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About Mark
Mark's passion for reptiles began when he was 10 years old. When he was 19 he became licensed by the State of New York to keep crocodilians for education. With his first alligator Gonzo, he began Reptile Encounters, an educational presentation business at the age of 20.
For nearly 40 years Reptile Encounters has educated thousands of people on the biology and natural history of this amazing class of animals. Venomous snakes, large constrictors and, of course, crocodilians were always part of the presentations.
Mark also had a love for drawing the animals he worked with. With a knack for capturing details in his art and in 2023 he began donating art to CrocFest to help raise money for conservation of endangered crocodilians. This led to the start of the Crocodilian Conservation Project.
In 2024, Mark released his first book on Amazon, "Alligators and Crocodiles In Nature and In Art". The Croc Chat YouTube channel was added in February of 2025 to reach a broader audience.
In the future, the Crocodilian Conservation Project hopes to continue raising awareness through Croc Chat and outreach while using art and merchandise to raise money for conservation projects.
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