It started innocently enough for Mike Weitzman -- with a common garter snake. It was the only snake his mother allowed him to keep because it didn't feed on rodents. But she soon offered him a deal: if he could catch a rodent-eating snake, he could keep it. Two weeks later, Weitzman was the proud owner of Edgar, a gopher snake that had wandered into his driveway. 21 years later, Weitzman is professional snake breeder and the proud owner of Basically Boas in Victorville.

Along with thousands of other self-professed "herps" -- breeders, professional herpetologists (those who study reptiles) and casual reptile lovers -- Weitzman will head to Anaheim this weekend for the North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show. This two-day celebration of our cold-blooded friends features hundreds of species from frilled lizards and common geckos to (more...)