About me and this website

My name is Bobby Bok and ever since I was a small boy I very much enjoyed standing knee-deep submerged in ditches in the Dutch polderlandscape, trying to catch frogs and tadpoles. I spend hours laying on my belly observing newts in the schoolpond and a walk with my parents through any given area was for me nothing more than an excursion looking for lizards. Also on holidays abroad I could never sit still and spent the days chasing reptiles.

I never lost my fascination for these animals and till this day my biggest passion remains traveling the globe and strolling through nature, searching for amphibians and reptiles. For a long time my goal has been to observe all the amphibian and reptile species living in Europe in the wild. I finally achieved this goal in 2017, according to the definition of Europe at that time. Since then, my horizons broadened and the chase continues. Within Europe, my love goes especially to the fossorial Midwife toads (Alytes), the highly variable Grass Snake (Natrix) and all urodeles and chameleons. The latter two species groups also explain my interest in Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa, although my biggest passion remains the Western Palearctic.

At the moment I am employed as a Biology Teacher at a Secondary School in Zaandam. I enjoy showing teenagers nature, her importance and all her beauty and I hope to pass on my enthusiasm, knowledge and passion to the next precious generation.

Where can you find these animals?

A question that is often asked and never answered. Specific site information will not be mentioned on the website, nor via email to discourage collectors or other people with the wrong intentions.

Why the name herpsafari?

Herpetofauna is the scientific name for crawling creatures, reptiles and amphibians that is. These animals are often just referred to as Herps. While on most safaris people set out to search for large animals, my safaris tend to focus on the smaller inhabitants of our planet.

Why are some parts in English and some parts in Dutch?

I used to write my stories/reports in Dutch but from 2013 on I write them in English to reach out to a bigger audience. The older reports will not be translated because it's a lot of work and I'm too lazy for such an epic job. 

If you are interested in using any of my pictures, if you want to know more about these animals or anything else, feel free to send me an e-mail via the inquiry form below. I will try to reply as soon as possible.