All Ohio Reptile Show is a can’t-miss experience for reptile lovers
A few weeks ago, I was surrounded by snakes.
They were constrictors, too, the kind that people are afraid of: from boas and anacondas and pythons all the way down to corn snakes and garters. I encountered not only snakes, but skinks and geckos and monitors and even an iguana or two. There were countless spiders, too- tarantulas, Goliath birdeaters- and massive lizards. This might sound like a nightmare to some, but to me it was an experience I’d been looking forward to all month.
Welcome to the All Ohio Reptile Show, a monthly exhibit held in Hilliard, Ohio near Columbus. It’s a reptile fanatic’s fantasy- but with five-dollar admission fees and free parking, it’s even feasible for someone without this passion or interest to come in and enjoy the show without breaking the bank.
The All Ohio Reptile Show is a place for reptile-lovers to converge and talk about their shared interest in exotic pets and other “creepy-crawly” things. It’s put on during the third Saturday of every month (dates can be found here: http://allohioreptileshows.webs.com/), and vendors (along with colleges and educational institutions) seek to sell their own reptiles to willing buyers while sharing in the community atmosphere of education and excitement.
I’ve only visited the show twice, but it’s one of my favorite places to be. It’s far- two and a half hours from Aurora, in fact. But it’s worth it, if you’re interested in it.
This past weekend, I was privileged enough to hold a spotted python the length of my leg and a baby boa of a species that grows up to 10 feet. Most of the vendors were more than happy to showcase their knowledge and their experience, using a hands-on approach to effectively teach and interact with those of u
s who can only dream of owning an 8-foot pet big enough to kill a man.
Sorry, is that just me?
Regardless of whether or not you may share this dream with me, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Turtles, geckos, chameleons, and iguanas- even rodents, rabbits, and birds- all made appearances in the fairground tent. Everyone was accepted and welcomed, from hardened veterans of exotics keeping to small children simply interested in freaking each other out.
Because of this, I’d recommend the show to all types of people. Even someone with a phobia of anything with scales and a forked tongue would likely find their niche amongst the vendors and educators, and if anything, a cheap $5 visit is definitely an economical way to get over an irrational fear.
Even if you can’t make the next show, or even the one after that, a visit to the All Ohio Reptile Show (or to its closer counterpart, the less-frequent-but-still-great All Cleveland Show), is, if nothing else, an experience to put on one’s bucket list.
