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Dr. Brad Lock has had a lifelong interest and passion for reptiles, especially snakes. He has been catching and keeping them since he was 5 years old. Currently, he owns seven emerald boas. He completed both his veterinary training and advanced training in Zoological Medicine at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine. He is one of approximately 200 veterinarians who is board certified in Zoological Medicine through the American College of Zoological Medicine. His main research interests involve reptiles with specific research in viral disease, behavior and establishing normal reference ranges for vitamin concentrations and bone density as it relates to vitamin D3 in wild and captive reptiles and amphibians. Dr. Lock’s conservation programs include Conservation Heloderma and Conservation Abronia in Guatemala; an eastern indigo raise-and-release program with Auburn University; and a raise-and-release program with diamond back terrapins with the Georgia sea turtle hospital. In these programs, baby reptiles born in captivity are raised there until they are large enough to be less likely to be eaten, and then released to the wild. Dr. Lock was the assistant curator and curator of herpetology at Zoo Atlanta for 12 years, and is a reptile consultant for the Veterinary Information Network.