TIMES-DISPATCH (Richmond, Virginia) 31 October 05 Slithering into owners' hearts - Enthusiasts debunk common myths about their favorite reptiles (Julian Walker)
Before Susan Larkin left her Chester home yesterday, her husband warned her not to come home with any more pets.
"He said he would pack his bags," she said with a laugh.
But there Larkin was yesterday afternoon with her two sons 9-year old Ryan and 5-year old Collin -- checking out potential new pets at the Richmond Reptile Expo in Midlothian.
The Larkins brought home their first snake last year. They now count two of the slithering creatures, two geckos, a tortoise, a Bearded Dragon lizard, two rats, a cat and a dog as part of the family.
And they were considering one more addition yesterday.
"We're about to get a corn snake," Ryan gleefully explained. His mother, with her husband in mind, seemed less certain.
People -- some new and some experienced in handling reptiles, insects and amphibians -- converged yesterday at the Holiday Inn Select Koger South Conference Center for the expo, one of two held each year locally.
Organizer Larry Kenton, a breeder from Reisterstown, Md., runs 11 shows a year and participates as an exhibitor in 15 more. He said his interest in reptiles began after he "caught a snake when I was 5 years old."
His fascination has grown into a lucrative business.
Kenton said he sold a snake yesterday morning for $3,000.
Not long ago, he purchased a breeder snake for $40,000. He said he will earn more than his initial investment within a year.
At a nearby booth, Alan and Billie Zulich, the husband and wife owners of the Harford Reptile Breeding Center in Bel Air, Md., had a female Pinstripe Boa listed for $16,000 -- discounted from $20,000.
When a young boy stopped to peer at the lizards the Zulichs displayed, Billie told him the creature was a "gecko, not Geico."
The animated lizard used in Geico's advertisements is one source of confusion about such creatures, experts at the reptile show said.
Other common misconceptions are that snakes are slimy (they aren't -- they have smooth scales) and that many creatures are venomous and dangerous to handle (most reptiles and insects aren't), said Kenton.
Another misconception is that only certain people are suited to own reptiles as pets, according to siblings Jon Bish and Diane Miller, who own Off The Ark Exotic Pets in Midlothian.
Bish said their youngest customer is a 3-year-old girl and their oldest is a senior citizen "who likes giant frogs."
The notion that chameleons camouflage themselves to blend with their surroundings is also incorrect, said Vincent Wong, owner of Screameleons, a Reston-based company that breeds vividly colored Panther chameleons.
The creatures change colors depending on their mood, he explained.
Though venomous, even tarantulas are generally harmless to humans, according to Henrico County resident and part-time breeder Wade Harrell.
The only one with anything to worry about is the male tarantula, who has to make a quick getaway from the larger female after mating or he'll become her dinner.
Slithering into owners' hearts