TARAS - Calgary Reptile Expo

The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society also known as TARAS kickstarted their first annual Reptile Expo this fall. Vendors, families, and enthusiasts gathered at the McMahon Stadium to celebrate and learn about reptiles and amphibians. The Vice-President of TARAS, Garth Paytner, explains how the proceeds from the event helps the conservation and education of reptiles and amphibians. “These events are very important as 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, but also to gain knowledge of what's out there in the wild and what their needs are and how to protect their ecosystems.” Paytner explains. Amanda Gollaway, owner of Tarantula Canada, which is based in Laval, Quebec, traveled to Calgary in order to showcase her love and passion for arachnids. “We've been doing the expo for a few years, and just as far as time efficiency and cost efficiency go, it is worthwhile to go buy a plane and ship them out by air cargo. I have two big shipping crates and I just fill the enclosures. The baby tarantulas don't take up a lot of space, for my bigger specimens I have to move them to smaller travel cups for the trip.So we ship them out usually using WestJet by their live animal cargo, we ship them out out and pick them up at the airport and do our thing and then ship them back home” With the help of the volunteers, attendees, and vendors, The Calgary Reptile Expo is a huge success. The continuous support allows TARAS to help with the conservation and education of reptiles and amphibians worldwide.