HOWELL – The New Jersey Reptile Show had its second ever event recently at the VFW Post 2179 meeting hall on Port Monmouth.
According to the event’s website, this family-friendly reptile and exotic pet expo was meant to be a showcase where hobbyists, breeders, families, and the reptile-curious can come together to explore the amazing world of exotic animals. The event included appearances from some of the top exotic pet shops, licensed breeders, and animal care professionals.
Due to New Jersey’s strict laws on the sale and possession of exotic pets, there aren’t many reptile shows in the state, meaning that local sellers, breeders, and enthusiasts usually have to go out of state for an event like this. However, that also means that when an event like this is hosted in the Garden State, it gets packed wall to wall.
The event had over 60 tables to browse and shop from, with many of the tables selling live animals right from their booth, while other tables sold reptile care accessories.
Most of the vendors had a similar story with how they fell in love with their craft. They liked to find different types of reptiles in the woods as a kid and they could never let go of that child-like love for exotic animals.
For Richard DeBevoise, the owner of HJS Serpents, his love for reptiles grew when he bought his first ball python and the subsequent rabbit-hole he went down learning as much as he could about them. That love of pythons and other reptiles grew into a collection and eventually into a business.
Two Howell based organizations made an appearance at the show. Major League Exotic Pets, a popular exotic pet store located on Route 9 had a significant display of different animals.
The other Howell based organization at the show was Small and Furry Rescue, a local animal rescue organization dedicated to helping exotic pets. They work with local animal shelters because many of them don’t take reptiles.
One of the animals they had with them was a snake named Newark. Newark got his name because he was rescued after he fell through the ceiling into someone’s bedroom in an apartment complex in Newark.
Their work doesn’t just end with reptiles, as they provide services for every type of pet aside from the usual dog and cat.
As cool as it is to buy one of these exotic animals, they have to be taken care of properly. That is one of the reasons why representatives from Nautilus Avian and Exotic Veterinary Specialists attended the event. Nautilus is an exotic pet veterinary hospital based out of Brick who attended the event with the purpose of educating new pet owners. Nautilus provides several different types of services, helping to ensure that these animals remain healthy in their new homes.
The event also included many booths dedicated to isopods, and animal enclosure accessories. Another booth called Parties by Parrots had an activity where eventgoers could have their picture taken with exotic birds resting on their shoulders.
This event was put together by William Thomas, who runs shows all over the tri-state area. Thomas is a reptile enthusiast who has been a vendor at various shows from a young age, and it was the connections that he made through being a vendor that allowed him to start putting shows together himself.
Although no future event dates have been announced, Thomas said that they are looking to set up another show, possibly in a bigger venue because of the amount of guests this one had.
