Reptile show etiquette??

Good evening all. I'm planning an enclosure build and plan to attend the Reptile-expo in New Hampshire on March 31st looking for 2 BP's. My two children ages 9 and 7 will be joining me and my wife. I have never been to this type of event and am looking for advice for me and the kids so I can prepare before we go. Obviously DO NOT TOUCH will be stamped on the back of there eyelids so they don't forget. How busy do these things get and what do I need to bring with me for my trip home with my 2 new pets? Its about a 2.5 hour trip home. Is haggling except-able or frowned upon? What kind of questions should I be asking? Thinking: what is it eating? when was last meal? when was last shed if at all? Male or female? I am sure I'm missing something obvious here.

Thanks
Gunkle

For bringing home two snakes, just bring two ventilated tupperware/tubs the snakes can fit in. When you purchase the snakes, they will be put in a breathable cloth bag that is tied, so you can put that in the tubs.

Haggling is acceptable more on Sundays since it's the last day and most vendors don't want to bring all their animals home. But not low-balling... I usually haggle 15%, and if it's rejected then I'm just fine with it LOL. I don't know if that's too little or too much, but that's just me!

I'd also pre-treat your enclosures with PAM (provent-a-mite) a few days in advance of the show, to make sure it's 100% dry. Shows will always have mites coming from somewhere, so in case just to prevent an infestation! It's deadly to animals when wet, but 100% safe when dry and will only kill mites.

Your questions sound good, but I'd also ask for a complete feeding history and if it has refused meals before, if it's a hatchling/young snake.

A lot of the transport info would depend on ambient temps etc. I'd normally be thinking of a cooler with reptile heat packs - but that is entirely because I am in a cold country in the middle of winter. If you are in a heated car then you would need to re-think that whole approach to avoid overheating them.

Haggling is ok I think but try not to be too aggressive and end up low-balling. ;)

I'd also ask how the food was prepared and offered just to try and keep to a similar approach until the animal is settled. It's more of a must ask for F/T than live obviously but there may be things the seller does you hadn't thought of.

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Originally Posted by dr del

A lot of the transport info would depend on ambient temps etc. I'd normally be thinking of a cooler with reptile heat packs - but that is entirely because I am in a cold country in the middle of winter. If you are in a heated car then you would need to re-think that whole approach to avoid overheating them.

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They will most likely be placed in the rear of an SUV so maybe a cooler with some heat packs and one of the thermometers from the enclosure to keep an eye on it but with the lid propped open. We are in CT and the expo is in New Hampshire so that date could be anywhere from 30F to 80F depending on how cranky Good 'ole Ma Nature is feeling. Hell it might even be snowing.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Haggling is acceptable more on Sundays since it's the last day and most vendors don't want to bring all their animals home. But not low-balling... I usually haggle 15%, and if it's rejected then I'm just fine with it LOL. I don't know if that's too little or too much, but that's just me!

I'd also pre-treat your enclosures with PAM (provent-a-mite) a few days in advance of the show, to make sure it's 100% dry. Shows will always have mites coming from somewhere, so in case just to prevent an infestation! It's deadly to animals when wet, but 100% safe when dry and will only kill mites.

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Thanks for the Mites tip. I'm not usually much of a haggler as I feel people should be able to make a few bucks for their time but I do try sometimes. The expo is a one day event I think.

May I reccomend one of those wireless outdoor/indoor thermometers then? - you could place the outdoor section directly inside the container with the bp's and keep the main unit beside you just to be sure nothing is going out of limits.

And then use it in one of the enclosures once you got home. :D

as far as the snakes coming back with you like redshepherd saidis good. anything nice and dark is awesome. and as for heat it will be fine ..unless youre in russia lol

The crowds depend on the show, but I would expect to have to squeeze around other people at least some of the time, particularly around popular breeders. Do not touch is a pretty good mantra. ;) Some vendors are more open to it than others, but many will have display cases that prevent touching.

I would be sure to take a cooler, simple styrofoam is fine, to keep the new addition(s) at as steady a temperature as possible. Prolonged exposure to cool winter air can chill them and risk a respiratory infection, but they can also get extremely overheated by sunlight shining on them through a car window. You can put a bottle of hot tap water in it to warm it up while you travel to the show, so it should be comfortable for them on your way home. You can also use the warm water bottle while they are in the cooler, but if you do that you want it to be wrapped in a towel or something to keep them from direct contact with anything over 80-85F. They should also have the ability to move away if they get too warm if you keep the bottle in there with them. Also, if the bottle is left in the cooler, make sure it can’t fall over or roll onto the snakes.

Some breeders are more firm about their prices than others. It doesn’t hurt to ask if they can do better on a price, but be prepared for the answer to be no. As for questions to ask, I’d aim for the following:

1. Hatch date or approximate age (if the seller is not the breeder).
2. What is it currently feeding on: live, prekilled or frozen thawed as well as what type and size of prey item (rat vs mouse).
3. When was the last feeding and how frequently is it fed. If it’s a young hatchling, how many times has it fed.
4. Most already label with the gender, if not labeled do ask. You will often see 1.0 for male, 0.1 for female, and 0.0.1 for unsexed.
5. Ask what type of setup they are currently housed in. This will give you an idea of what they are used to as compared to the setup you may have.

And most important, have fun!

In any car ride (any time of year) I always transport snakes in an ice chest -no ice :rolleyes:- or styrofoam shipping container. This ensures they aren't over-heated
(& killed!) by excess heat (sun streaming into vehicle or heat rising from under-insulated floor of vehicle, etc) or chilled by the colder temperatures in winter,
or even by the air conditioning that humans might need but snakes don't.

Normally I use snake bags (cloth) but for new acquisitions, secure & ventilated plastic 'food' containers are best...you want to keep them quarantined from each
other, ideally...especially if they came from different sources.

I don't recall ever haggling @ a snake expo, but nothing wrong with making an offer IMO, especially on the last day of event. FYI, I make offers on ebay & for
that, an offer of 20% less than asking price is considered "good" (not impolite) & usually accepted. I've been known to go lower than 20% off when I know
the seller's prices are jacked up for what they're selling...but for that you need some expertise on the current prices for whatever market you're in...(not talking
about snakes on ebay, obviously).

I want as much info as possible on snakes: hatch/birth date, feeding record (be sure that includes exactly WHAT it's being fed...mice? rats? size!). Breeders
often don't record sheds, as nice as that would be to know.

Never hurts to bring your own hand sanitizer...& don't plan to handle animals you aren't really serious about buying. It's stressful & risky for the animals.

Pay close attention to the snakes health: LOOK FOR MITES! DO NOT BUY IF YOU SEE THEM ON A SNAKE. Yes, you can treat for mites, but they also spread
diseases that are best avoided, & removing mites may be too late to prevent infection.

Overall signs of health: normal tongue flick, tips not stuck together; no wounds or stuck shed or feces on cloaca; symmetrical body shape (indentations can
be broken ribs etc); clear eyes (no wrinkled eye caps); LISTEN to snake breathing (no whistling/squeaking/crackling sounds- that indicates RI); no bubbling
or foaming in mouth (RI); ask seller to show you inside snake's mouth (look for mouth rot). (stuck shed isn't that big of a deal, just part of the picture)

Reptile shows are awesome places, but atleast in my experience, they can sometimes get too crowded to really enjoy as much as you could. Really inspect anything your looking to buy, as everyone else said. Most breeders are happy to let you hold the animal, but I think that at a busy show, you should only ask to hold snakes you have an interest in purchasing. Gotta understand that at most of the tables, there’s only one or two people working it, and they can be surrounded by hundreds of snakes they’re trying to sell, as well of many people to keep track of to assure the safety of the animals.
I think that shows are the best place to pick up F/T prey as well. Best prices you can get and dont have to pay for them to be shipped.


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If you don't already have one, a digital temp. gun can be a great tool to quickly and simply verify if temps "feel" okay or are indeed safe. Also, that show can be crowded and people can appear to run short on patience and awareness of others around them so you may need to create space for them to be able to see and not get trampled if they're more reserved.

Remember that it's a LOT of work for the sellers to be there: they may have traveled many miles to do so, & besides working hard to set up & keep track of
everything, they need to not only answer questions & show their animals, but make sure nothing is stolen from them & keep everything safe from clumsy hands.

Reptile expos are a lot of fun, with lots to see & buy ;), but they are frightening for the animals & exhausting for the vendors. :snake:

Oops, I forgot to say create space for your kids, the "them" in my post never was defined.

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Originally Posted by gunkle

Is haggling except-able or frowned upon?

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Haggling is acceptable if you are buying a high priced snake and/or multiples and you are paying CASH. If you are buying snakes in the $50-100 range: don't try to haggle.

Haggling Tip: Count your cash out on the vendors display table and spread it out when you make your offer--Usually a crowd will 'shoulder in' to see what you are buying and the vendor will experience a great deal of pressure to successfully complete a sale. More than once I've had breeders turn my offer down only to be 'overridden' by their wives seconds/minutes later as they stare longingly at the money...

This has more to do with customer to customer manners. When I go to any shows, it is quite annoying to see groups of other people just standing, chatting away and blocking what usually is an already crowded, narrow corridor or walkway. These shows can take place in a large conference room to am auditorium but most repticons are held in smaller space than an auditorium where space can be limited as you try to pass through the crowd. If you made your purchase or you are not buying, please move to the side so others can pass through. This is especially welcomed by those in wheelchairs or strollers who are trying to enjoy the show as well.

My last suggestion is keep your goal in mind. Remember what you came for and try to stick to it. It can be tempting to pick up a different animal and/or more animals than you had prepared for. Impulse buying is rampant at these shows and it is quite tempting to rush and get something because someone else did as well. I had done it a few things, walking in to get a corn (original first choice) but end up with a Children python.

At the same time, if you do change your mind, it is not a bad thing as long as you do your research and know your commitment to the animal, and know your limits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Haggling is acceptable if you are buying a high priced snake and/or multiples and you are paying CASH. If you are buying snakes in the $50-100 range: don't try to haggle.

Haggling Tip: Count your cash out on the vendors display table and spread it out when you make your offer--Usually a crowd will 'shoulder in' to see what you are buying and the vendor will experience a great deal of pressure to successfully complete a sale. More than once I've had breeders turn my offer down only to be 'overridden' by their wives seconds/minutes later as they stare longingly at the money...

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Oh you're GOOD! :cool: Dang! :rofl:

Thanks everyone some great tips here. The whole family is looking forward to the Expo. Now I need to get cracking on those enclosures. The wife wants to make a weekend of it and find a room somewhere the night before as a mini vacation with the kids.