What would you guys like to see at reptile shows? - Page 2

Jim Smith · 10-05-13, 04:48 PM

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

**Aaron_S** · 10-05-13, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

It will be a repeat performance.

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

Jim Smith · 10-05-13, 08:28 PM

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 · 10-05-13, 08:39 PM

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 · 10-05-13, 08:56 PM

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 · 10-14-13, 11:02 AM

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 · 10-14-13, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · 10-14-13, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · 10-14-13, 01:21 PM

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.