Repticon’s Fang-tastic Exhibits Come to Fairgrounds

This weekend at Repticon, as you walk from the Boa Barn, which is exhibiting ball pythons, to Gecko Haven, which breeds Rhacodactylus and leopard geckos, to Afishionados, famous for its African giant tortoises, make sure you pass Mice Direct—they’re the food. So are the crickets and worms.

Such is the nature of the creepy-crawlies, slinky-slitheries, scaly, hairy (and sometimes scary) exhibits at Repticon.

Most of those attending will be fascinated, though. The herpetophobic tend not to attend, so the folks who own—and love—their pet chameleons, frogs and snakes will stroll un-squeamishly through the booths, often with enthusiastic kids in tow.

Repticon, based in Florida, now has shows in 29 cities and counting, which allow local and regional breeders and vendors to showcase their animals and merchandise. Best of all, they can share their expertise as guests interact with their animals and ask questions about their care.

The promotions director at Repticon, Jason VanderWaal, told Patch that Repticon hosts educational presentations at the top of every hour, given by the industry experts, including lessons as broad as general reptile keeping, and as specific as the husbandry of dart frogs.

"The show is expected to be bigger than last year, and with more attendees than in previous shows," VanderWaal wrote in an email to Patch. In addition to the show this weekend, Repticon will be returning to the on Sept. 22 and 23.

Howard Redding, a Waldorf, MD python hobbyist who attended Repticon last year, is setting up as a first-time vendor this year.

Redding recently launched Redding Reptile Breeders with his 31 pythons and has seen several successful clutches of eggs. He will be exhibiting his jungle carpet python hatchlings, which are currently the diameter of a pencil and less than a foot long.

They will grow to be five feet long, which sounds big, but isn’t—Redding also has an 8-foot female jaguar-morph coastal carpet python, and a 9-foot male diamond jungle carpet intergrade python.

"I just started actively vending this year," said Redding, who has driven as far as Chicago with his snakes, to attend a reptile show as a vendor. "I’d say I’ve done 9 or 10 [shows] now."

He’s feeling paternal. One of his females is currently incubating a new clutch of eggs, and she will not be setting up in Timonium with him.

Paperweight will be, though. Paperweight is Redding’s oldest python, and the first snake he ever bought.

"He’s four foot," said Redding, who bought the snake when he was 12 years old. Paperweight was only 18 inches then. The two have grown up together. If it's possible to be charmed by a relationship that's half cold-blooded, then we are most definitely charmed.

 

• When: Saturday, May 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tickets: Adults: $10, children 5-12: $5. Free for boy scouts, girl scouts and den leaders who attend in uniform, and for school employees who can show an ID or pay stub.