Main Travel

.... featuring New York area weekend trips with James and his Mom as they search for fun, excitement and learning adventures! ....


Iguanas, Snakes & Geckos - At the New York Reptile Expo

What James Says: Did you know that the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana is close to extinction, only 40 left in the wild? Me either. I didn't even know that there was a Blue Iguana or an Anegada Iguana, fewer than 200 left in the wild. I thought, "An iguana is an iguana, right?"

Now I know that there are many different species of iguana and that many of them are nearing extinction. I found out quite a bit at the New York Reptile Expo, and from talking to the people from The International Reptile Conservation Foundation,

I went to the reptile expo with my family, my Mom, Dad, brothers and sister. Yep, even my little sister went.

We saw hundreds, maybe thousands of snakes, turtles, frogs, and spiders, and all kinds of lizards including iguanas, bearded dragons, geckos, monitors and even komodo dragons. There were lots of people selling all kinds of reptiles and reptile stuff. There were also a couple of rescue groups like Sean Casey Animal rescue.They had reptiles for adoption that they had rescued and that could not be released into the wild ...like a six foot boa!

We also talked with some people who belong to reptile clubs like The Long Island Herpetological Society, and the Metropolitan Herpetological Society, These are vets, breeders and people with reptilian pets, who meet to talk about their reptiles. They help with reptile rescues and try to help others understand more about caring for reptiles and conservation. It was very interesting and cool. We got to hold bearded dragons and iguanas, and pet snakes and turtles.

The show is not for the squeamish though, because they also had boxes of like 1000 crickets, and huge cockroaches and whole rats, frozen. My Mom and sister were not too happy with that part!

I think if you like lizards and stuff you might like to have a look around next time the Reptile Expo is in town.

What Mom Says: We went on a rainy Sunday afternoon, so the Westchester County Center was a bit crowded, but it was full of other famlies and we learned quite a bit. The price was $9.00 for adults, $4.00 for ages 7 to 12, and kids under 7 were free.

We saw everything in under three hours, which included talking with vendors (approx. 200) and holding iguanas. We all found something interesting but the best time was had by Dad and our 9 year old son. Its a great outing for the reptile enthusiasts in your family, or just for a few hours of something different. It is primarily a selling expo so be prepared for the pleas for a new pet, even if it's just a harmless hermit crab.

Also, bring the wipes because touching is encouraged, and Salmonella bacteria and reptiles go hand and scale!

About the authors: James is the oldest of 4 kids. Mom is their Mother, a children's writer, educator & photographer. They live in New York with their Dad and pet dogs, cats, geckos, and turtles.

also see in Weekend Adventures -> Westmoreland Sanctuary

also see in Pets -> Snakes | Turtles