Presentation at Edinburgh Elementary School, Montréal, QC. Photo courtesy of Brian Turgeon. Spring 2007.

I've held an interest in animals for as long as I can remember, but when I was nine I discovered reptiles and amphibians to be the most intriguing. Of course, I wanted to be a paleontologist at first. I'm proud to boast that I was interested in dinosaurs before the 1992 release of the Jurassic Park movie (it's still one of my favourites, though). I think I was the biggest nerd in first grade when it came to dinosaur trivia. I remember scouring local parks and fields for fossils (I still have the collection to prove it), but always finding toads, snakes, and other garden creatures, as well. For my tenth birthday I received my first exotic herps: two Gekko ulikovvski (Golden Geckos). I decided that living herps were what I wanted to work with. Since then, I've kept around 25 different species of reptile and amphibian. From some of my own mistakes as a child, I realize that there are so many people purchasing exotic animals knowing nothing of its captive care or natural history, which are essential to keeping these animals humanely. I firmly believe that if you are to take on the responsibility of caring for a life, whether it is a child or a companion animal, that responsibility should be taken seriously. I started a website way back in 1997, featuring my pets, their antics and how I kept them. Over the years, it has evolved into a serious information resource. This website concentrates on herps that I have had experience with as well as general herp care topics and some medical issues. I hope that this resource will offer some help to those who seek it.

My name is Christina Miller, and I live near Montréal, Québec, Canada. I am a graduate of Vanier College's Animal Health Technology program, and I work as a veterinary technician. As a vet tech student, I was (and still am) particularly interested in behavioural problems and nutrition in captive herps. I am currently studying for a bachelor's in Applied Zoology in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University (Montréal, QC). My prime interests in the natural sciences are herpetology (quite obviously!), ethology and evolutionary biology. Once I have finished my bachelor's, I would love to continue my studies in veterinary medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (Guelph University).

I was one of the organizers for the 2007 Expo Conference for Exotic Companions (L'Expo congrès des compagnons exotiques), a hybrid exposition and conference that aimed to educate the public about proper and responsible pet care. It was a non-profit event sponsored by Rolf C. Hagen Company, and Hagen made a large donation to PIJAC Canada to support propagation of good practices in pet stores. My part in the exposition mainly included developing care standards for reptiles, amphibians and small mammals at the show, and present some conferences. Unfortunately, our budget was cut, so it was a one-time event.

I am passionate about teaching and generally love talking about these animals, I return to Vanier College (Ville St-Laurent, QC) to give guest lectures in Exotic Animal Care and Basic Animal Care on, you guessed it, herps (course notes are available here). I occasionally do educational presentations for schools, daycares and Girl Guide groups, to expose local youth to the not-so-nastiness of reptiles and amphibians.

I have also written for various resources outside of my website. My publications include:

• Coping with Iguana Stress. 2005. Reptile Care. 2(6): 46-47 (Nov/Dec 2005).
• The Curious Case of the Aggressive Corn. 2006. Reptile Care. 3(1): 41-42 (Jan/Feb 2006).
• Geckobia Mites. 2006. Chit-Chat: Newsletter of the Global Gecko Association. No. 17. Global Gecko Association.
• GGA Cares For... Gekko ulikovskii. 2006. Chit-Chat: Newsletter of the Global Gecko Association. No. 17. Global Gecko Association.
• Understanding Inter-Anole Aggression. 2006. Reptile Care. 3(2): 38-39 (Mar/Apr 2006).
• Parental Care in Amphibians. 2006. Reptile Care. 3(3): 38-39 (May/Jun 2006).
• What is your Iguana trying to say? 2006. Reptile Care. 3(4): 17-18 (Jul/Aug 2006).
• Veggies for Every Vivarium. 2006. Reptile Care. 3(5): 16-19 (Sept/Oct 2006).
• Explaining Ectotherms. 2006. REPTILES USA. 2007 annual. Veggies for Every Vivarium. 2006. Aquatic & Reptile Retailer. 1(5): 12-13.
• The Nutritional Aspects of Metabolic Bone Disease in the Green Iguana, Iguana iguana. 2006. Reptilia. No. 48. 77-80. (Also translated into Spanish, No. 10).
• Live Another Day. 2006. Reptile Care. 3(6): 22-23. (Nov/Dec 2006).
• An Introduction to Lizards. 2007. REPTILES USA. 2008 annual.

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Of course, I keep my fair share of scaly and slimy companion animals...

Big cage renovations recently... Updated photos coming soon!