Reptile Expo !!!!

[SailleSkinklover]

Hi guys! I went to the Reptile Expo here in WA state yesterday. There were lots of pretty cool things, and some things that really disturbed Tony and I...
the worst being a monitor lizard cramped into a small clear round deli box.
That vendor had a s&%*-load of different critters. ( I don't know if I am allowed to post their name?)
They had two medium sized Gigas, and they had an IJ for 99. bucks, (full grown!) and Gods I felt so sorry for him! He was in a little clear deli thingie the same size as the monitor, but much calmer. I snuck under the netting and opened it and fanned some fresh air in there as I couldn't stand seeing him in that little plastic box, adn I couldn't find any air-holes. Sick!

The Monitor wanted out, he was all cramped and freaking out trying to escape. Its horrid to want to rescue these guys but to know that you are only supporting the selfish greedy money-grubbing people who do this to them.

There was another guy there that normally deals only with Uros, but he had two young (he said yearling but I think they were really small for that) Northerns. They were so cute and tiny compared to ChuffChuff!! They felt a bit like bean bags to me though, as I am so used to Chuff's hard strong body. I was a bit concerned about them. I asked the guy about them, and he told me he had imported them from Europe because the "American" ones are being all bleached out through bad breeding. I held my tongue and played stupid, knowing full well that he was full of doody-poop. Everywhere I look, esp. on this forum, I see beautiful bright coloured Blueys!
The vet tech from my vet was there, and we both agreed that it looked like the beginnings of MBD in one of the little Northerns. By then, the guy was gone for the day and he had a 12 year old kid watching his booth. The kid told us that he used to have a bluey. I asked "what do they eat?" and was immediately told Crickets and "Spring Mix" (Isn't that a mix of iceberg lettuce and other lettuces?) The kid at least knew that spinach and "High Iron" greens can sometimes leach calcium from the bones. But we had to "educate" him on crickets, we told him that crix are a No-No, they carry coccydia (spelling?)and pinworms and are very low value nutritionally.

Zach, the grossest thing I saw was an albino Leopard gecko that I thought looked like after-birth! Yuk! It looked positively naked! I wanted to knit it a little sweater for the poor thing. To me, its like Paris Hilton designer lizards. Give me the normal ones any day. . .

In short, the only thing I bought was a big sturdy water dish for Chuffers.
But it was a good experience, as I had never been to an Expo before. It is good to go and learn what is dubious and what is actually OK.
I'll upload some pics tomorrow from work. . . (but my camera batteries crashed pretty early on, darn it!)

[Zach]

Probably had a fantastical name and triple the cost!

[SailleSkinklover]

I think they were asking around 200.00 for it, but I saw so much and was pretty overwhelmed by it all. I desperately wanted to "rescue" the Blueys I saw there, but had to walk away. I just can't support the dubious peeps that are trying to exploit the animals to make a fast buck. They were only asking 99 dollars for the Gigas and IJ, (full grown), but still.
The other vendor wiith the little Northerns sold one of them. (the ones he said he had imported from Europe) Poor little bean bags! Zach, or Andrew or anybody with babies, are they supposed to feel so soft and squidgy?
They're still adorable!

[Zach]

Babies can be pretty squishy feelings; particularly if they've just eatin....