pipemakersforum.com

Real Name: Ryan Alden
Age: 36
Location: Edgewood Texas
Years a Pipesmoker: 18
How I got into Pipemaking: I had a load of fun restoring stinky nasty old estate pipes. I figured if that was enjoyable, I'd really have fun making them.
Other Interesting Facts: My home is named "Oak Knoll", it's no Graceland or Monticello, but good enough. I live with my wife, 2 dogs, 6 cats, 3 snakes, 10 lizards, 5 turtles. I used to collect Rattlesnakes for venom extraction. I owned a business selling rare reptiles. I drove trucks for 7 years. I like old Music and Ancient History. I am much smarter and far dumber than you might think.

Welcome

What's the rarest reptile you ever owned/sold?

I'd love to own a Fiji banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) or even better a thorny devil (Moloch horridus) but that's not really an option For now I'm sticking to a Bearded dragon, a small housegecko and a southern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta dorsalis).

Massis wrote:Welcome

What's the rarest reptile you ever owned/sold?

I'd love to own a Fiji banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) or even better a thorny devil (Moloch horridus) but that's not really an option For now I'm sticking to a Bearded dragon, a small housegecko and a southern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta dorsalis).

Agreed on both counts, Moloch Horridus always fascinated me. Most of the rare stuff 15 years ago is fairly common, or at least available today. Personally I was really into Southeast Asian tropical Agamids. Gonocephalus and Acanthosaura, back when they were impossible to find (at least the subspecies). Some of the rare stuff then was Hydrosaurus (sailfins) that had never been bred yet, Shinisaurus (crocodile Lizards) that were next to impossible to get but everyone seems to have now, Tribolonotus were hard to find, Leaf Tailed Geckos were just coming in, a lot of different Dracos (flying dragons).
What I keep these days are just common critters, Ball Python, Blue Tongue Skink kind of stuff. The rare stuff I used to keep went to breeders.

Shinisaurus is an amazing species as well! Might get one someday, when I've got room for 'em...

I always knew there was something I liked about you, Ryan.

I used to keep Copperheads and Timber Rattlers in my garage.

When I was 15.