Repticon reptile show in Orlando draws more than 2000 people

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Repticon reptile show in Orlando over the weekend drew more than 2,000 enthusiasts of snakes, lizards and turtles.

During Repticon, big rats were sold frozen in packs of five for $26. For those who wanted to buy in bulk, tiny and hairless rat pinkies retailed in bags of 100 for $75.

People at the reptile show were passionate about their pets. "If you went a week without watering a pet hamster, you have a dead hamster," said Steve Beamer, 38, who runs a snake business out of Nashville, Tenn.

"Our hardest sales are with the mothers," Beamer told Orlando Sentinel. We'll spend much more time [with a mother] on a $40 sale than a $1,500 sale."

One of the most popular reptiles at the show was "Khan," one of only 11 captive-bred, black dragons in the United States.

Another fan favorite were the "morphed" ball pythons, snakes that are produced by cross-breeding two different ball pythons to create a uniquely colored snake. At Repticon Orlando, there were pythons called creamsicle, butter, butter cinnamon and Honduran milk.

[Orlando Sentinel]