I have been interested in fishes, amphibians and reptiles since I was a child - with my first pet snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) in Kindergarten. It was promptly released after my parents bribed me with a hatchling Red-eared Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). The hobby expanded, my parents cringed. I do thank them for their patience.
Did a B.Sc. (general zoology) and M.Sc. (invasive species biology) at the University of Manitoba, and a PhD. (palaeoichthyology) at the University of Alberta - and my Dad said, "you'll never get a job with that degree."
Now I am employed as the Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, working on new fish range records in deep sea and coastal marine environments, and the biology of the Common Wall Lizard here in BC. I am a member of the Inter-Ministry Invasive Species Working Group (IMISWG) here in BC and kave a keen interest in the role of the pet trade as a source of invasive species.