Our Naturalists

Cameron was born in upstate New York, living in a small-town bordering Lake Ontario. For much of his early life he frequented neighboring rivers, fishing for salmon, and catching crawfish. Upon moving to Florida, he instantly discovered a passion for reptiles. Intrigued by the geckos’ nocturnal habits and the scarlet kingsnakes’ batesian mimicry, it didn’t take long for him to study most of the natural wildlife in Florida. His personal research only furthered his interest in reptiles, leading to his first pet purchase of a California kingsnake.

Since then, Cameron has owned several snakes, lizards, turtles, and amphibians. Discovering a specific liking for snakes, he researched job fields affiliated with his passion. Curiosity led him to toxicology and herpetology, specifically seeking to understand the workings of snake venom and how it affects the human body on a molecular level. Furthermore, his goal is to apply for a medical school and discover if there are compounds within venom that may be useful for medicinal purposes.

Cameron is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of West Florida. He has taken several steps towards a herpetology career such as volunteering at the Hurlburt Field base, working under two biologists cultivating breeding grounds for the endangered flatwoods salamander. He also travelled to Hawaii, living on farmlands for several months, exploring the exotic fauna of the island, as well as caring for the odd beehive. With animal care experience, a passion for all the worlds organisms, and an insatiable curiosity for the unknown, Cameron is an excellent fit for our Animal Tales and we are happy to have him on our team!