I used to live in Liverpool, Syracuse! I would go there all the time!
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That’s so crazy! I live like an hour away from Liverpool!
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In my youth, I worked at a Boy Scout camp in CT. One of my “jobs” was to retrieve the copperheads that would show up weekly in one place or another. We had a 10’ long display case for them. When the summer was over, and most staff gone, I’d take ‘em deep in the woods and disperse them in several locations. Did that from age 15-17.
They are beautiful snakes. But, today, I prefer looking at them from afar. Not sure if my spine has shrunk or my brain expanded…
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Young dwarf retic. Jampaea I think it was. Such a high scale count on that snake made it’s skin feel as fine as cashmere.
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What reptiles did you find in the USSR.
I was young and I don’t think I ever was told what species the frogs were. I don’t remember there being a ton of herps around Moscow, but it’s been over 30 years, hehe. 
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Not the first snake I held but the one I remember most is I was 8 years old and my classroom had a presenter/educator? come down from the local wildlife center with some animals we could observe and some we could handle to discuss local wildlife and conservation.
If I recall correctly they brought a juvenile bobcat, a box turtle, an owl, and a few other random things… but the one I remember most was this beautiful indigo snake that must’ve been 8 feet long and was absolutely MASSIVE to third grade me. (Gotta love the 80s I don’t think that would fly today) lol. (Too many claws and teeth)
Still remember the sheen in its scales and the calm nonchalant manner it had in the classroom with all the kids. A few of us were allowed to touch it (or hold it) and I was one of the few that volunteered to do so.
It was like something clicked in my head that day observing that calm curiosity and unbothered demeanor of that snake. I knew I wanted to do something with animals, reptiles in particular when I was older.
Still got an indigo snake on my bucket list over 3 decades later. But it’s something I’ve never forgotten and it has definitely gotten me into and kept me into this hobby.
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my ball python Wyrm, shes super calm and will usually just sit in my hood while i do stuff
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