, playing with reptiles, I spend a lot of time with my wife and daughters….nature hikes, bird/wildlife watching, camping, fishing, snow shoeing, rock climbing, sailing, kayaking/canoeing, snake hunting (of course!), falconry, taking my pooches for long walks (we have two wonderful rottweilers at home….best dogs in the world and a heck of a lot better than any commercial alarm system!), play squash and racquetball, golf, and just chill out at home with my family watching a flick or a game and sipping a nice glass of Shaffer wine (my favorite). Life is good!