Reptile & Amphibian Forums

among all the amazing animals at the show, which was the first I've ever been to, I got this pic of a green mamba someone had--it drew a lot of attention.

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Sue
currently living with me:
0.1 Western hognose (Sola)
1.0 Crested gecko (Gator)
0.1 Niger Uromastyx (Brit)
0.1 'found in someone's garage' kitty (Terra)

I thought this last one kinda sucked. I've never seen it that crowded. Which is good, I like to see the "hobby" grow. But they used to have a NO STROLLERS rule. One stroller blocks up a whole lane. I didn't think the selection was so great but then again it's not really prime time for great selections. And honestly, I think people are getting out of control with prices. $150 for a mud brown beardie with no genetics is crazy. Don't get me wrong, some of it was excellent, but over all the previous ones were much better. If you liked it then definitely keep going, they only get better.

i agree that the things I was looking at that I knew something about, I wasn't impressed....most of the BDs were pretty plain, no nice bright crested geckos (though who knows what the babies will turn into), and they didn't have the house snakes I was looking for...but the venomous were pretty cool...and to see a kid walking around holding a deli cup taped shut with a little gaboon in it....scary!! It was awfully crowded but has thinned a bit by the time I left with my new uromastyx.
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Sue
currently living with me:
0.1 Western hognose (Sola)
1.0 Crested gecko (Gator)
0.1 Niger Uromastyx (Brit)
0.1 'found in someone's garage' kitty (Terra)

Who the hell sold that kid the gaboon? No strollers? How about no kids! Maybe the hot sales should be in the beer tent? NO MINORS!

the kids I saw were accompanied by parents, who I assume were the ones who bought the snakes.....still, what parent would let their child carry around something like that?
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Sue
currently living with me:
0.1 Western hognose (Sola)
1.0 Crested gecko (Gator)
0.1 Niger Uromastyx (Brit)
0.1 'found in someone's garage' kitty (Terra)

yeah it was the first time for me to go they had a lot of good stuff though it was actually the first time to see both species of mamba in captivity i also liked the wide variety of rattlesnakes there i think that most of the crap there was over priced but then again they were cheaper than the stores this has to be the best expo i have been to

You know, I haven't been to a PA show in several months, but last time I was there I was shocked at how cheap a venomous snake could be had - $25 for a copperhead?

As for the price of herps, while I'd like to see them go down for leopard geckos and bearded dragson - animals that can be kept fairly easily by beginners - I'd be quite happy to see the harder-to-care-for species go up in price, in the hopes that those buying them might care for them better if they aren't quite so easy to acquire - especially things like hots and difficult tortoises and snakes.

Katrina

I'm curious to know out of all the Jersey plates in the parking lot, how many are going home with illegal hots? Or caimans? I know I've been tempted a few times.

The comment has been made before, and was just made again, that minors shouldn't be allowed into venomous shows. Personally, I strongly disagree with this. I've vended at a couple of hot shows myself and had some interesting venomous snakes on the tables, and to take away the privilege of a child to be able to see a snake like that up close and in person, without the constraints of a zoo atmosphere, I believe is an experience they should be able to have. Obviously, no sales of anything venomous should ever be made to anyone under 18, and vendors really should try to screen their potential customers so that a new keeper doesn't walk away with his new pet mamba/gaboon/rhino/cobra, etc., but I don't think that is any justification whatsoever to try to ban people under 18 from entering hot shows. And besides, most hot shows, well all except for maybe Daytona, are both hot and non shows. So who is to say that just because venomous are there, kids shouldn't be able to go and buy their new pet beardie and take a look at the hots while there? I just personally think it'd be a real shame to deprive them of the opportunity to see these animals. Ah well, that's my babble on the issue.
-Chance

I agree. It's up to the seller to use common sence. A child should not be running around with any hot in a deli cup. That's the vendor's fault. The same could be said for huge pythons. The potential buyer should be made fully aware of how large they get and the vendor should then dedcide weather he/she feels the buyer can provide for a snake that large. Too many $$$ in people eyes. It's a great wxpierence for hot and non-hot keepers alike. It's up to the people that know better to act like it.

no one is allowed to walk around with hots even in deli cups or whatever and only when the person/s are about to leave they should be escorted out of the show by someone. The hots should be kept at table of purchase. This method has been applied at several shows and it works. The time will come when someone WILL get nabbed or some child gets nabbed if the show or vendors are allowing the public and buyers to walk around.

That actually is the policy. Hots have to come there in the containers they are to be sold in. Sealed. And once a hot is purchased you have to leave with it right then and there. Maybe somebody involved in running that show should read this.

I agree Chance, my take on it was that if the vender's wern't going to screen then the show host would have to do it by limiting who has access. I know when I was younger I'd be crushed if I knew there was a mamba in the building that I couldn't see.