They slither, they slide, they make some people’s skin crawl. But thousands of reptiles and amphibians – and the people who love them – turn their tails toward Tinley Park this weekend.
The Tinley Park Convention Center will house these animals from all over the world on Saturday and Sunday for the annual North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show.
(File photo)
Snakes, lizards, iguanas, frogs, turtles, tortoises and more will be on sale to the public.
The show is returning to the Southland for one weekend only before it travels to Houston to excite Texans during the Halloween weekend.
Breeders from all over the world gather for the show, which will include reptile and amphibian enthusiasts from Japan, England and Germany.
For the show’s 10th anniversary, buyers should expect a range of colors that cannot be found anywhere in the wild.
“It’s all about genetics now,” said Brian Potter, co-owner of the North American Reptile Breeders Conference. “We have been crossing colors.”
The new colors will be found in snake families mostly, with new patterns and combinations.
Potter said albinos have been crossed with clowns and then even two more color schemes after that to produce something never seen before.
“People can expect to see crazier combos than last year.”
The convention center will be filled with about 200 vendors, selling animals and accessories.
Prices for the squiggly things will range from $5 to $60,000, according to Potter.
The vendors mainly will be “hard-core” breeders, but there will be a few pet shop owners as well.
The pet shop owners also will be looking for new specimen to fill their stores.
The show’s vendors are familiar with large purchases.
Potter has made a significant pre-purchase himself, in fact. His $60,000 snake investment has not been hatched yet.
He said he is excited for “the entourages from Japan that spend big money” too.
Jessica Cohea, a junior at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, is interning at the SouthtownStar. She can be reached at jcohea@mwsp1.com.
GULF SPILL’S EFFECT ON REPTILES
Four speakers will present at the North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show throughout the weekend.
Presenters include Robbie Keszey, Brian Barczyk, Kurt Edwards and Susan Nowicke.
Nowicke is from the San Diego Herpetological Society and the Gulf Aide Project. She will discuss the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and how it has affected reptiles and amphibians in that area.
The Gulf Aide Project is a fundraising effort for the rescue and rehabilitation of the animals around Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
The people at the Gulf Aide Project are concerned with the animals living in these harsh conditions, as well as their future generations because the breeding season has been interrupted.
The people involved at G.A.P. believe “it is important for all of us to realize that the threat to the wildlife will continue long after the oil spill headlines fade from the national media,” according to www.gulfaideproject.org.
GO TO THE REPTILE SHOW
What: The North American Reptile Breeders Conference & Trade Show
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Tinley Park Holiday Inn and Convention Center, 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue
Admission:$15 for adults and $8 for ages 13 and younger
• Admission is free for ages younger than 5.
• VIP tickets are available for $50 and include admission to setup on Friday and early admission an hour before the show opens on Saturday and Sunday.
Phone: Brian Potter, (708) 932-8044
Web:www.narbc.com, where a $2-off admission coupon is available
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