Expo is reptile-lovers’ paradise
ADAMS TWP — Some children have dogs, some have cats, others have snakes and lizards as pets.
Maci Todd, 11, of New Castle, was perfectly at home Sunday, May 14, as snakes wrapped around her arms and torso at Mars VFW Post 7505, where she and her reptile-loving grandparents went for the Mars PA Reptile Expo.
“I have always liked them,” said Maci’s grandfather, Larry McConahy, of Slippery Rock. “When I was young I learned to catch them and hold them.”
Mike Candice, of Wheeling, W.Va., brings his reptile show to communities mainly around Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, and introduced “a couple hundred” animals to the people of Butler County on Sunday morning.
Reptile habitats filled with different species lined tables around the VFW, and Candice would help visitors hold whatever snake, lizard or even tarantula they wanted. He said getting to touch the animals is a big reason why people attend reptile shows.
“At the zoo you can see (the animals) if it’s a nice day, they’re there panting in the sun,” Candice said. “Here, you can handle stuff and see them up close.”
Candice said the popularity of reptile pets has grown in the decades that he has been collecting them, and now there are many more opportunities for enthusiasts to show off their collections to the public.
“Ten years ago there was like two or three shows around,” Candice said. “Now there’s like 100 shows around the country.”
In addition to the reptiles on display at the expo, there also were other vendors selling items such as pet food and even knives to visitors.
Candice said he has seen many people attend reptile expos go from being curious about them to having a snake wrapped around their arms. To him, the appeal of owning reptiles as pets is that they are relatively low-maintenance, and they can be affectionate.
“They will come and see you, there is a proper way to pick them up and hold them,” Candice said. “It’s always nice to have something around.”
McConahy said he and his wife, Phyllis, McConahy, often go to reptile events to meet with other enthusiasts, because, the two sell lizard-themed shirts and merchandise. On Sunday, they got the added benefit of seeing their granddaughter bond with some friendly snakes.
“We wanted to see what kind of people were coming to,” McConahy said. “We just came to see if there was anything interesting.”
