Dennis Cathcart is a well-known naturalist and author, herpetologist, and botanist. Born in 1948, he grew up in Davie, Florida, where life in the Everglades inspired his passion for natural history. His explorations in the West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America, and 39 countries around the world discovered many new species. He is the founder of exotic plant nursery Tropiflora, in Sarasota. An accomplished photographer, his work appears in magazines and books. Dennis is dedicated to preserving the stories of captivating individuals he has met and to documenting the echoes of a vanishing wild world and way of life. Author Website: denniscathcart.com
Long ago I met Dennis Cathcart by accident, literally and figuratively. He and a friend saw me and a friend get into a serious auto accident deep in the Florida Everglades. We began sharing life adventures involving reptiles almost immediately. Dennis had many real-life experiences in the West Indies by the time I met him. His storytelling captivated me just as his book will captivate you. Dennis was an early mentor at the time without knowing it. If you want a book to take you from weird, to almost unbelievable life adventures, this is the book for you. I'm in more than one of those surreal adventures myself! - Tom Crutchfield, Homestead, Florida, Tom Crutchfield - A Life Lived Among Venomous Snakes & Dangerous Reptiles Mr. Cathcart's honest portrayal of my father, his work and what it meant to not only Costa Rica, but the region, is excellent. While I was not alive during that time and only had my father with me for a short time after that, what I read gave me a greater understanding of a man, who even with his faults, made the world a better place while with us. I will always be grateful to Mr. Cathcart for sharing his experiences. - Lt. Col. Herschel H. Flowers Jr., US Army CBRN School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri The author, Dennis Cathcart, has done a magnificent job with this book, sharing his lifetime of passion and drive for adventure. It is sure to bring enjoyment and excitement to every reptile enthusiast from amateur hobbyists to professionals alike. A walk back in time, starting in the epic days when South Florida was the center of the exotic reptile trade. Then it's on to adventures in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and beyond, detailing history-making events. The book is just plain enjoyable. - Jack Facente, AGRITOXINS Venom Lab, St. Cloud, Florida. Board Member, King Cobra Conservancy https: //www.thekingcobra.org/ A pleasant walk down memory lane. When Dennis and I became friends, we formed a bond over a shared interest in collecting and studying reptiles. This went on for many years. Our travels together led us through most of the Caribbean, Mexico, Haiti and Florida...and some of the best times of my life. It's a great read. - Ed Chapman, Reptile Research Support, Inc., Homestead, Florida Meeting Dennis at the World Bromeliad Conference in 1994, I appreciated his abundant knowledge and sincerity; fortunately, we became good friends. Having enjoyed his writing style in his quarterly Cargo Report, my thought was always that a book of his adventures would be a super read-and it is! - Stephen Littlefield, Underhill Studio: https: //www.stephenlittlefield.com/