NATIONAL REPTILE BREEDERS EXPO

I have kept turtles as pets for most of my life. I think my first turtle was one my Dad brought back from a day of fishing.

The second one -- when I was about five years old -- was a baby turtle which came in the mail from Florida. A woman my Mother worked with sent it to me. It's shell was painted red. My Father removed the paint.

I still have turtles in my life. I guess the "quest" to properly care for & keep them as been with me since that turtle in the mail. I have quite a large collection of turtles. Rare, exotic -- & valuable -- turtles.

Each year in August I attend the National Reptile Breeders Expo. It started 20 years ago in Orlando. When it got too big annually for that location, about eight or nine years ago, the Expo was moved to Daytona Beach.

The Expo is my "vacation" each year. I go visit my Mother for a few days in Wildwood, Florida, then head on over to Daytona Beach. I stay at the Hilton Ocean Walk Resort & spend a few days enjoying the beach. [Photo above] The Expo is held in the Ocean Center, a huge facility across A1A from the hotel. The Expo takes up the weekend, then I return to my Mother's & finally back to central Arkansas.

The Expo has hundreds of vendors selling snakes, turtles, tortoises, lizards & everything having to do with keeping them alive & healthy, such as cages, lighting, foods, etc. Attendance is in the thousands for the two day event.

I have been attending for the last 17 years. I never miss going. I have even survived two hurricanes to be there.

I see a lot of the same people each year. Many have become old friends who I look forward to seeing & talking to each year. I also meet many new people, some of which then become "old friends" in the following years. The number of people grows with each passing year.

One of the people I enjoy seeing each year is Russ Gurley from Oklahoma. Russ is a book publisher [Living Arts Publications] & book seller. Russ also heads up the annual Friday night "TURTLE TALKS". The speakers who appear & make presentations, are coordinated through Russ. Not an easy task, as many speakers come from overseas, but Russ pulls it off each year. The "talks" are always informative & entertaining. I enjoy them each year.

Russ has been an "old friend" now for several years. Besides buying a lot of books from him, I am not sure what I have done to deserve the kindness he shows me each year. [Truth be told ... Russ is well known & respected by everyone. An example is the attendance at his selling table. It's always busy with visitors & people wanting to talk to Russ. EVERYONE seems to know Russ.]















Russ Gurley - Center, dark blue shirt

A "new friend" I made this year is Dr. William Zovickian, a dentist from Georgia. "Dr. Z's" life-long interest has been keeping & breeding Radiated Tortoises, a large, rare, endangered tortoise from Madagascar. I had known of Dr. Zovickian for many years & it was a real treat to meet & talk with him. Actually, it was one of the MAJOR highlights of the 2009 Expo.

Dr. William Zovickian -- center/black shirt

Below are some of the tortoises from Dr. Zovickian's breeding efforts. His "high yellow" Radiated Tortoises are in much demand -- which includes ME -- & they command premium prices. As noted, they are endangered, Federally Protected & require a U.S. fish & Wildlife Permit to own & transport. [I'm getting there. I do have a permit for Radiated Tortoises. Only missing one thing -- THE TORTOISE.]

I thank my "new friend" for providing me the pictures of some of his tortoises.



Color variations of Radiated Tortoises belonging to Dr. William Zovickian.

I have a good time each August in Florida; visiting with my Mother, working on my tan & viewing & buying various turtles & books at the Expo. Seeing old friends & meeting new ones is just the icing on the cake. I am already planning my 2010 vacation.