Chris Semmens

I have been keeping and breeding reptiles for the best part of 10 years. I started off my hobby with a single Stimson Python, since then my collection has grown to include Bredls Pythons, several species of gecko and at one stage i was keeping Death Adders to the dismay of my partner. My favourite species i keep is the Northern Spiney Tail Gecko (Strophurus ciliaris ciliaris), the colours and unique features of this species are truly amazing and i never get sick of looking at them, My goal is to produce hypermelanistic (lots of black colouring) animals of this species which hasn`t been done before to the best of my knowledge.

Naturally keeping reptiles gave me the urge to produce pictures of these stunning animals for others to enjoy. I eventually purchased a camera and after several upgrades from point and shoot i am currently using a Canon 500d but It wont be long before i want to upgrade again, My lens of choice for most of my animal images is the Canon 100mm F2.8 macro lens.

Another interest of mine is collecting Carnivorous Plants from all over the world. I currently have several species of Hanging Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes), American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia), Sundews (Drosera) and Venus Fly Traps (Dionaea muscipula). My favourite species which i am yet to aquire is Nepenthes hamata
and Nepenthes edwardsiana with thier amazing teeth like peristome.

Other hobbies and interests of mine include Bushwalking, Fishing, Kayaking and Home Brew Beer.

www.ausgecko.com

Cheers,
Chris