Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at the West Coast reptile show here in Las Vegas today. I ended up comin home with

1 female Cobalt Blue Tarantula
1 male Spotted Python
1 male Rosy Boa
1 female gray banded kingsnake
and towards the end I was debating between a western hognose, a chihuahua mountain king, a holloween honduran milksnake, or 2 corns.

It then came down to the king and the milk and I went with the male Halloween Honduran Milk.

This was the first show Ive seen in Las Vegas. Do they come here often?

This is the first one I have heard about. It is actually in Henderson and not Las Vegas. I am on my way there now as it is close to my home. I was going to have a booth there and sell a few odds and ends but decided against it. I purchased 5 Garter Snakes a few months ago and since then most of them have died. All I have left is one of the 5 plus 2 babies one of the others had the day after they arrived. These are all in quarantine. I also had a couple of other unexplained deaths in my collection. Most of my animals look great but I want to make sure I will not be passing on any animals stricken with or carrying any disease or pathogen (as this was done to me). This was unfortunate as I wanted to cut my collection in half but do not want to mess with shipping if I can avoid it.

On another unfortunate note: The Southern Nevada Herpetological Society has announced it is closing down. They cited a lack of staff to effectively run it. There is some talk about restructuring and resurrecting it.
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Randy Hallman

did you pick up anything?

I fed all mine today, Theyre'll all babies by the way. All of them ate, even the Gray Banded, I was kinda nervous cause I hear they're problem feeders. It almost swallowed some thick peices of aspen though, I had to pull them out her mouth. The Rosy is vicious!! He was hidin under his corkbark and before I could really put the pinky down he snatched it up, pulled it underneath the bark and was hissing while it was in his mouth.

In total I now have

Male Mexican Black King
Male Spotted Python
Male Rosy Boa
Male Halloween Honduran Milk
Female Florida King
Female Apricot Pueblan Milk
Female Reverse stripe King
Female Gray Banded King

>>In total I now have
>>
>>Male Mexican Black King
>>Male Spotted Python
>>Male Rosy Boa
>>Male Halloween Honduran Milk
>>Female Florida King
>>Female Apricot Pueblan Milk
>>Female Reverse stripe King
>>Female Gray Banded King

Nice collection, AnimalSquabbles. I'm particularly envious of the Gray Banded, the Halloween Honduran, and the Rosy. Rosy's have been on my "short" list for awhile, but wife says, 6 are enough.

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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

thanks, I wish I could put some picks up, the halloween lloks crazy.

Next, if I get more will probably be Mountain king, hognose, or maybe start breeding corns or children pythons.

>> ...or maybe start breeding corns...

That's one thing my wife has said "could" happen... allowing my snakes to breed.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

I wouldnt mind having a leusitic rat snake. I read about some one who had a leusitic rat that they kept in a setup with white gravel, a corkbark painted white and some fake plants painted white. That must look great, but I dont know if the paint could be harmful in any way.

>>I wouldnt mind having a leusitic rat snake. I read about some one who had a leusitic rat that they kept in a setup with white gravel, a corkbark painted white and some fake plants painted white. That must look great, but I dont know if the paint could be harmful in any way.

Hmmmm. I hadn't thought along those lines, but I did think in the reverse... everything dark with a white snake wandering around. Perhaps the thing to do would be to have a large tank (I'm thinking of a 55 gallon tank or a 40 breeder) and have half the tank white as in your description and the other side dark. THAT would be interesting. LOL. Where to get "black" aspen??? J/K.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

thats sounds bad too, it would really be badass though to have people watch you feed and theyre looking at the all white enclosure and you throw a mouse in there, all of a sudden there movment and the mouse is snatched up.

>>thats sounds bad too, it would really be badass though to have people watch you feed and theyre looking at the all white enclosure and you throw a mouse in there, all of a sudden there movment and the mouse is snatched up.

LOL. Sucked up by the AVALANCHE! Soooo, when are you gonna get your Leucistic Texas Rat?? LOL.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

I picked up a pair (1.1) of baby Mexican Lined Pines, Pituophis l lineaticollis. I had planned on just looking but I really liked these. They are very attractive and interesting snakes. I am quite excited having them. I also purchased a tub and some lights for my aquatic turtles. I met and had some great conversations with folks I had only communicated with through e-mail. Had a lot of fun, got some beautiful snakes, and got some pointers from other breeders. I am not a commercial breeder but if they have this show again next year I will have a booth.
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Randy Hallman

I was kinda inspired to start breeding by going there. One thing though, I didnt like the guy at the Hardy Reptiles booth. He treid to sell me an alterna grayband king for $150 that he had bought in the next booth for $50, he told me If I bought the rest of his pinkies he'd stop counting at 40 I went along thinking that Id be charged for 40 but he'd give me the rest, he then stopped at forty and didnt give me any more. He also threw a a pinky across the room. All in all I loved the show, LLL had everything. I also bought 4 waterdishes, 2 heaters, and 2 tanks.

and I dont think I'll be getting the rat snake anytime soon. I cant even find them.

>>and I dont think I'll be getting the rat snake anytime soon. I cant even find them.

LOL. I almost missed that response to my question. Because I want to remain within TOS, e-mail me if you want to know where I got mine from.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

what is TOS. I dont know, I got 8 right now, Im gonna kinda hold out for awhile. I also didnt realize they get as big as they do, I knew that the ratsnakes get big but for somereason I didnt connect them.

TOS refers to the websites Terms of Service. Kingsnake.com does not allow any postings of a commercial type nature in these forums because they charge people to post in the classified sections. You had inquired where to get a certain species of Rat Snake and it might be interpreted as a violation of TOS to post an answer here instead of in the classified section. I believe Thunder_Dan was suggesting you e-mail him for the information.

Like you I enjoyed the show and hope to participate in it next year should it be repeated. I do have some misgivings about these commercial breeder shows. Not every vender supplies adequate husbandry information and not every buyer is a conscientious keeper. You see these kids walking out with baby tortoises, snakes, Bearded Dragons etc that were purchased on a whim. Many of these poor animals will no doubt perish under conditions of poor nutrition, disease, and unsanitary living quarters due to lack of interest or diligence after the novelty of the purchase wears off. It does not help when these novices are sold animals not generally recommended as a starter species. The commercial keeping and breeding of herps is worthwhile but there is a point where it can become the equivalent of a “puppy mill”.
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Randy Hallman

Thank you, Rhallman for your explanation. You interpreted my post correctly.

As for breeder shows... are they allowed to sell such animals to minors? It seems to me that they should at least have parental/guardian purchasing only -- IF they really care about the animals they are selling.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod

They do have parents with them but you know how many parents can be when a kid wants something bad enough. Parental consent does not mean the parent will make sure the animal will be cared for properly. I saw a lot of people there who had no prior knowledge or experience with herps and no doubt many parents were their just to take their kids. I believe quite a few of these animals will fall by the wayside along with the skates, guitar lessons and other whims rusting away in some forgotten corner of the garage. While some venders cater to the experienced hobbyist there are others just want to sell anything to anyone. I noticed "newbie’s" buying animals and walking out without so much as a care sheet. I assume at least some venders will give out business cards or something with e-mail and internet sites where folks could get assistance after they get their new pet home. I hope this is the case.
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Randy Hallman

actually I noticed alot of parents trying to get the kid to want one. At one booth I was trying to look at corns and there was a family and the dad was getting the son a bearded dragon and the dad was the one all enthusiastic, telling his wife that they're the best lizard for kids and it will be tame and all that. There was LOTS of that. Almost all the kids I saw were not into it at all, one was holdin a beardie that scratched him and he started crying, one was holding a sand boa and was scared to move, it was great, kids were losing everywhere. At the LLL booth one kid was upset and asked his dad if they could go home!!!

LOL, I didn't notice any of that but it is very believable. I bet some of these are adults who used to catch lizards when they were kids and now want to relive the experience through their kids. When I turned 40 I became nostalgic for some of the interests and activities of my youth. Pursuing these interests has made my life richer. I would also theorize that maybe some parents want to get their kids interested in something besides video games or just find new avenues to interact with them.
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Randy Hallman

>>When I turned 40 I became nostalgic for some of the interests and activities of my youth. Pursuing these interests has made my life richer.
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>>Randy Hallman

Now that's a ROFLOL! The whole reason I'm into snakes now at 37 is because its the FIRST time that I've been allowed to have any. As a kid, I always wanted pet snakes but my mother is so scared of them that she would not allow it. As a teen, I could get frogs, fish, etc. but no snakes. As a young adult, I lived in Hawaii where you're not allowed to have snakes at all (I did have a Jackson's Chameleon though - he was GREAT). I finally moved to a state where I could get one and now I have 6! So I completely understand that line of thinking... although it was nostalgia for what I couldn't have.
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3 Corns - Squall (Normal), Freya (Normal), Peyton (Amel)
2 Florida Kings - Thor & Lilith
1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake - MacLeod