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First Time Ever - A Reptile Show in MN!

Well FINALLY Minnesota is having it's first ever reptile and exotic pets expo next week: Sunday April 25th at the Holiday Inn next to the Mall of America and the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

Here's the Official website: http://mnreptileshow.vpweb.com/

If anyone reading this is from MN I hope you'll turn out and it will be a big hit and persuade them to keep having these shows. We've never had any reptile shows stop here before so it will be very special for us. I'll try and get photos and post them if they don't have a fit about it.
 
im sure bhb reptiles had a huge effect on it. They are the nations biggest snake breeders and they are in mn or michigan. Check them out as snakebitestv at youtube
 
I'll try and get photos and post them if they don't have a fit about it.

Most reptile shows are very photo friendly. Just make sure you ask the vendor if you want to get a closer photo that requires something like opening a cage or the like as they generally hate it when someone just pops a top off or swings a door open.

im sure bhb reptiles had a huge effect on it. They are the nations biggest snake breeders and they are in mn or michigan. Check them out as snakebitestv at youtube

BHB will have some epic cool stuff if they show up. They are probably one of the top 5 ball python morph makers out there. Seriously expensive stuff.
 
I'd never just yank the lid off a tank but I suppose there are some out there with a compunction to do so. It would be funny to see the critter bolt up onto the guys face like the Alien facehugger! :D

I've always wanted one of those green tree pythons in a jungle style vivarium but I'm not hip with having to feed mice, chicks, etc. so that's kept me from ever getting into big stuff like snakes and the more impressive herps like a frilled dragons or basilisks. I'd have a blast setting up a huge naturalistic vivarium for these guys with waterfalls and swimming pools but the mammal feeding thing keeps me from it.
 
I'd never just yank the lid off a tank but I suppose there are some out there with a compunction to do so. It would be funny to see the critter bolt up onto the guys face like the Alien facehugger! :D

Seen something like that a couple times. Once was a Phelsuma gecko, that turned into a fiasco cause those buggers are lightning fast took near an hour to catch the little bugger. The other was a whites tree frog, never heard a grown man scream so much like a little baby :-))

I've always wanted one of those green tree pythons in a jungle style vivarium but I'm not hip with having to feed mice, chicks, etc. so that's kept me from ever getting into big stuff like snakes and the more impressive herps like a frilled dragons or basilisks. I'd have a blast setting up a huge naturalistic vivarium for these guys with waterfalls and swimming pools but the mammal feeding thing keeps me from it.

Well I can hardly argue with that:

P5070062.jpg


But they have some wicked teeth:

PA020006_2.jpg


Best food for them is mice/rats. You do know that you can get frozen feeders right? All you do is thaw it out in some warm water and then grab with the forceps and either dangle it in the tank or do a "rat fairy" move.

If you want to research more about it I can direct you to some good forums or you can feel free to PM/email me too.
 
Geesus! Stay away from the mangroves eh? LOL

I think I will look into some CB baby frilled dragons instead since they have an insect based diet and only eat pinks or furry mice when people feel like making a thrilling you tube video (or giving their guys a special treat). I can handle feeding them roaches and phoenix worms.

I don't wanna raise mice cos their urine stinks, I had them as a pet when I was a kid and PEW! I know about the frozen feeders, but I've never seen them, how gross does a bunch of frozen mice look? Got any pics?
 
Geesus! Stay away from the mangroves eh? LOL

Mangroves are venomous which is why that bite looks so bad. Personally I will not do venomous snakes, too much of a risk. And I think people showboating their bites like that are just bad fr the hobby. Really there is nothing "cool" about that fact that you got careless and got bitten. To me it is a screaming mark of failure.

I think I will look into some CB baby frilled dragons instead since they have an insect based diet and only eat pinks or furry mice when people feel like making a thrilling you tube video (or giving their guys a special treat). I can handle feeding them roaches and phoenix worms.

I wish I had the room for a frilly but when they are adults they are like iguanas and need lots of space and I just do not have that at this time. Maybe in the years to come...

I don't wanna raise mice cos their urine stinks, I had them as a pet when I was a kid and PEW!

I hear that. I never even raised rodents but I know their stench well from working with them in the lab. Plus, there are my allergies...

I know about the frozen feeders, but I've never seen them,

If you are made of money, Petsmart and Petco have them for like $3/mouse. But there are at least 6 major online vendors out there who sell large quantities. I personally preferred MiceDirect, they had the best quality. Plus, being in GA (when I was in GA) I was able to just drive up and get them. I use a local guy here in MD, he is not a major supplier but he raises his own rats for his extensive snake collection and he has spares. So again I save on shipping. But even if you factor shipping in, mail order is cheaper than Petsmart/Petco.

how gross does a bunch of frozen mice look? Got any pics?

Ask and ye shall receive:

P4240001.jpg


Not all that gross at all IMO. Technically these are not mice, they are rats (chubs on left, smalls on right) but you get the idea.
 
Yep, them's dead rats! Thanks! LOL

I'll bet my cats could have fun with some of those. I usually throw away half a dozen dead mice/rats every summer that they bring me late at night.

Do you have to thaw the whole bag or are they "individually frozen"?

Any idea how they kill them so they're not poisonous to the animals that eat them?

We have a few pretty good sized herp shops around that sell them live or frozen but I haven't looked at the prices. I knew $3 per roach was way too much for a feeder when I could get a whole starter colony for $30 including shipping.

Yeah, I'd like to avoid being envenomated as much as possible! Especially since I could be allergic to the venom since bee stings have started to screw me up. It never used to but now I get kinda dizzy from a bee sting and have to go lay down for a half hour or so until my eyes stop jumping around.

If I get any frilled dragons they would be babies that could be held communally for a short while in my sliding front vivarium while I assemble a nice big enclosure. I'm thinking I would use my doorless closet as a big place for them about 5 ft W x 6 ft H x 2 ft D
 
  • #10
Yep, them's dead rats! Thanks! LOL

No worries

Do you have to thaw the whole bag or are they "individually frozen"?

Well they are frozen all as a batch but you just get singletons free and thaw it. I pop one out and toss it in a sandwich sized ziplock and then stick that in a 1000ml deli cup of hot water until it is thawed through. With pythons you need to make sure the food item is still warm (they hunt by heat, you can see the heat pits on my girlie) so I usually change out the water once the item is thawed out, a couple minutes in fresh hot water is all it takes to heat it through.

Any idea how they kill them so they're not poisonous to the animals that eat them?

They gas them with carbon dioxide

We have a few pretty good sized herp shops around that sell them live or frozen but I haven't looked at the prices. I knew $3 per roach was way too much for a feeder when I could get a whole starter colony for $30 including shipping.

Yeah they should be able to hook you up. And I hear you on the roaches too... That is why I went with a colony as well, got sick of paying ~$15/week on crickets

Yeah, I'd like to avoid being envenomated as much as possible! Especially since I could be allergic to the venom since bee stings have started to screw me up. It never used to but now I get kinda dizzy from a bee sting and have to go lay down for a half hour or so until my eyes stop jumping around.

Snake venoms (to the best of my knowledge) are a different than bee venoms but a sensitivity to one may indicate a sensitivity to the other... MY problem is that I am allergic to horses so if I ever get bitten I am screwed because anti-venin is made from horse blood...

If I get any frilled dragons they would be babies that could be held communally for a short while in my sliding front vivarium while I assemble a nice big enclosure. I'm thinking I would use my doorless closet as a big place for them about 5 ft W x 6 ft H x 2 ft D

Yeah that would do it for size.
 
  • #11
Yeah, I'd like to avoid being envenomated as much as possible! Especially since I could be allergic to the venom since bee stings have started to screw me up. It never used to but now I get kinda dizzy from a bee sting and have to go lay down for a half hour or so until my eyes stop jumping around.
At least your safe with your 'new' pets ... :poke: ... :0o:
I've got a Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula who bit me on the arm. That hurt a bit but it was nothing compared to when she threw some hairs on my arm. I came out in a red raw rash that itched like hell for weeks and was far worse than anything a snake has ever done to me.
...worst bite was orange baboon spider(see my post in spider section) take on the burm over the spider any day
... And went in to anaflactic shock from a Salmon pink terantula.
 
  • #12
LOL I know Tarantulas have venom but this is why I've got the most gentle species, I'm not ready to do battle with a baboon spider (or "Orange Bitey Thing" as they are commonly called), Pokie any of the old world T species known to be fast moving and aggressive. I also don't handle them any more than necessary since popular wisdom says it stresses them out to be taken from their enclosure and familiar surroundings.

Although I've noticed with my two that they seemed to have lost their confidence in being handled if you don't work with them continually. Mine generally just hide their faces now when you open their tanks and disturb them since I don't handle them all the time like the girls did at the herp shop. They seemed stronger willed when they came home compared to now, so I'm not really sure who's telling the truth. The online forums (don't handle) or the herp shop girls (handle all the time). To hold or not to hold, these gentle guys seemed more confident when they were used to be being handled. I know I myself would rather feel confident than scared so have been thinking of handling them more often to get their confidence back up.

In the times I have handled mine they didn't kick hairs or give any threats just explored my arms. At least with Ts (compared to Bees) they are visible enough to have a body language that you can read to gage their moods and see when they are receptive to interaction.
 
  • #13
No Frilled Lizard trio for me, that seller didn't accept credit cards :confused: and the show is on a SUNDAY when all the banks are closed so running there and writing a counter check can't happen either. When your critters are all $100+ I think it's high time to invest in getting a portable CC terminal setup like every seller at the orchid show had.

Oh well now I can take my time with tank decorating and by then maybe there'll be another show and I'll be wise enough to empty my bank account on the day before so I have a bag full of money to bring with since most of them were cash only. The guy from Go Lizards who organized the show said he hoped to do a few events in MN this year since the turn out was so good. I got a few (probably crummy) pics but it was so crowded it was ridiculous to try. Next time I will go early as possible cos from 12 - 2 PM it was a madhouse.
 
  • #14
No Frilled Lizard trio for me, that seller didn't accept credit cards :confused: and the show is on a SUNDAY when all the banks are closed so running there and writing a counter check can't happen either. When your critters are all $100+ I think it's high time to invest in getting a portable CC terminal setup like every seller at the orchid show had.


Dang! I did not even think to warn you about that... IDK why but a lot of reptile shows seem to be geared to cash only sales. In my experience the only vendors that accept cards are the ones with the seriously high end animals ($1k and above).

On the plus side it makes it harder to impulse buy...

Oh well now I can take my time with tank decorating and by then maybe there'll be another show and I'll be wise enough to empty my bank account on the day before so I have a bag full of money to bring with since most of them were cash only.

If you are set on doing it sooner rather than later there are a couple online sites I can point you toward that might be able to help you out.
 
  • #15
I definitely saw lots of impulse buying going on, especially people with kids since things like green iguanas, water dragons, savanah monitor babies were only like $15-$30. Sulcata Tortoises (the eventually huge ones) were only $20 or so. I wonder if any of the parents know what kinda dinosaur that cute baby tortoise will be in time? Snakes are efiniately the high priced items. The one I liked best was a red Kingsnake but they were plenty pricey, and there's still the mouse feeding thing... LOL

I like how interactive the frilleds are, they seem more alert than the others and appear to actually enjoy attention, which is what I'd like in a lizard instead of something aggressive or just plain scared to death all the time like the Anole.

I'll take a look at any suggested sources you may have. I've never intentionally ordered lizards by mail before but my cousin just ordered her latest chameleon pair from an online breeder and they're happy & healthy. Next time I see her I'm giving her a starter tub of dubia roaches so she'll be able to escape the cricket curse too.
 
  • #16
I am not saying there is no impulse buying, just that requiring cash pushed the level of impulse buying down.

I just saw on my reptile forum who some of the dealers were. You probably do not care overly much but some of the big names were there:

Jeff Ronne
Marc Baily
Dav Kaughman
Bruce Dellus
Gerek DeMeyer

I would have been in hog heaven had I had the chance to talk to just one of those guys let alone all 5...


As far a online sources: Kingsnake.com is a good place to start but the caveat there is that you get what you pay for most times so if it looks too good to be true odds are is cause it is. You could also try Fauna Classifieds. I will not do any business there because the owner of the site holds a massive double standard (long long story) but my bias does not necessarily mean you cannot find something there.

The other thing I would suggest is to check out some lizard forums or see if there is a frilly specific one. On one of those you are likely to be able to find a good small breeder who really treats and raises their animals right rather than a "flipper" or a "cranker".

And if your cousin wants, I have a massive surplus of lobster roaches. I'd be happy to send some out...
 
  • #17
It's true, I've never heard of any of those guys! LOL

Yeah, I found a frilly forum last week but unfortunately I've read much of it's archives all already, just like the allpet roaches forum, neither must have been up too long.

I haven't spoken to her about the roaches yet, only to her dad (my uncle) who's into iguanas, he has 2 greens and a rhino. He said he'd ask her if she's interested next time she comes around. He didn't like the crickets she fed her old chameleons when she lived at home cos they escaped and bred, he liked the idea they "can't" breed outside the tubs like crickets.

What do you feed your roaches to?
 
  • #18
I always liked this guy and his crazy-weird Cobras

Some cool Cobra pics from the site:
pic 1
pic 2

Seems to have all sorts of crazy stuff!
 
  • #19
It's true, I've never heard of any of those guys! LOL

Yeah, mostly ball python guys. But big names in the BP world.

Yeah, I found a frilly forum last week but unfortunately I've read much of it's archives all already, just like the allpet roaches forum, neither must have been up too long.

Let me ask around on my reptile forum and see if anyone there has some direction.

What do you feed your roaches to?

Phyllomedusa sauvageii
P8160002.jpg

P5310010.jpg
 
  • #20
Are those "Waxy Monkey Frogs"? Their eyes are so weird for some reason!

I've been curious why are snakes so outrageously expensive? They don't seem to be hard to acquire but they're always high ticket compared to other large reptiles. Do snakes not breed as often as other things?
 
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