Meet Jim
Jim has been a passionate nature lover since childhood, and his knowledge is not limited to herpetology. While out in nature, most people are looking up and around, but Jim’s attention is usually rooted firmly on the ground. Jim learned to identify almost every North American mammal by observing their tracks and scat. Yes, Jim reads poop! Jim attended The Mountain School in Vermont where he lived, worked and studied on a rural organic farm. The work program at the farm was a total immersion in self-sufficiency and ecology. In the forestry program, Jim learned principles of forest ecology and succession. The outdoor program included a final exam like no other: Jim was required to spend almost a week alone in the nearby forests and mountains, given no provisions other than a tarp, a few bagels, and the clothes he was wearing. He drank from mountain streams and survived on insects and whatever else he could find in the forest.
Here’s a sampling of the experience and knowledge Jim brings to the programs:
- For the past several years, Jim has been performing shows for JG's Reptile Road Show where he honed his skills at delivering live, hands-on educational reptile shows. His extensive knowledge of nature allows him to put the reptiles in perspective of their larger role in the environment.
- Jim received his scuba certification and became the supervisor of the Stingray Bay exhibits at both the Milwaukee Zoo in Wisconsin and the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.
- He independently maintained the zoo’s 16,000 gallon marine environments where his duties included clipping the barbs of the stingrays and keeping the sharks and horseshoe crabs fed.
- Jim maintained two 9000 gallon aquariums at the Cabelas store in Hoffman Estates He worked in the children’s zoo at Brookfield Zoo, caring for the small mammals and reptiles.
- Jim graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2007 with a major in recreation administration with a minor in biology.
Jim has developed an impressive menagerie of reptiles, most of the hand raised from hatchlings. See the Gallery Page for a peak at his collection.
Meet Bill
Bill has read a countless amount of reptile books and has been taking care of reptiles the past 20+ years of his life. You can call Bill a self taught reptile expert. Not only does Bill have all these years under his belt of feeding, cleaning, handling, and taking care of all these different animals but he also has experience breeding black throat monitors and Ball Python‘s. Before joining JG’s Reptile Road Show Bill has been working as the assistant manager at a pet store in Des Plaines Illinois for 17 years. There he got experience with over 100 different species of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, and more. Bill is truly a one-of-a-kind addition to JG’s Reptile Road Show.
Meet the Whole Team
“Bills wife, Tabitha and my girlfriend, Sabrina complete this dream team of 4. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes, it would not be possible without their help! With animal cleaning, feeding, office work, and tagging along to a bunch of shows they complete this JG’s Reptile Road Show team of four.”
Learn More, Laugh More
These creatures are some of the most misunderstood and feared animals on earth. My show sets out to dispell your fears and share the love of all creatures and help you to understand their role in nature. All accomplished in a highly entertaining and often comical fashion.
