DS Spotlights: Punks Doing Good April 2025: Rescuing Reptiles, Other Coldblooded Creatures, and his Dad too!
Punk rock and lizards go well with each other. The Jesus Lizard, and Dead Milkmen’s Big Lizard In My Backyard album are just two examples.
For Patrick Kamberos – aka “Pat D Waggon” – reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic creatures are a huge part of his life. Kamberos, along with two of his fellow native Chicagoans, Michael and Shay Edelen, run Cold Blooded & Bizarre in Charlotte, NC.
Kamberos regularly returns to Chicago to hang with friends and family in the punk scene there. He’s such a beloved member of the community there that Herb Rosen and Gary Kessler of Liar’s Club even had a birthday message put up on the marquee at the iconic Wiener’s Circle for Kamberos’ 40th earlier this year.
Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Kamberos to discuss work, family and punk rock songs.
Dying Scene (DS): How did you discover your love of reptiles and exotic creatures?
Patrick Kamberos (PK): Starting at a very young age I’ve always had a love and fascination with the natural world. My parents didn’t get me video games as a kid but instead encouraged me to play out in the yard and explore. They were also big fans of road trips; we traveled to 46/50 states. On these trips we’d make frequent stops to visit and explore natural spaces. Although my parents were never personally into cold-blooded creatures, they were always very supportive of my unusual interests. They were always happy to drive me to remote gas stations in the middle of nowhere at night, not for gas, but so that I could hunt for whatever insects or other creatures might be drawn to the bright lights! They also helped me get certified to scuba dive in my youth which helped foster a lifelong passion and my love of the underwater world.
My favorite uncle, Daniel J. Murray (1945-2009), would accompany us on a number of our family trips, both domestic and abroad. He was an avid birder who knew more about winged creatures than most ornithologists. He was like a second dad to me, and also was a major part in fostering my love of the natural world and the creatures within. He was also deathly afraid of snakes!
DS: How did the store and, more importantly, the nonprofit come about, and what does it do?
PK: Our shop, Cold Blooded & Bizarre, was the brainchild of my business partner, Michael Edelen [pictured here with Kamberos]. Mike and I met in college at DePaul University and quickly became best friends. In addition to shooting pool at Delilah’s & hanging out at Liar’s Club, traveling and exploring the natural world was another of the shared interests that made us lifelong friends. After graduating with a business entrepreneurship degree, he soon moved out of Chicago to pursue a job in Charlotte. That job didn’t work out, & his wife suggested doing something involving animals.
I was at a transitional period in my life & when he reached out to me with an idea for an ethical reptile business I was on board 100%! When we first opened the shop we assumed that we would get the occasional owner surrender or rescue animal, but in reality it was SO MUCH MORE. We soon realized that opening a nonprofit would help with all of the rescue/relinquish animals.
DS: What are the best things about these creatures?
PK: The best thing about reptiles, amphibians, & invertebrates, like the punk scene, is that they’re weird and beautifully unique. Most people don’t have a pet snake or a collection of exotic tarantulas. They help people to appreciate the creatures in the natural world beyond their backyard and what they experience in daily life. Learning where our plethora of creepy crawly creatures are native, their habitats, and the perils they face (typically habitat loss, human encroachment, pollution, and invasive animals such as housecats), has broadened my horizons and deepened my interest in protecting places that I hope to visit one day, even if it never happens. All of nature is connected and every living thing plays an important role in sustaining the greater good of the ecosystem as a whole. Another thing to note is that we don’t sell wild caught (aka field collected) animals as that would cause an imbalance in nature around the world. Cold Blooded & Bizarre = CB&B = Captive Bred & Born, meaning that all of the animals that we sell were produced in captivity. In addition to working with a multitude of local breeders & enthusiasts, many of our animals were bred right here in our shop!
The best thing about reptiles, amphibians, & invertebrates, like the punk scene, is that they’re weird and beautifully unique.
DS: Why do they make great pets?
PK: Cold-blooded creatures make great pets for a variety of reasons. Some are low maintenance. Snakes, for instance, only need to eat once a week. Our biggest snakes only need to eat once a month! They’re nondestructive. I’ve never heard of a lizard or frog in an enclosure clawing up the furniture or getting into the trash. Many live in bioactive tanks where everything from the plants to the dirt itself is alive. This type of housing is most akin to the environment where the species’ wild cousins would exist, and the whole enclosure is a living work of art. Exotic pets also help people learn about the natural world in other ways, such as mimicry, aposematic coloration, and camouflage.
**The two-headed corn snake in the picture to the left is named Rock & Roll. It is one of Kamberos’ favorite animals. He added that Rock is the left head in the photo and Roll, the right one.**
DS: What are their most important roles in the ecosystem?
PK: The diversity of life on our planet is integral to the health of the world itself. Most reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates are not apex predators. They fall somewhere in the middle of the food chain. They help keep certain populations of other creatures in check while simultaneously being food for and sustaining other species. Snakes control rodent populations without the need for toxic chemicals or indiscriminate kill-all’s like glue. Every animal has its place and an important role to carry out to keep our planet healthy and thriving.
DS: What are the biggest myths and misconceptions about reptiles and other creatures you rescue?
PK: Some of the biggest misconceptions about reptiles, snakes in particular, are that they’re dangerous and bloodthirsty creatures that want to hurt people. In reality, snakes, even the venomous species, just want to be left alone. Snakes don’t bite unless they’re cornered & feel threatened. They hope that they go unnoticed by larger and more formidable animals, such as humans, and will flee rather than fight 100% of the time. Sometimes, the direction that they choose to flee is right between someone’s legs, which only adds to their bad reputation and vilification.
DS: Now to humans. In April of 2023 you donated a kidney to your father Ted Kamberos [pictured here with his son]. What was that experience like?
PK: Two years ago, my dad’s health was on the serious decline. His kidneys were functioning at maybe 15% of normal, and he needed help. It turned out that I was a viable match & I didn’t hesitate to agree to give him one of mine. The surgery and recovery period were a bit rough. It was honestly a good bit worse for me than it was for him, but that’s thankfully all over with now.
He’s done so much for me over the years that this was the least I could do to repay all of the love, support, and forgiveness he’s shown me over the course of my life. As much as it sucked initially, I’d do it again if I could. I’m happy to report that today, two years later, he’s doing so much better & his life is basically back to normal.
DS: Of course this is a punk music site, so I have to ask about songs. Do you have a favorite punk or punk-adjacent song related to coldblooded animals?
PK: [chooses Snake Bite Love by Motorhead for the former)That’s a good one. Though I love all the animals & all the punk rock so making a true decision might change daily or hourly.
[For the latter] “Rose Tattoo” by Dropkick Murphys is my favorite song. “Rose Tattoo” is more meaningful to my life. It made my parents understand all my tattoos (that they hate.) Now part of my Irish mom’s [Nora Kamberos] playlist.
Finally, if you are considering getting a reptile for the first time, Kameberos has some recommendations:
Best starter reptiles are bearded dragon, ball python, corn snake, leopard gecko, and crested gecko.
Thanks and Cheers Pat!
Animals shown in images: common snapping turtle; yellow anaconda; Dumeril’s boa, reticulated python, corn snake, and black rat snake. All Photos courtesy of Patrick Kamberos.