# Pictures/Biggest Mobile Reptile Show/Part 1



## Lars K (May 19, 2009)

I visited the biggest Mobile reptile show in the world and it was just awesome!  
There were lots of venomous snakes etc...and I took a few pics (around 1000  ).
So, here are the first pictures.
Hope you like them.
(The rest follows some day  ...if only I wasn't so lazy at the moment...)


African Spurred Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata) babies:


















Shield-tailed Agama (Xenagama taylori):

















Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus):












Albino Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans):












Plumed Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons) juvenile:

















Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps):

















Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica rhinoceros):
































A huge Seychelles Giant Tortoise (Dipsochelys hololissa), around 60 years old and 220 kg (485 lb) light:












Rhinoceros Viper (Bitis nasicornis):
































A huge Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina):






































They had a big and very active King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) which was in a huge tank:



































































Mexican Giant Musk Turle (Staurotypus triporcatus):



























Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle (Ocadia sinensis):

















And a lovely and tiny (I didn't resize those pics (portraits) as they nearly show this cutie in life-size) Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii):


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## Mrs I (May 19, 2009)

Those vipers look awesome and that last turlte.

You always take some awesome pictures.

thanks for sharing


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## AjsGuns (May 19, 2009)

Wish i could get a Basilisk =(


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## LadySnake (May 19, 2009)

Fantastic pics! I love the Gaboon vipers - what an amazing pattern.


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## Grunter023 (May 19, 2009)

wow there are some nice pics there!


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## herpkeeper (May 19, 2009)

top pics, love the king cobra


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## Retic (May 20, 2009)

Thanks Lars, great shots as always. Shame it's mostly those horrible exotics though


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## Earthling (May 20, 2009)

Wow theirs some bizzare animals their...very nice
I wonder what evolution did to make the Shield-tailed Agama (Xenagama taylori) have such a stumpy tail....?


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## amy5189 (May 20, 2009)

Lets go to Germany!!!! Who's with me?

Why don't we have cool exhibits like that here.... :-(


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## Sock Puppet (May 20, 2009)

Awesome photos mate! Wish we could get a large exotics show like that here, that would be so awesome. Did they have any pythons/boas? 

My favourites from the pics above would be the basilisk, & the vipers, especially the Gaboon Viper, what an awesome pattern.


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## Grooove (May 20, 2009)

Hi, those were awesome pics, I also think the gaboon viper is one amazing looking creature. But I really really hope your returned the Alligator Snapping Turtle's 'Hi Five' he had going. Tell me you didn't leave a turtle brother hangin.

Gaz


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## Retic (May 20, 2009)

My guess would be they would use it when they hide in a rocky crevice, it would be like a shield behind them making it almost impossible to get them out. 



Earthling said:


> Wow theirs some bizzare animals their...very nice
> I wonder what evolution did to make the Shield-tailed Agama (Xenagama taylori) have such a stumpy tail....?


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## pythons73 (May 20, 2009)

boa said:


> My guess would be they would use it when they hide in a rocky crevice, it would be like a shield behind them making it almost impossible to get them out.


 Pretty simarlar to the spiney tailed monitor,imo.What fantastic photography LARS,


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## Retic (May 20, 2009)

Yes there are many different species of lizard that have the same defences, the African Cordylus, the Spiny Lizards of the United States and the African Uromastyx have all evolved with a similar line of defence although few have taken it to the same extreme as the Xenagama sp.


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## Kirby (May 20, 2009)

that tortoise looks so happy..... poor thing. 


the rest of the exhibits look great.


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## Retic (May 20, 2009)

Judging by the red glow I would say it is basking, land tortoises often do that.


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## euan (May 20, 2009)

*Xenagama*

The Xenagama use their tails to block their burrows, taylori live in sandy soil areas with minimal rocks. I was lucky enough to bring the first live ones out of Somalia into the USA many years ago. They are quite a small spp. X.baterlifera are a bit larger live in hard soil burrows and have a narrower tail. Thus the rounder tail in taylori to block the burrows. At first I thought they were Uromastyx, the first one I got was only a hatchling and the small extension on the tail confused me.


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## daniel1234 (May 20, 2009)

The Cobra got me goin' but that Viper is a pretty incredable looking creature. Rattler is a mean lookin snake, damn, makes me wanna live in Germany
Can't wait to see more.


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## Lars K (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for the nice comments everyone! 



> Did they have any pythons/boas?



Yes, there were a few pythons (pics will come soon), but they only
had a few Boa constrictor's.

But here's a great B. constrictor website. 
http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/com.html



> But I really really hope your returned the Alligator Snapping Turtle's 'Hi Five' he had going. Tell me you didn't leave a turtle brother hangin.



Hahaha , I totally missed that!!! 

I was too impressed by those mighty jaws! 



> Judging by the red glow I would say it is basking, land tortoises often do that.



Yes, the tortoise got lots of basking bulbs and was relaxing under those bulbs.


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## snocodile (May 20, 2009)

Great animals


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## reptilefan95 (May 20, 2009)

great pics, i went to a ehibition in romania a few years back and they had some great reptiles i remember a favourite of mine was the Veiled Chameleon stunning creates, but go the native!! Cant wait to see some more pics LARS keep em coming!


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## kidsheart (May 20, 2009)

awesome photos. god i love gaboons/vipers in general. especially gaboons and eyelash vipes.


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## Lars K (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for the nice comments! 

reptilefan95, they had Veiled Chameleon's there too!


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## mike83 (May 20, 2009)

greta pics mate carnt wait to look at the rest of them


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## webcol (May 20, 2009)

those are some nice photos and some even nicer reptiles


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## FAY (May 20, 2009)

Fantastic pics Lars...thanks for sharing.

That Alligator Snapping Turtle...wouldn't put my hand in there lol


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## Lars K (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for the nice comments everyone!


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## PhilK (May 23, 2009)

Just finished going through all 3 threads mate, and every single photo is brilliant. Stunned at some of the beauty (and ugliness!) of the creatures in the reptile world.. but they are all amazing.

Good to see a few Aussie animals made it into the mix!

EDIT: Oh, and I love the tanks they're in - amazing. Wish I could have tanks like that (and animals like that haha)


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## turtle_alex (May 23, 2009)

nice snaps! awesome geez those turtles look prehistoric dont they especially the alligator snapper probably about 100+ yrs old too.
i wouldnt want to get bitten by one of those Gaboon Viper's each fang is about 25mm long OUCH imagine that going through your foot


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## coz727 (May 23, 2009)

*Photos*

Awesome photos. Can I ask what type of camera you have. I'm looking to upgrade and want an SLR, not sure which brand though


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## Lars K (May 23, 2009)

Thanks for the nice comments! 



coz727 said:


> Can I ask what type of camera you have.



I used a Nikon D90 with the normal Kit-lens 18-105 mm.

As there was no flash allowed I took most of the pics at 3200 ISO without noise reduction.
Some shots are even taken at 6400 ISO and the D90 did a good job with relative noise free pics.
I can truly recommend it. 

Here's a great website.
Take a look at the camera reviews by Gordon Laing from New Zealand and check out
the video tour on the different camera models.
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/digital_camera_and_lens_reviews.shtml

The modern DSLR-cameras are all excellent cameras and you can take great pictures with all of them. 
It's more important that you get good lenses and if you want a great performing lens
I can recommend the "Sigma 70mm F2,8 EX DG MAKRO" lens.

If you often shoot in "available-light" and at High ISO, the Nikon D700 and the 
Canon EOS 5D Mark II are both excellent performers. But unfortunately they aren't the cheapest cameras.


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