It's time again for MARS, the annual Mid-Atlantic Reptile Show. This is a non-profit, fundraising show, with all proceeds from admission going to buy RAINFOREST in Costa Rica. It is also a very strict captive bred only show - no wild-caught or farmed imports allowed. For directions and times, please visit www.reptileinfo.com

There is a fundraiser/get-together dinner on Friday night, and a
lecture series on Saturday night. Dr. Stahl, one of the best exotic vets in the mid-Atlantic area, will be giving a slide presentation on advances in herp medicine at the Saturday night lectures. I've seen Dr. Stahl's presentation before, and it is astonishing! He has pictures of endoscope surgeries on egg-bound box turtles and tortoises, where the eggs were removed without going into the shell, and in some cases, the turtle was still able to reproduce normally after recovery.

There are also educational presentations and "critter contact" on
Saturday and Sunday during the show, including Bernadette, the 18' Burmese python, large Burmese tortoises, and presentations by
keepers from the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

There will also be a large selection of used aquariums for sale to benefit the MARS Reptile and Amphibian Rescue.

The show organizers require vendors to adhere to federal and state laws, so no turtles or tortoises under four inches will be
available. However, the Tortoise Reserve will have captive bred, 4" or larger juvenile redfoot tortoises for sale, with proceeds from the sale going to support conservation efforts by the Tortoise Reserve. Only vendor animals will be allowed on the grounds.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will have a table, so this is a GREAT time to let DNR know your (polite) opinions on MD wildlife policy, even if you don't live in MD. The DNR officials won't ask for your name or personal informaiton during the show, so your comments are basically annonymous, even though you're face to face. You can see the current MD regulaitons here:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/captive.html

For directions and times, please visit www.reptileinfo.com

The Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society (MATTS) will have a
table, so stop by and say hello if you are attending MARS.

Katrina