What would you guys like to see at reptile shows?

[Sublimeballs]

I've been going to shows since I was a little kid. I remember so much more diversity at shows; now it seems 80% of the table space at shows are either ball pythons, Leo geckos, beardies, redtails, or created geckos. What would you guys like to start seeing at shows?

[RobsCornField]

Asian colubrids, Aussie pythons, and other assorted various species from around the globe. Heck, even some of the anolis subspecies are absolutely incredible, and I'd LOVE to see more of those widely available.

[Sublimeballs]

It's funny i had originally put in my post that I'd like to see Aussie pythons, and Asian colubrids; but removed it to not influence people's answers. Just funny that's the first thing someone says. Are the florida shows still like they used to be? I'm originally from boynton beach, but now live in NC. The reptile community is WAYYY different up here, but it isnt as regulated nowadays.

[MDT]

More ball pythons and Scentsy candles!!!!!!!.....can you EVER get enough?


I'm partial to Morelia, so I'd to see like more of them. But, market demands are what they are. Oh well.

[smy_749]

Anything but what you listed hahaha

[Aaron_S]

Everybody complains about what sells but no one does a thing about it. They always want someone else to do it so they can just SEE the diversity at a show. Most people won't actually buy.

If you want to see cool stuff, buy it/import it, raise it up and breed it and get a table. Get 2 friends to buy a different species each and split a table. Nobody wants to put the time and effort into doing something different.

[slowhite03]

Isn't that what everyone buys? Why wouldn't they bring what people buy? They do what everyone else does that's runs a buisness, try and make money. They have other reptiles but just not as much because they know only a select few will buy them. I have no problem with what vendors bring because I understand the buisness side of it.

[Sublimeballs]

I understand why there are so many of the animals I've mentioned. But I constantly hear from the vendors(around me I can't speculate on other parts of the country) that sell mostly balls that sales arnt what they were even 2 years ago. For a small home based breeding op I'd imagine with the over capitalization of said species that less common animals would be there logical progression. Now keep in mind I have no knowledge of how to run a business, nor do I on predicting the changes in the market.

[Starbuck]

i would like to see more colubrid diversity (any/all colubrids). There are so many options in terms of size ,color, temperment, habitat....

[Lankyrob]

I would like to see dragons, unicorns, orcs and goblins :)

[MDT]

I would like to see dragons, unicorns, orcs and goblins :)

I'd pay to see that! :)

[Jim Smith]

I'm with Starbuck on this one. I'm new to this hobby/obsession and I've only been to one Repticon show. While it was neat to see so many Ball Python, Sand Boas, Bearded Dragons, and Geckos, it got very boring very fast. I was hoping to see more colubrids, especially milk snakes and I saw exactly three in the entire show. I'll probably give it one more chance later this fall, but if it's a repeat performance, that will be the last show for quite a while. I certainly understand breeders wanting to bring what the public wants which appears to be Ball Pythons and Bearded Dragons, but if I were displaying at the show, I'd make sure I diversified my displays if for no other reason than to stand out from the other displays and perhaps getting some folks to try some different breeds to expand my target audience.

Jim Smith

[CK SandBoas]

Would love to see Roughscales, Indian Sand Boas, Russian Sand Boas, etc. Basically more variety with the Sand Boas :)

[Aaron_S]

I'm with Starbuck on this one. I'm new to this hobby/obsession and I've only been to one Repticon show. While it was neat to see so many Ball Python, Sand Boas, Bearded Dragons, and Geckos, it got very boring very fast. I was hoping to see more colubrids, especially milk snakes and I saw exactly three in the entire show. I'll probably give it one more chance later this fall, but if it's a repeat performance, that will be the last show for quite a while. I certainly understand breeders wanting to bring what the public wants which appears to be Ball Pythons and Bearded Dragons, but if I were displaying at the show, I'd make sure I diversified my displays if for no other reason than to stand out from the other displays and perhaps getting some folks to try some different breeds to expand my target audience.

Jim Smith

It will be a repeat performance.

Did you buy any of those milk snakes you wanted to see? If not, why?

[Aaron_S]

I understand why there are so many of the animals I've mentioned. But I constantly hear from the vendors(around me I can't speculate on other parts of the country) that sell mostly balls that sales arnt what they were even 2 years ago. For a small home based breeding op I'd imagine with the over capitalization of said species that less common animals would be there logical progression. Now keep in mind I have no knowledge of how to run a business, nor do I on predicting the changes in the market.

Most people don't know how to care for those other species or want to put the work into it.

[swolek]

Would love to see Roughscales, Indian Sand Boas, Russian Sand Boas, etc. Basically more variety with the Sand Boas :)

Same here!

I'd also love to see more rainbow boas, there wasn't much variety at the show here.

[CK SandBoas]

Same here!

I'd also love to see more rainbow boas, there wasn't much variety at the show here.

I actually see more Rainbow Boas at my two local shows then I do sand boas...I was drooling over a Hypo BRB last year :)

[swolek]

I actually see more Rainbow Boas at my two local shows then I do sand boas...I was drooling over a Hypo BRB last year :)

Ha, it was the opposite here! Plenty of sand boas (mostly Kenyans, of course) and only normal BRBs and CRBs (and the CRBs were at a single vendor).

Then again, the sandboamorph people were there so that added a lot to the number of sand boas :p.

[Sublimeballs]

Aaron, I know exactly what you're talking about with people not being willing to put in the effort to take proper care; I was looking for a cheap thermostat for a rescue redtail I took in, and not one local pet store carries thermostats. How are people regulating temps? I found the boa a home so he's good now, I made sure to ask the guy questions.

[Jim Smith]

In response to question posted by Aaron S. Aaron, no I did not buy any of the Hondurans I saw at the show for two reasons:

1. I have a Ghost Honduran and at the time, I was not sure of the sex of the snake and I want to breed it in the future. There was a male Ghost Honduran milk snake, but the person selling the snake did not know anything about the genetic make-up of its parents so I decided not to take a chance, especially since I wasn't even sure of the gender of my snake. I have since had her probed and it is female.

2. Also, I was looking for a specific genetic makeup to see if I could produce some snows and pearls. I have since found and purchased a snake that looks like I have at least a good chance at being successful at producing the snows and hopefully a pearl or two.

If I was simply in the market for another snake, the male Ghost Honduran would have gone home with me.


Jim Smith

[exwizard]

All of my Dums, I got from the reptile shows as well as my Brazilians and Mexican Black Kings. We even had a little joke that for a while, Dums were hard to come by at our local shows because we kept snatching them up. ;) If I were in a position right now to go to a show and buy other less common species I would. That said, I would like to see more species like Green Trees, Carpets and Madagascar Ground Boas and less Ball Pythons because I have not bought any of those, no matter how many I have seen there.

[Sublimeballs]

From what I'm hearing from others the shows near me actually seem to have a good diversity of species in contrast. But my favorite show used to be the gila production Raleigh show about 10 years ago with turn outs of 10,000 or more. It just seems the market as a whole has changed. Animals I used to see commonly have become few and far between and the prices asked for them are rediculous compared to what they used to be. Granted balls weren't in their haydays back then with infinite morphs.

[Derek Roddy]

What would I like to see more of at shows?.......enthusiast that are into the animals....not how much $ they can make breeding.

D

[Sublimeballs]

What would I like to see more of at shows?.......enthusiast that are into the animals....not how much $ they can make breeding.

D

I know what you mean Derek. I does seem the industry has lost some of the soul and passion, to make the big bucks. I'm getting a pair of pure kalatoa super dwarves to make sure these animals remain for future enthusiast to enjoy them; seeing how everyone is preoccupied with mixing out the genetics to mainland morphs to make more money.

[Sublimeballs]

What would I like to see more of at shows?.......enthusiast that are into the animals....not how much $ they can make breeding.

D

I know what you mean Derek. I does seem the industry has lost some of the soul and passion, to make the big bucks. I'm getting a pair of pure kalatoa super dwarves to make sure these animals remain for future enthusiast to enjoy them; seeing how everyone is preoccupied with mixing out the genetics to mainland morphs to make more money. Same with jampeas, I fear the pure genetics will be lost due to overcapitalization.

[Will0W783]

I'd like to see more Old World pitvipers. These snakes are so variable, beautiful and rewarding to keep...IF you have experience. So many times, it's just eyelash vipers and Gaboon vipers and monocled cobras around.

I personally own a variety of viperids, and I'd love to see things like Trimeresurus puniceus, Cryptelytrops insularis, C. macrops, C. purpureomaculatus, and the like more often.