There are so many places to purchase a reptile at, but you can’t always trust them. The reptiles aren’t always healthy, and are often kept in poor living conditions. There are better ways to get a reptile which is healthy and will live its life to the fullest, that is if you provide proper care. A reptile show is a great way to find all sorts of species.

Reptile shows are held all over the place, ranging from once a month to once a year. There are larger shows, such as the NARBC, and small local ones. There are a lot of ways to find reptile shows, such as searching on google using a city near by and the words ‘reptile show’. Kingsnake also offers a way to see reptiles shows, but I never figured out how, as the website is ridiculous and annoying. I’ve found this website and use it to find local reptile shows.

At a reptile show you have to be careful with the breeders. You should look all over the show before deciding on what to get. Once you find an animal you like, question the breeder, and look at their other stock. I often avoid a breeder that sells Wild Caught (WC), as I prefer Captive Bred/Born (CBB) species. This means avoiding a lot of breeders that sell small Iguana’s off to people. You will notice these breeders, and they often push sales more, and are generally the ones with lower prices. This is where parents go to buy their children’s reptiles. Stay away from them. There are a few in specific I’m not found of, but I will not name them here.

Generally you can question about what the animal is being fed, how it is being housed, and anything about temperature. You can ask all sorts of questions, and breeders will often explain to you the best care. It is best to look up this information before going to the show though, that way you know if they are giving you the correct advice. Don’t just go and buy because you like something, you may have no idea how to care for the animal. If you are really interested and have to have the reptile, find someone selling books and see if you can pick up a book on the reptile, this way you can look at it and compare it to what the breeder is telling you.

If you are going to go to a reptile show, make sure you bring cash. A lot of breeders don’t take credit cards, so you must have cash, or you can usually use the ATM provided at the show (which has a fee). Depending on what you plan to buy, you can bring $100 up to $500, and even more sometimes. Those with expensive reptiles often have credit card machines, as does Max Pet, who is one of the vendors at almost all shows I’ve been to. You also will want a cooler if you are planning on buying frozen rodents. I always bring more money than I need, and often bring a cooler and a few hand warmers in case I pick up a reptile and need to make a stop on the way home. This will keep the animal warm. This is also great for feeders such as superworms, that way they don’t freeze if it is cold out.