CALGARY HERALD (Alberta) 18 September 08 Reptile demo teaches responsible pet care (Jennifer Brown)
It isn't every day you get to pet a bearded dragon, but for a group of eight- to 11-year-olds, this was part of a regular day at the Calgary Humane Society's summer camp. The 15 participants of the one-week camp enjoyed a visit by members of The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society (TARAS) and their reptile companions.
Campers interacted with their special guests, asking a multitude of questions and petting an array of reptiles including a corn snake, boa constrictor, leopard geckos, bearded dragons and a tegu. Buffy, a two-metre-long boa owned by TARAS member Jason Clevett, was popular with the campers, who were able to touch the snake during the interactive program.
A highlight of the reptile presentation was "to see the boa constrictor," said Hayley Millard, 10, "because it was pretty cool and pretty big, and you don't usually see them for pets."
The public will have a chance to meet some of these creatures this weekend, at the annual TARAS Fall Show and Sale. One of the largest reptile shows in Western Canada, breeders of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates (such as spiders, scorpions, and tarantulas) will be on hand to talk about their specialties. Held in conjunction with the Terrarium Show and Competition, there will be animals both on display and for sale.
"A huge hit at the Fall Show is the Kids' Corner, where kids have an opportunity to handle some animals that maybe they wouldn't have had a chance to in the past -- all under supervision," says Chris Stinson, TARAS president.
The TARAS Fall Show and Sale will be held Sept. 20 to 21, at the Royal Canadian Legion, Ogden Branch, 2625 78th Ave. S.E., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 403-285-0998 or visit www.albertareptilesociety.org.
Also under adult supervision, the summer campers got a good, close-up look at Clevett's two baby bearded dragons.
"I didn't think they'd bring along babies," said Hayley, who liked "their colours and patterns, and how tiny (the baby bearded dragons) were."
The main purpose of the week-long camp, said Desiree Arsenault, humane education co-ordinator of the Calgary Humane Society, was "to teach kids about responsible pet care, as well as just teach them a lot of different things about animals."
"Sometimes kids don't have exposure to certain kinds of animals," Arsenault said, "so getting them in (to the Humane Society), and getting them used to a pet that they are interested in," will give them "all of the information and tools to go and do their research afterwards -- to make sure that it's the right pet for them."
After enjoying the reptile workshop, part of a week that included a zoo day, dog day, cat day and additional presentations about wildlife and ferrets, Arsenault hopes that the campers will "understand that reptiles are a very big responsibility."
"I am seeing quite a few children now that are taking on reptiles as pets," says Arsenault, who adds that everyone must make sure "they do their research before they actually get that tiny cute thing in the pet store, and bring it home, before realizing it's going to grow into a six-foot snake."
"We want to steer people away from impulse buying," Stinson says. "TARAS gets a lot of contact from the Humane Society with rescue animals because people aren't educating themselves -- they get frustrated, because the animal is not behaving the way they expected it to behave."
Darren Warling, TARAS member and volunteer presenter at the Humane Society kids camp, says he wanted the campers to see his two-year-old Argentine black and white tegu, Jake, who will grow as large as 1.5 to two metres long, "as a demonstration of just how big the animals can get, versus what they see in a pet store, because they only see (tegus) about eight to 10 inches long, and they go, 'What a cute little thing, I can take that home and put it in this little tank.' A year later, it's going to be three feet long."
Reptile demo teaches responsible pet care