Reptile Expo 101

-Research, research, research! Basically, what you're already doing now -- great job! You also want to make sure to research what reptiles or exotics you're wanting to bring home from the WVRE. This helps you know how to properly house your new reptile, amphibian, etc in the best way possible! Each individual animal species has its own care requirements that the owner must learn about and understand. Achieving and maintaining the proper temperature gradients, lighting, humidity, and enclosure size is super important in ensuring both you and your new pet's relationship with each other is the most successful possible! Be sure to ask lots of questions at the expo so that you can be well informed on your new pet!

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-Be aware of the weather and plan accordingly! Animals, just like us, are sensitive to extremes in temperature. Some exotics, such as most amphibians and crested geckos, can't survive temps even in the high 90s. Be sure to account for this when getting an animal home from the WVRE! We recommend bringing a cooler in the summer months and preheating your car in the winter.

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-Be prepared to properly quarantine any new animals you bring home from the expo, or any new animals from anywhere else! Standard practice is to quarantine any new animals for at least 30 days, but 60 days is widely accepted as the safest amount of time. This means keeping any new animals away from the ones you already have at home, as well as washing your hands and anything else after coming in contact with your new animal. We pride ourselves on the health and quality of the animals available at the WVRE, but it is always a smart thing to be safe rather than sorry, no matter where your animals come from.

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-Bring cash -- some smaller vendors may not yet have a card reader, and bringing cash helps you avoid ATM fees. However, there is an ATM on site at both WVRE locations (Charleston and Huntington) if you need to use one, and many vendors do take a card, PayPal, Cashapp, etc

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-Collect business cards and get names! If you purchase an animal from a vendor at the WVRE, and you end up having questions about the animal later or you want to contact this vendor about a new animal or supplies, you will need to have their contact information to do so! We have many guests reach out to us trying to get a hold of a vendor but they do not know their name and cannot remember much about them - - this makes it very hard for us to help identify the vendor! The best thing to do is to collect business cards and chat with our lovely vendors so that you get to know them a little bit better, plus they have tons of expert knowledge to share!