Skinks, snakes and scorpions: Check out the coolest critters we encountered at the Reptile Nation Expo
Pics from a cold-blooded convention this past weekend at the Cow Palace.
If it slithers, stings or has a scaly tail, it was probably on display this weekend at the Reptile Nation Expo, a two-day convention for all things cold-blooded.
Animal enthusiasts and critter lovers of all kinds packed into the South Hall of the Cow Palace in Daly City to gawk, shop and occasionally touch some of the many animals on display.
In the market for an exotic amphibian? This was certainly the place to be for the weekend. Vendors displayed a huge array of creatures — snakes, scorpions, skinks and more — and taught passersby how to be their best, reptile-friendly selves.
We saw snakes so powerful that their venom could kill 1,000 people with a single bite (google inland taipan…yikes), became pals with a snapping turtle named Peanut and saw a dragon with our own two eyes. Actually, now that we think about it… it could have been a skink lizard. We’ll get back to you on that. In the meantime, if you didn’t make it out to see any of the geckos, turtles or snakes (oh my!) in person — no worries: the Six Fifty had photographer Amar Dillon on hand to capture the creature convention. Take a look….
This year’s expo included over 60 vendors specializing in everything from dragons to dart frogs to rescue tortoises. Reptilian Nation holds other expos — they’re also in Denver, Las Vegas and parts of southern California — but they’re only in the Bay once a year. Reptilian Nation estimates that there were over 1,000 reptiles on display.
There were also some less friendly critters on display, like the numerous venomous snakes in attendance. Reptile experts present at the exposition this weekend took some time to explain how snake bites work and how to prevent being bitten by a pet snake. Sounds to us like advice worth taking.
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