Prof. Dr. Zdenek Knotek graduated with honours from Brno Vet University in 1982 and spent 10 years in basic veterinary research (Veterinary Research Institute Brno and University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno) – clinical endocrinology and immunology (PhD 1991). In 1993 he established Department for Reptiles as a part of Small Animal Clinic on Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Brno. As full-time university Professor Dr. Knotek is now head of the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic on University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno. As a visiting Professor Dr. Knotek has part of his teaching activities dealing with reptiles on other universities (Utrecht, Vienna, Kosice, Ljubljana). He is president of the Czech Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (CAZWV), vice-president of the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) and member of BVZS. His current focus involves medicine and surgery in reptiles, small mammals and birds. He is actively involved in veterinary care of exotic animals in Zoological Garden Brno.