Tygerr
Avid Member
Exo-Terra held their annual expo this past weekend in Kyalami - north of Johannesburg. Sorry if this post holds little relevance for non-South African keepers, but you might find it interesting to hear what is going on in the SA exotics market.
The show was much the same as the last reptile expo held at that venue in June (I think that one was sponsored by United Reptiles).
But, there were a few interesting new species that I haven't seen on display before.
One breeder had Caiman crocodiles! I don't know what the legal issues are around keeping these animals, nor do I know if they were even selling them (it was a very popular stand, and I didn't get a chance to speak to the breeders). But still, quite a sight to see 2 foot long live crocs at a reptile expo.
There weren't many chameleons on display, but Reptilians did have some pairs of Brevs (the same ones that have been on display in their store that they are trying to sell at the ludicrous price of R2400 per pair!).
Speaking of Reptilians, their Veiled chameleon display was once again a sad disappointment. They're still selling chameleons that are very much underage (they claim 6 weeks, but I suspect they're quite a bit younger). Also, they're packaging together 'starter kits' that are woefully inadequate:
(Apologies for the quality - this was taken on my cellphone at the June show, but they had the exact same setups at the Sept show again)
You can see from the image above that the enclosures are wood and glass. That's not the end of the world, since they chams they are selling are so young that they could probably do OK in a non-screen enclosure. But how many people realise that they will have to get a much bigger and better setup within a few quick months as the chameleon grows up?
That 'oak finish' is just a laminate, with no drainage, so after a little regular misting you can expect it all to peel off and the cage to start warping.
Also, you can tell by the red glow inside the cages that they are using infra-red bulbs as heat lamps (there are no regular incandescent ones). Also the UVB bulb is one of those compact flourescents that are not regarded too highly by the general chameleon-keeping community.
The spray bottle included in the package is completely the wrong type, and adds no value to this starter kit.
The calcium included is decent, but it is pure calcium (no Vit D3), so you would have to buy additional vitamin and calcium supplements too.
The main reason this set-up is so bad, is that as a starter kit it teaches new owners too many things that you would rather want to avoid in a good chameleon setup. If you see a setup like this, just walk on by... It's not worth it.
Reptilians were also selling ordinary household cockroaches! Whatever you do, DO NOT buy them. That's one sure way to start an infestation in your home.
The one cool thing that Reptilians did have though was stick insects. Awesome, beautiful, graceful creatures. And they weren't very expensive either. I plan to get some soon.
As for feeder insects, Steven of 'Ga-ga Grubs' fame was there and he had some really cool Lobster Roach setups. They are a bit pricey (R350 for a tub of about 100, but that includes quite a neat plastic tub enclosure):
PM me if you would like Steven's contact details (South Africa only).
I'm still not sure if I'm entirely thrilled with lobster roaches, since they're so damn fast, and they climb plastic with ease: it makes them very tricky feeders. But my chams seem to like them, and since my Dubia colony is still being established, the lobsters will do for now.
The show also included some interesting non-reptile exotics: emu birds (what do you do with these birds?), chinchillas (the cutest mammal alive) and of course the usual massive array of spiders and scorpions.
Hope to see you SA keepers at the next show...
The show was much the same as the last reptile expo held at that venue in June (I think that one was sponsored by United Reptiles).
But, there were a few interesting new species that I haven't seen on display before.
One breeder had Caiman crocodiles! I don't know what the legal issues are around keeping these animals, nor do I know if they were even selling them (it was a very popular stand, and I didn't get a chance to speak to the breeders). But still, quite a sight to see 2 foot long live crocs at a reptile expo.
There weren't many chameleons on display, but Reptilians did have some pairs of Brevs (the same ones that have been on display in their store that they are trying to sell at the ludicrous price of R2400 per pair!).
Speaking of Reptilians, their Veiled chameleon display was once again a sad disappointment. They're still selling chameleons that are very much underage (they claim 6 weeks, but I suspect they're quite a bit younger). Also, they're packaging together 'starter kits' that are woefully inadequate:
(Apologies for the quality - this was taken on my cellphone at the June show, but they had the exact same setups at the Sept show again)
You can see from the image above that the enclosures are wood and glass. That's not the end of the world, since they chams they are selling are so young that they could probably do OK in a non-screen enclosure. But how many people realise that they will have to get a much bigger and better setup within a few quick months as the chameleon grows up?
That 'oak finish' is just a laminate, with no drainage, so after a little regular misting you can expect it all to peel off and the cage to start warping.
Also, you can tell by the red glow inside the cages that they are using infra-red bulbs as heat lamps (there are no regular incandescent ones). Also the UVB bulb is one of those compact flourescents that are not regarded too highly by the general chameleon-keeping community.
The spray bottle included in the package is completely the wrong type, and adds no value to this starter kit.
The calcium included is decent, but it is pure calcium (no Vit D3), so you would have to buy additional vitamin and calcium supplements too.
The main reason this set-up is so bad, is that as a starter kit it teaches new owners too many things that you would rather want to avoid in a good chameleon setup. If you see a setup like this, just walk on by... It's not worth it.
Reptilians were also selling ordinary household cockroaches! Whatever you do, DO NOT buy them. That's one sure way to start an infestation in your home.
The one cool thing that Reptilians did have though was stick insects. Awesome, beautiful, graceful creatures. And they weren't very expensive either. I plan to get some soon.
As for feeder insects, Steven of 'Ga-ga Grubs' fame was there and he had some really cool Lobster Roach setups. They are a bit pricey (R350 for a tub of about 100, but that includes quite a neat plastic tub enclosure):
PM me if you would like Steven's contact details (South Africa only).
I'm still not sure if I'm entirely thrilled with lobster roaches, since they're so damn fast, and they climb plastic with ease: it makes them very tricky feeders. But my chams seem to like them, and since my Dubia colony is still being established, the lobsters will do for now.
The show also included some interesting non-reptile exotics: emu birds (what do you do with these birds?), chinchillas (the cutest mammal alive) and of course the usual massive array of spiders and scorpions.
Hope to see you SA keepers at the next show...
