http://www.gilaproductions.com/ral/ralmain.html

8/23/2007 11:00:01 AM

who's planning on going? What are looking for?

I'm really only going for supplies this year. I'm still waiting for my leopard gecko eggs to hatch and my bearded dragons to breed (they're arm waving and head bobbing as we speak) so it's best that I hold off.
If i find some nice long-nosed leopard lizards I might get a few. Or a hairless rat or guinea pig to freak out my students. They adore my hairless hamster.


Remember - PLEASE don't buy on impulse. Research what you're buying and make sure you're commited to providing the proper housing, diet, and care it needs. Talk to vendors and if a vendor can't tell you much about an animal they're selling - MOVE ON and find a vendor that cares about what they're selling. I know a lot of vendors trade with eachother to have more of a variety at their booths but it's hurting the animal when they're not educating the buyers.
Try and find care sheets or books. Go talk to the Avian and Exotic Vets (they always have a booth there).

Ask to see if it's wild caught or captive bred. Understand the risks/precautions to take with wild caught species.

I love going to these expos because keeping reptiles is a hobby of mine. I also have a small animal lab at school and teach Animal Science.
However, it bothers me that so many animals are bought on impulse. The reality is a lot of them end up dead/discarded/ or neglected.

advice-
that cute little 6" green iguana hatchling will grow to be 6 feet plus in a few years, will require a habitat the length of it and can turn into a nasty evil creature if not handled on a regular basis.
I bought "Brooks", my 6.5 foot iguana there 6 years ago. We built him a cage that is 7 feet long, 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. He eats a giant salad every day and shits like a horse. He's a complete jerk to everyone but me (typical of males) despite handling him regularily. He'll probably live to be 20+.
I get tons of offers from people trying to get rid of small animals and reptiles.
http://www.greenigsociety.org/credentials.htm



Picture taken 2 yrs ago. He's bigger now.
He is handsome though. perhaps one of the best looking full grown iguanas i've seen. all nails and spikes in tact!

[Edited on August 23, 2007 at 1:05 PM. Reason : picture]

8/23/2007 1:03:07 PM

How much is it to attend for the general public? All I found on the website was VIP tickets.

8/23/2007 3:33:22 PM

$8 I believe

I've always bought VIP tickets

8/23/2007 3:43:53 PM

I just got a red bullsnake from Daytona so I'll probably just go this year to buy frozen mice.


Although if I see a cheap female Arizona Mtn king or a nice female bullsnake then I'll pick 'em up

8/23/2007 4:07:36 PM

I broke the bank in Daytona a show of that caliber makes the one in Raleigh the equivalent of a bum hustlin goods out the trunk of his rundown caddy

I acquired Vin Russo F0 Hog Island boas and Mike Falcon ghost hondos to just name a few things

Ill be looking for ZooMed vivariums and supplies....unless there's some adult knobs or a female hog island boa

8/23/2007 4:31:25 PM

If anyone wants a baby chameleon cage (with leaves & vines) w/2 lamps, and a mister/dripper, then you can have it all for $50 (I paid a lot more for all of it).

8/23/2007 11:28:56 PM

so whos buying what?

8/31/2007 6:38:58 PM

Quote :

"Remember - PLEASE don't buy on impulse. Research what you're buying and make sure you're commited to providing the proper housing, diet, and care it needs. Talk to vendors and if a vendor can't tell you much about an animal they're selling - MOVE ON and find a vendor that cares about what they're selling."

8/31/2007 6:45:41 PM

^ we can only hope people consider that...


I've really been looking forward to it.
The in-laws are in town so I'm trying to convince my mother in law to go with me. She's a little iffy about it since she doesn't care for reptiles but she's willing to give it a shot. She can always go browse the flea market if she can't handle it.

I'm not allowed to get anything new this time so I'll wait till the May show.
I will pick up a box of crickets for my zoo though.

8/31/2007 9:03:46 PM

all i need are fruit flies, pinhead crickets and bromeliads. jan and scott at under the canopy should be able to hook me up with the first and last on that list

9/1/2007 12:46:48 AM

ah. the good old days. i dont have any lil critters anymore

9/1/2007 4:02:08 AM

it's always more fun when there is a gun show next to the reptile show



great for people watching

9/1/2007 4:39:44 AM

I think I'm going to just go look this year and see if I can find some good driftwood/sand blasted grapevine.

I'm getting a redtail boa from Grey (allboas.com) and looking for some good snake stuff.

9/1/2007 10:59:09 AM

Under the Canopy had lots of Broms Matt...I'll be getting some tomorrow I think...I somehow got talked into buying a trio of captive bred fire skinks ... like I needed anything else...

oh well at least something cool to setup in a vivarium in the living room

9/1/2007 2:25:48 PM

just 1000 crickets and 100 mealworms for me

I saw a few nice adult veiled and panther chameleons I would have loved to buy but can't justify spending the money.

Georgia Bearded Dragons and a new Carolina vendor had some nice looking beardies.
I didn't spot one uromastyx this time. Urotopia was there last year and I'm kicking myself for not buying an egyptian from them then. My saharan/nigerian still hates to be handled despite working with him a lot.

No leopard lizards or anything I would have considered adding to my zoo.

I was happy to see no one was selling anything too exotic (monkeys, caymans, coatimundis, fennec etc...)

oh well. I'll just wait till the May show

[Edited on September 1, 2007 at 6:30 PM. Reason : j]

9/1/2007 6:30:32 PM

^ there were a bunch of adult uros for around 45

9/2/2007 1:35:16 AM

what vendor?

just malis?

9/2/2007 11:29:29 AM

saw imported red saharan uros for 35 bucks....given they were imports and no telling what kind of internal bacteria/parasite load they had, they were incredible looking

Found em captive bred online for like 175

i got away pretty easy with just some stuff I had reserved and picking up a exo terra tall tank to setup for dart frogs I'll eventually be getting (cough, cough...matt wanna help?)

9/3/2007 4:21:50 PM

I was there helping my brother sell some colombian redtails (Southside Herps)

I behaved and didn't buy anything

I saw you Peyton^

9/3/2007 4:50:16 PM

I picked up 2 imported red saharans a year ago and only 1 survived. I took em to avian & exotic right away. The female was loaded with parasites and both were dehydrated. I had to inject them with fluids, soak them in gatorade, and force fed them babyfood for a few weeks. Only the male made it but he's healthy and thriving now.

I've bought 4 from the reptile shows over the years and only this 1 has survived. that's the risk you take with imports at these shows.

If/when I get another I'll probably order a captive bred egyptian or ornate (if i can afford it) from urotopia.com

9/3/2007 10:53:06 PM

ended up w/ a couple of red eye tree frogs (Agalichnis callidryas, not sure of spelling)

9/4/2007 8:50:37 PM

got me some of them there dart frogs!

9/4/2007 10:14:22 PM