Dr. John Rossi is a small/exotic animal practitioner in Jacksonville, Florida. After receiving his Bachelor's degree in 1977, he moved to Tampa, Florida where he received his Masters in Zoology in 1981. Since his graduation from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986, he has treated a large number of exotic animals, and that experience is evident in these books. He is the author of numerous papers and other books, including Snakes of the United States and Canada.

He has lectured around the country on exotic animal care. Dr. Rossi is a 4 time North American Veterinary Conference lecturer. He was also a co-founder and past president of the Jacksonville Herpetological Society.