Reptile Event Watch – CRBE

This past Saturday was the biggest reptile exposition of the year, the 2nd round of the now annual Canadian Reptiles Breeders Expo.
Along with the CRBE, the GTA region has about five expos per year, with additional expos in central Canada taking place in Ottawa and Montreal. The CRBE is the biggest of them all, taking place at the International Center in Mississauga and drawing vendors and people alike from all across Canada, and even the United States.
One of the best upgrades the CRBE offers is a change in venue. The International Center provides tons of space for both the increased number of vendors as well as the increased number of people who attend. For any person that has been to a standard Mississauga expo, you’ll well understand how crowded things get! The crush of people gets so overbearing that you just want to grab what you came for and get out of there as soon as possible! The International Center gives you room to browse and shop with contentment!
Of course, the CRBE is top notch because it’s more than just animals and supplies! The best part of the whole event is the speakers! On the Saturday Greg Graziani from GrazianiReptiles.com spoke about ball python breeding, lending advice to novices and experts alike! Neil Meister is a Canadian gecko expert and focused his presentation on the husbandry of leaf-tailed geckos. Brian Barczyk of SnakeBytesTV, a greatly revered celebrity in the reptile community provided a laughter filled question and answer period.
Reptile expos are the best place to purchase animals directly from the breeder so you know where your animal is coming from, to get the best selection of different morphs and species, to get care information from people who have made a living raising these animals, as well as finding the best prices.
If you can only choose one expo to attend throughout the year, make it the CRBE, it’s the biggest and the best, and it’s only going to grow over time!

Wild Encounters - Dekay's Brown Snake

I always have my eye low to the ground and on the lookout for native Canadian reptiles. Many times it’s with little reward, but sometimes to get a surprise! After having never stumbled upon a wild DeKay’s snake in my life, I found two within a week of each other (unique individuals). Take a look at this video that was taken before this little guy’s release!

Little Res Q

Do turtles make good pets? Not for everybody.
Is it because they’re mean? No.
Is it because they get too big? Might be larger than some people expect, but many options stay fairly manageable.
No, turtles make bad pets for a lot of people because they live so long. How long is a highly debated topic, but for the red-eared slider, probably close to 50 years. The red-eared slider is the most common turtle found in the pet trade worldwide, but it is also the most abandoned. This turtle, native to the southern United States, is often released into ponds, rivers and lakes in foreign countries, such as here in Canada, and the slider is well adapted to make its home here, competing with the local turtles for food and habitat.
That’s not the only part of it though, just like any other pet, buying a turtle means you’re making a commitment to take care of the animal for life, but when that life is as long as a turtle, a lot of times university, work or family life comes in between that initial responsibility. So there are a lot of turtles out there needing rescue, rehabilitation, and loving homes.

Thank god for the Little RES Q! These volunteers found in several locations throughout Ontario take in unwanted turtles, mainly the popular red-eared slider, and do their best to find loving homes for them. If you’re set on having a turtle as a pet and have done your research on their care requirements, you can help by adopting an adult animal instead of purchasing a baby! Check it out at littleresq.net!