Not enough tortoises!!

[Stephanie Logan]

So I drove all the way out to North Denver this afternoon, excited to attend the Rocky Mountain Reptile Expo. I parked the car in the crowded lot, paid my $7, and looked around at the different booths.

And looked.

And looked.

Finally I found the ONE booth with tortoises. Three adorable baby Pancakes named Flapjack, Buttermilk and Buckwheat (snark, snark), and two juvenile leopards with perfectly smooth cup-shaped shells. I have been longing to see baby tortoises moving around, and was not disappointed by the energetic Pancakes: walking, climbing, crowding each other out at the wall. They were just as charming and enticing as I had supposed them to be with their inquisitive expressions and lively bustle. I have nearly forgotten that I ever thought reptiles were boring.

Other than those little guys, and two parent leopards and a Russian in a tub under the table, there were three box turtles (I wanted to ask the proprietor about them but he was too busy discussing the snake around his neck with prospective customers). Everything else was snakes, which were coiled up tidily in their round transparent plastic containers or lizards scampering around small vivariums.

I must admit I was very disappointed. Now that I've seen all the handsome chelonian portraits from other expos on this forum my expectations have expanded accordingly. I am headed back to the photo and video sections of TFO!

 

[Yvonne G]

Stephanie:

I apologize for the time it took for this to post. I didn't know it was waiting in the "moderation" file to be approved. The announcement for events usually has to be approved by a moderator, but for some reason this post was there too.

Too bad the show didn't have enough tortoises. Was this the first Reptile show you had ever attended?

 

[TylerStewart]

I talked to one of the promoters (don't remember who) several months ago about doing the Denver show, but she told me that the Colorado authorities heavily enforce the 4" law, and that I would surely be cited if I had anything small there. I decided against going because I can't justify the trip without being able to sell the smaller stuff. Interesting that there were baby pancakes, though.... Maybe they didn't get enforced. Most states don't enforce the rule, or enforce it on water turtles but not tortoises.

 

[dmmj]

That sounds like the L.A. county fair reptile expo they have (usually twice a year), they usually just have a few turtles and tortoisesm but lots and lots of others including frogs.

 

[egyptiandan]

The people selling the tortoises may not have been a business Tyler or they may just not have been enforcing anything that day.
You need to go to California or Florida Stephanie to see lots of turtles and tortoises at an Expo.

Danny

 

[TylerStewart]

There were people in Utah ticketed last year that were selling tortoise babies that were not businesses. Others were ticketed even though they were showing them as "display only," myself and Waterland Tubs included. Sure it could probably be fought in court if anyone wanted to drag it out, but that day I had the option to get everything out of the building under 4", or have everything siezed.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

That's my complaint about reptile expo's too. All snakes and rats and mice. Last year I drove 500 miles round trip to stay at a reptile show for 15 minutes because there were no tortoises there. I don't go anymore...

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Stephanie:

I apologize for the time it took for this to post. I didn't know it was waiting in the "moderation" file to be approved. The announcement for events usually has to be approved by a moderator, but for some reason this post was there too.

Too bad the show didn't have enough tortoises. Was this the first Reptile show you had ever attended?

It was (sigh). I shall have to return to vicarious tortoise experience through the lenses of other TFO members, at much better Expos.

Yes, Danny and Tyler, one clearly has to live in a state whose climate is tortoise friendly and whose laws are pro-tortoise, to attract multiple tortoise vendors so that looky-loos like me come away happy!