Last year, Nick, Wesley and Mark, part
of our show staff, had no obvious facial hair and no girls constantly
texting them on their phones. I'm getting older.
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Western Diamondback ( Crotalus
atrox ), one of the main things keeping Tucson from turning into an
LA suburb.
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Even albino atrox look mean.
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Copperheads are so much more docile
looking.
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Tanya, about to punch out her
significant other. She ran the show desk with an iron fist.
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Ball python bracelets are making a
comeback.
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Western Blue-Belly Lizard lying on
it's back. Typical pose for the species.
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Jimi, in some secret greenhouse in an
undisclosed Tucson backwater has begun breeding genetically
engineered exotics. These plants have been modified to excrete pheromones
that attract humans rather than bugs as pollinators. This explains his huge
smile, costumer base and wad.
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The crowd at the show was like this
all weekend, but the 15,000 square foot hall supported it well. Parking
was the only problem. I'm working on a solution at this time. Next year
parking will be better.
Promise, Mark
@(-.-)@
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Frank knows more about monitors,
snakes, well everything, then anyone I know. If you have any questions
for him, or are suicidal and just need someone to talk to, feel free to
call him at (520) 565-2817. |
Angel's booth was next to Frank's,
explaining why she is trying to hold her ear onto her head. It fell off
from overuse. Fortunately, Dr Funk (on left) our show vet, was able to
sew it back on.
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Lunch
I bought a copy of The Culinary
Herpetologist by Ernest Liner at the show. Tortie, above, was a 65lb.
sulcata until he became Turtle Cacciatore (p.242), Tortoise Stroganoff
(p.259) and Turtle Chowder Deluxe (p.261).
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Christian's fiancée, is also a
failure at the Vulcan hand greeting. Live long and prosper anyway Nicky.
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Esskay MFG. which manufactures most of
the plastic rocks, water bowls etc. that you see at Petco, Petsmart etc.
were a lively group.
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Dust was a big seller?
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I bought Joey's snake in the left
corner. I think I've bought one of his prints every year. Christina
unfortunately lost her body in a terrible framing accident, but her
head, sitting on the table (right) still has a smile.
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All The Way with LVJ Reptiles.
You have to be old or be a history
buff to know what the above pun is. Hint:
ran against Goldwater.
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Randy, about to perform his famous chameleon
imitation, is readying his tongue for a quick strike.
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Robert was outstanding as the shows AV
guy. Sadly, I did it in high school too.
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After seeing Randy's magical tongue in
action fans all over the show were trying to catch flies.
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Sorry Jennifer, it take more than
hunger and desire to be a chameleon.
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Hanna, the proprietor of Reptile
Specialists is always smiling. She just had a baby a few months ago. How
much longer do you think the smile can last?
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Tere & John of Obsession Dragons.
Well, if you have to be obsessed with something, better dragons than
Ideology*.
*Same line I used for Reptile Fanatics
last year; sorry, coming up with all this stuff takes a lot of sleep
depravation.
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Madagascar Tree Boa, juvenile, bred by
Moore Snakes.
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As you can see, I'm obsessed with
girls that like snakes.
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This Reticulated Python is removing
Meagan's* bra. If I tried that I'd be slapped.
*Meagan, sorry about
getting your name wrong. Mark
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Ann of Bowl You Over makes ceramics
and jewelry. She is also an animal psychic. Unfortunately there were so
many reptiles around that were in fear of getting eaten by other
reptiles (it's a snake eat lizard world out there) she was getting a lot
of bad vibes.
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Billie of the AHA training a future
snake buyer. Thanks to the show, more and more Arizonians are getting
into reptiles and amphibians.
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Mouth wasn't taped at first, but after
the first child got eaten we decided the liability insurance might not
cover two, thus the electric tape.
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A second picture of my daughter Mia.
Many of the vendors aren't in pictures this year. Sorry if I missed you,
but it's my website, and considering what I do to many of the lucky ones
who got there picture in, consider yourself fortunate if I left your ego
intact.
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Halfway through the show Vanessa realized
that instead of water-based little kid face paint she was using
experimental needlelss tattoo ink. Well, at least she's a good artist.
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By Honey, I'm taking the lizard for a
walk. Be back in a few.
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The T-Rex Museum had a fossil dig for
kids and went through something like 5000 fossils.
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Dr. Paul Hamilton, Director of Reptile
Research, set traps around his booth to capture rainforest volunteers. I
think he may have caught a few.
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For those who's significant (or
insignificant) other wouldn't let them bring home a lizard, snake or
even a tortoise, Trini and others sold reptile related jewelry,
ceramics, artwork and clothing.
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Sam, the owner and director of the
T-Rex Museum made a couple of thousand kids very happy. Must be those
rose colored glasses. My purple ones were cooler though.
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Scott Potts and his padawan learner. I
accosted Scott at the show for wearing a Trojans tee-shirt--I went to
UCLA. I was quickly embarrassed to learn that is was a Prescott Valley
high school team shirt.
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I'd say something funny, but if you
saw her husband, you'd keep your mouth shut too.
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Even before puberty Isaac intuitively
displays the proper snake grip.
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This whole row of display cages was
falling over backwards and Ron of the AHA gallantly held them up the
entire show.
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Sam brought an actual Triceratops
skull for display. The thing was probably worth more than the 15,000
square foot building the show was in.
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I got a pyro hat short for Lampropeltis
pyromelana (Arizona Mountain Kingsnake). As I'm terrible at
finding them, I'm hoping it will change my luck.
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The Phoenix Herpetological Society
brought a colossal collection of exotic herps to the show, including
this Gabon Viper.
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And this Albino Indian Cobra. Sorry
about the picture quality
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And this Horned Viper. About to take a
dump.
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Josh, Kelly and Keith
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Bill was driving everyone crazy with
his new Indonesian exercise program. It consists of constantly, hour
after hour, day after day, stroking this wooden frog, making a croaking
sound. He sure looks good though.
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Sam of the T-Rex talking with one of
the last Jerrysauruses known to exsist
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Eric of Zoo Book Sales was one of the
last to leave the show. Based in Minnesota, or is it Wisconsin? I can't
keep the two straight, He wasn't looking forward to a return to the
tundra. At least he didn't have to cart as many books home as he arrived
with.
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Maggie was selling
chronosynclasticinfindibulators*. In addition to purifying the air they
allow the open mind to travel between parallel universes. As you can
see, Maggie is currently in a different universe from her customer.
*Vibrator attachment
optional
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This year, Don of Shorr's E'nuff
Snakes won the award for the longest continuous rows of quality deli
cups. I believe they are Solo Crystal-Clears. Oh, his snakes were cool
too. See below.
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Kirby's black market in lawyer eating Kingsnakes
flourished at the show. Doctors, Vets, used car salesmen, drug company executives
and anyone hounded by lawsuits were buying up the barrister hungry
serpents like canteens at an oasis.
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Some of Don's Honduran Milk Snakes. In
this picture alone there are normals, tangerines, albinos, tangerine
albinos, ghosts and hypos. Look out corn snakes.
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Everyone was looking down at Nicky's name tag
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Future Bill Love poster girl, if her
family lets her
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Jonas from the KLPX Morning Show is a tortoise
guy. I assume his daughter is a tortoise gal.
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Amanda gave a great lecture on sex
ratios*
*and also talked a bit
about Dart Frogs
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Kim, Cindy, Marsha and many others
manned the entrance and collected money. In order to assure loyalty,
the green ink in the show tee-shirts was impregnated with venom from the
Inland Taipan, the world's most deadly snake. As I possessed the only
antivenom this side of Sidney, the staff was well controlled.
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Chris of Radical Reptiles sold rad
cages and snakes that only crawled to the left.
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Government antidiscrimination statutes
forced us to have a mammal at the show. We named the chinchilla 'Token'.
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Armed with snake grabbers and
dangerous.
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JC Reptiles was without the calming
influence of C* this year, and did they get wild.
*Christina
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