"Ball Python Portrait" Colored Pencil

This weekend there are two reptile expos I am excited about. One is the amazing National Reptile Breeder’s Expo in Daytona Beach, Florida that I have sent some art down to. It is a huge show with many of the best reptile breeders in attendance. They have everything from normal corn snakes to one-of-a-kind animals going for tens of thousands of dollars. They also have a great art show right on the expo floor. I met Tell Hicks the first time I was in the show. He is a great guy, very friendly and very talented. He gave me a greeting card print of a green toad that still hangs in my kitchen.

It’s hard to describe the NRBE; if you like reptiles at all or are just fascinated by them — or even just intrigued by the people who love them, the show is more than worth the trip. You can see and buy chameleons in storybook colors, anacondas coiled in plastic bowls, frogs that eat mice, and turtles older than I am. If you want a reptile (or amphibian or bug) chances are you can find it there, or find out who can get you one.

This weekend there is also a reptile show much closer to home for me, the Minnesota Reptile Show in Bloomington, MN. I have been to the two previous MN Reptile Shows and they are quite impressive despite the smaller venue. They have had a good selection of animals and supplies, and it’s great to see there are plenty of reptile people in my home state.

My toddler loves to look at all of the different snakes, turtles, and lizards on display. She doesn’t decide which ones she wants, she decides how many of each kind she wants! It is tough to say “no” when I love reptiles myself. All I have to do is look at the tanks full of cockroaches to remind myself that we aren’t ready for a bearded dragon. Yet!