The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society also known as TARAS held its first annual Reptile Expo earlier this fall. Vendors, families, and enthusiasts gathered at the Absolute Baseball Academy to celebrate and learn about reptiles and amphibians.
Vice-president of TARAS, Garth Paytner, explains how the proceeds from the event help the conservation and education surrounding reptiles and amphibians.
“We bring together a lot of breeders and hobbyists, as well as people who are putting on an educational show to bring in that knowledge about the proper care of their captive pets,” said Paytner. “To gain knowledge of what’s out there in the wild and what their needs are and how to protect their ecosystems.”
Amanda Gollaway, owner of Tarantula Canada, based in Laval, Que., travelled to Calgary to showcase her love and passion for arachnids, a non-cold-blooded joint-legged animal that is widely appreciated by reptile and amphibian enthusiasts.
“We’ve been doing the expo for a few years,” said Golloway. “As far as time and cost efficiency go, it is worthwhile to go buy a plane and ship them out by air cargo,” said Gollaway in regard to getting her reptiles to Calgary for the expo.