Shizuoka Reptiles Show

Sunday, August 4th, saw the conclusion of the 2013 Japan Reptiles Show in Shizuoka, Japan. I moved to Japan just a week before the 2012 show, and as such, I was unable to attend due to the business of getting settled into my new life in northern Japan. But I read Bob Applegate's online memo about the show, and watched SnakeBytes TV's highlight on the event, so I decided to go in 2013. I also spoke with the owner of the reptile store in Sendai, the closest reptile shop to me, and he mentioned that famous German breeders attend every year with booths at the show as well. After hearing about and seeing so many photos, videos, stories, and highlights, I had high expectations. It did not disappoint!

This was from the lookout above the show where people could eat lunch and sit while observing.

Snakes and Lizards

The author holding a whip snake.

The author holding a ball python.

There were several cages of albino green iguanas.

This guy was the size of a dinner plate.

This was goldfish scooping (金魚掬い) with salamanders instead of goldfish.

Freshwater eels for sale. I've never seen that before.

This guy was advertised as the highlight of the show:
An American White Alligator.

Despite being native to Japan, this was one of only a few
aodaisho hebi (Japanese rat snake) at the show.

Turtles and Tortoises

The Petting/Feeding zoo for kids.

Stage Demonstrations and Show

Guy who runs the show (I'm guessing) showing off a snapping turtle.

This lady is famous, and everyone in the audience knew her but me.
She's a famous t.v. personality, and I think someone told me she is
the Prime Minister's wife.

Second to last of the demo, the guy plopped a rattlesnake on stage, then provoked it so it would rattle. There was no barrier between him and the audience. Luckily, he got it back in the box okay (after dropping it once).

The finale of the display was Bob Clark's 6-meter reticulated python.

Invertebrates

Millipedes that looked like armored tanks. I'd never seen that before.

I found myself gravitating towards the
centipedes and millipedes after getting over my
fear by keeping a S. japonica.

This guy was huge! But I couldn't tell exactly what
kind of Scolopendra. The Japanese on the label was
very vague.

This guy was nomming down on a millipede.

This booth was selling ant colonies.

Silk worms are a common pet here as the leaves
they eat are readily available in Japan.

Mammals and Avian

Somebody brought their pet pot-bellied pig to the show.
Personal pets are allowed in the show.

This cat looked very interested in eating this bird.
Just below him there was a falcon looking very interested
in eating him.

This barn owl was this man's pet. 

This sloth was rather adorable. But also expensive.

The fennec foxes were among the most
expensive of the animals.

These porcupines got a lot of attention.

Meerkats are sometimes seen in reptile stores and were at several expo vendors.

A male fruit bat who showed off his erection at one
point. Or maybe he just hangs that way.

A hornbill. The price on him was almost as
high as the fennec foxes.