Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504170005
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-18 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MIMI EUBANK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Even that experience wasn't enough to make him abandon his work with poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. He still claims, "I want to learn everything there is to know about reptiles."
Bailey is a part-time snake breeder who spends just about all of his time with snakes. When he's not studying them at National Reptile Breeders Expositions, he's giving free demonstrations to elementary school students and science museum visitors.
When he's really getting down to business, he's ordering healthy, captive-born snakes from distributors to be resold to customers. For those who would like to know that their snakes were bred and born close to home, Bailey will mate the parent snakes and raise the babies from hatchlings himself.
It's Bailey's willingness to treat venomous snakes that separates him from other experts. Bailey says he's the only person in the Roanoke Valley who will care for ailing venomous snakes. Even veterinarians refer poisonous snake owners to Bailey.
It's an unusual business, Bailey pointed out. A snake breeder's workplace "is not like a store you see on every corner," he said.
But Bailey believes it's his conservationist ideals coupled with his concern for education about reptiles that makes him special in the snake community.
While Bailey makes a profit every time he buys or breeds a snake for his customers, he often encourages people to let him collect a snake for them from the wild, a venture which earns him no money, but protects the snake population.
For example, some types of corn snakes native to Virginia are illegal to sell in pet stores due to a rapid decline in their numbers in the wild. But it is legal to collect corn snakes, which are not poisonous, if you have a Scientific Collection and Salvage Permit from the Virginia Department of Game and Fishery.
Bailey reminds his customers that free corn snakes are available from as nearby as Catawba. Should owners decide to return their snakes, they can simply return them to the wild, thereby protecting the population.
Bailey doesn't sell snakes to just anyone. He prefers to sell to experienced buyers who he can trust to care properly for their new pets. "If you can take care of it, own it," advised Bailey.
To assure his customers that his snakes are healthy ones with hearty appetites, he offers guarantees of 90 days to one year, depending on the breed of snake. It's up to his customers to take it from there.
So far, they seem satisfied. "I've never had a snake returned to me," said Bailey.
The breeder's life is not the only one for Bailey. He's also a private investigator. But even when he's out sleuthing, he's looking out for the best interests of reptiles.
Once, he helped a pet store owner track down a stolen snake. "Call me Ace Ventura, pet detective," laughed Bailey.
Phillip Bailey works out of his home, and is readily available by appointment. He lives at Ramey's Mobile Home Park, 1600 Lynchburg Turnpike, Lot 68, Salem. His phone number is 985-0358.
Memo: NOTE: Also ran in April 13, 1995 Neighbors.