Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just found out that Bill is going with Ray (from Glades Herp) - got a really good deal on airline tickets. So he will be there with some of my corns and helping out at Glades. I don't get to go (too many babies to take care of!), but stop by and say "HI!" to Bill if you go! I haven't ever been to that show, but it is always nice to find a reason for a little trip "out West"! Maybe there will be something unusual and interesting for him to photograph there.

Hell ya hope it will be a good show, seems to have picked up the last couple of years. scott

n/p

I wish you would've posted something earlier, as I would've recommended not going to this show. These venomous shows usually stink, and I think it is outrageous you must sign a form saying they're not responsible if anything happens to you while inside, like getting bit by something or other. Many herpers I know here in TX will not be vendors or even set foot in those shows. The room usually just smells to high heaven and the last time I went there were plenty of vendors with battle damage, probably from trying to get vipers in deli cups. Missing fingers, casts, crutches, and the majoritry of people attending seemed to be just checking out animals, not herpers there to make purchases. A few very well known Boa and Python breeders have organised thier own show, which most of us feel is the one to attend. Houston's shows are also better in general. To top it off seeing people with primates for sale for a few thousand dollars is awful. Monkeys hopping around in diapers looks cute, but wouldn;t that be something if it decided to mess with some of those deli cups? The time I went Glades was there, and that was about the only table I saw anything decent. I wouldn't want my animals next to a table of 9 out of 10 vendors animals at those shows. Many of us feel thier days are numbered, unless they clean up thier act. There's also rumors of a venomous snake escaping and not being recovered at one of the recent shows, that is bad news as things like that will ruin events for us herpers to enjoy in the future. These comments are just my opinion, but honestly I know quite a lot of local herpers and the majority of us have very similar feelings about this show. Of course a few of the vendors may have some quality animals, but being a snake addict, you know something is up when you go to show with money to spend and come home with nothing. Tom

Its not the best but its all we got here in sa. The huston shows are alot better no argument there. Ps the show is the way it is due to the owners of the show, not the greatest of all people.

the quality breeders we need some to come out this way every once in a while, no disrespect to smr.

I know what you're saying. It's not like there's a show to go to every week or even month. However there's an upcoming show in Austin in August which was put together by some serious herpers and will be captive bred only, no large contrictors or venomous allowed. There's a link on the events page. I hope that this show, Houstons, and the Bob Clark ones catch on and set an example of what a show should be like. It stinks to have to settle for less. Tom

As I said, I haven't been there myself. Bill mainly went because he got a really good deal on airline tickets. It is a chance to get away and go out to Texas for a few days to photograph some animals in the field and hopefully make enough to pay for the trip.

I guess he will know after the show whether it is one he would want to go back to again.

P.S. I am also getting beautiful new eyelash vipers - yellow and green both! I made a trade deal ages ago and will be getting them at the show. I used to breed them back in the '80s and early '90s, but haven't had any since then. I am pretty excited. Guess I will have to post a couple of photos of them here even if they are not corns. They are kind of like colorful corns with fangs!

I love those Eyelash Vipers. I am not anti venomous by any means but I think that end of this hobby needs to be shown to the public with even more professionalism and responsibility than the non venomous end of it all. Many of us men have wives who tolerate our interests and when I finally convince my wife to spend half a day with me at a show I want her to enjoy it as well. She really was shocked by what she saw at the last one in San An and chose to wait in the lobby. Keep in mind it is a 90 minute drive one way for us, and the only good thing that came of that experience was my wife will GLADY prefer me to order a snake I want on the net as opposed to wasting half of a day off to be let down by a show like that one. I saw you guys while in FL at the Miami Repticon show which she had a good time at. My daughter loved the puppies[which was a first for us at a herp show] and the Tiger was very cool. Plus the section for kids to color and things like that made for a fun family afternoon. More shows should be like that. Not just a crummy flea market of animals you have to think twice about buying........but a cool day out with healthy well maintained animals. Just my 2 cents Tom

It's almost silly for me not to, I live 15 min. from the venue. In spite of this fact, I'm not going. I just don't feel the need to pay six bucks to see a bunch of jobbers with deli cups stuffed with gaboon vipers. There are some respectable breeders that turn out (they know who they are) and I mean no disrespect to these people. Mike Bishop sometimes has a display (not selling)of Texas snakes, including a beautiful Franklin Mtn banded rock rattler.
Check the show out if you're in the market for a bearded dragon or a veiled chameleon (or a gaboon viper).
All the best,
Perry