Lizards
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Southwestern Field Herping Association
The Associates
Noah Anderson
Noah is a Southern California native who has been fascinated with herpetology for as long as he can remember. Noah is a veterinary technician who has specialized in the care and treatment of exotic and small animals since the mid 1990's. Since acquiring his first pet snake as a very young boy, he has successfully kept and bred many exotic and native species of reptiles and amphibians. Noah is passionate about finding and observing herpetofauna in the wild, and equally as passionate about creating awareness for the need to conserve and protect these animals and their habitats. Noah lives in Gilbert Arizona with his wife Sara and his two children Hannah and Luke.
Todd Battey
Todd is a professional geologist, currently working for the State of California regulating the cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater at military bases. Beyond work, Todd has been involved in wildlife conservation efforts through citizen science projects associated with the North American Field Herpetology Association (NAFHA), Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and the Tejon Ranch Conservancy. He is an avid photographer of reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and other wildlife. He is also the author of smart phone apps for 1) California Rattlesnakes and 2) Southern California Reptiles and Amphibians. He currently lives in Rancho Cucamonga and works in Victorville. More information is available at toddbattey.com - Home
Steve Bledsoe
Steve is a native Californian who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and is now a resident of San Clemente, a small coastal community in south Orange County, California. Steve's father and grandfather taught him a love of the outdoors and nature at a very early age, and like many young boys, he acquired a curiosity towards reptiles and amphibians that he never outgrew. Throughout his adult life, Steve has always been interested in biology and zoology, but he has made a living as a machinist, design engineer and business owner. Steve is the initial founder of SWFHA and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Center of Herpetological Research (SWCHR).
Contact: steve@swfieldherp.com
Richard "Dick" Dunn
Dick also grew up in the San Gabriel Valley area of Southern California. Dick's early field adventures and experiences with imported exotic reptiles inspired him to seek a career in the commercial end of the herp experience. Among his many accomplishments as a herper and herptoculturist, Dick is best noted for his original design of the sliding top reptile tank, which today is the most copied design in the industry. Dick presently resides in Mesa, Arizona.
Jeff Nordland
Like most herpetologists we know, Jeff has been fascinated by herps since he was first able to lift a rock. He spent his school years playing sports and exploring the creeks, hills and canyons near home, and earned a BS in Biology from UC Davis in 1995, and an MBA from San Diego State University in 2004. Jeff is married and resides in San Diego, California with his wife and two boys, Trevor and Brady, where they maintain a small collection of friendly California native herps which they use for educational presentations. Jeff has been an active member and officer of the California Chapter of the North American Field Herping Association for many years, and has been working as a field herpetologist with groups such as the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy, the City of San Diego, and the US Geological Survey.
Rich Rang
Rich is an independent financial planner and a life-long reptile enthusiast who currently resides in Corona, California with his two boys Jared and Austin, who, much to Rich's delight, share his passion for reptiles. They spend much of their spare time field herping and taking care of their private collection. Rich and his sons are also actively involved in the captive breeding of several exotic reptile species featured here on their Zoo Rang web page. http://www.zoorang.net/
Nathan Smith
Nate is a lifelong Herpetologist with an MS in Biology and extensive field experience with the North American Field Herping Association, Institute for Conservation Research, United States Geological Survey Biology Department and SWFHA. His thesis explored the interactions of invasive bullfrogs with native and invasive wetland species. He has always loved herping with his best friend and brother, or with an out-of-town herper, or as a guide for a local school's field trip. Nate is known to many of his friends as “Nature Nate”, a nickname he acquired while running the naturalist program for a family camp on Catalina Island. Nate and his wife currently live in San Diego where they are raising their twin daughters born in 2021.