ABOUT us

Growing up I was always fascinated by reptiles. Like most reptile enthusiasts I started with a corn snake and bearded dragon. The older I became the more species of reptile I would keep. I grew increasingly invested in this incredibly diverse group of animals every day.

 

In 2006, while still at school I would buy my first Crested Gecko and it would change everything! I quickly began building a collection of crested geckos bit by bit in my bedroom. This species fascinated me! By 2008 I had started breeding them. The handful of terrariums in my bedroom quickly expanded into wall of glass, terrariums on top of terrariums, tubs on tubs inside of tubs. I was rapidly running out of space! With every baby that hatched valuable space was lost. It soon became clear I couldn't keep them all. I reached out to a friend who ran an exotic pet shop and struck a deal (I would later work at the shop for 8 years). Things were going well! In the years following I dabbled in gargoyle geckos but ultimately moved on, striving to refine my crested gecko projects. I would dream of producing something special, something more than your average gecko. I was focussed. Over the next few years I worked hard, establishing an incredible blonde pinstripe line that quickly garnered attention! By this point I had well and truly caught the bug and I needed more!

 

At 23 I moved in with my then girlfriend. We had a new place and more space for something a little bigger. Enter the Royal Python (ball python). Wow. Wow. Wow, were these guys special! The visual traits were easy to identify and map out, making specific projects a piece of cake! They were everything crested geckos were not (from a breeding perspective). My father caught wind of my projects and wanted in! We began expanding our stock together, starting small selecting only high quality, compatible multi-gene animals. Things were going great, we hit 5 genes by our second season! We were on a roll, and absolutely loving the journey! 

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I needed a break.

 

Another year on and my father became ill. Really ill. My life hit pause when his cancer was confirmed terminal. All breeding stopped and my priorities shifted. In the months that followed we were forced to thin out our collection, to reduce the workload. With the help of some wonderful friends in the hobby we quickly found loving homes for everything. We kept our favourites, as many as we could but now as pets. It was a tough few years. Eventually my father passed, shortly after turning 50. No one wants to lose a parent, particularly not when they were still young. Life is so very cruel! That once burning ambition for breeding reptiles was now overshadowed by a gigantic cloud of grief.

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the road to return.

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By 2017 the sky began to clear, and gradually our life returned to its now new normal. I was finally ready to start building again! With almost impeccable timing, Lilly Exotics went public with their new Lilly white project. I HAD TO HAVE ONE! I dropped them a line, exchanged a few catch up emails and waited patiently until offspring were ready. The moment I received my animals, opened the box and saw the incredible Lilly white everything fell back into place. That was it, we were back!

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Fast forward to 2021 and I've managed to endure the pandemic. I'm still building our stock back up (does it ever stop?), but we are now working on some exceptional Lilly White, Pinstripe, Quad Stripe and Blonde projects! I've really appreciated everyones support over the years, it's incredible to be part of this wonderful community. 

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I keep a variety of other reptiles (large and small) but my true passion lies in Crested Geckos.

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Thanks for reading,

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