Shows

My son and I just returned from Repticon Dallas. We went mostly just to support the show (we are not looking to purchase another animal) but picked up some frozen feeders and decor.

As I walked from booth to booth, looking at the various reptiles for sale, the thought occurred to me - such a bright and busy environment must be stressful for some of these animals.

I’m not trying to imply any neglectful or harmful intent by the breeders. I realize table space is limited, and the more of the animal that people can see the more interested they will be. It just got my mind wandering...

How can the stress of a show (travel, display, etc) be minimized for the snake?

Shows can definitely be a stressful time for snakes. My adults could care less about bright lights and people clustered, hopefully, around the tables. They would love it if someone wanted to liberate them, even for a short time, so they could explore. The hatchlings, on the other hand, don't like being exposed and dragged from their hides. To minimize the stress we put a layer of aspen shavings in each deli cup, just enough so that at least part of the hatchling could be hidden. Each cup was labeled, so that if anyone had a preference of morph, we could then let them have a closer look. At some shows it was obvious that buyers were few and far between, or weren't interested in corns, so we packed up early and left. Sometimes we put out a limited number of corns, but held the rest behind the table in covered containers. If we had a prospective buyer we would ask if they were looking for a specific morph, and could bring it out, if we had one.