Nassau Reptile Expo draws thousands of snakes, geckos, turtles and humans

Slithering boa constrictors, vibrant leopard geckos and torpid red-footed tortoises were among thousands of animals that took over the two stories of the Cradle of Aviation Museum Saturday for the annual Nassau Reptile Expo.

There were more than 150 vendors selling reptiles, habitat materials and food to a crowd of around 5,000 people, who traded the frigid winter air for the warmth of reptile heat lamps. The Uniondale event featured educational sessions like a terrarium build class and an experience area where attendees could hold large snakes.

"We did our job when somebody comes in here and they walked out learning something that they didn't know before," said Louis Torres, who co-founded Nassau Reptile Expo alongside Tony Saravo, owner of Uncle Tony's Reptile Show.

Vendors serve as part educators and are "experts in their field," Saravo said. "The No. 1 thing is learning that these are not animals you need to be afraid of, that these are beautiful and intelligent creatures that we should love just like we love dogs and cats."

Michael Petracca, owner of Rhode Island-based Northeast Cork Bark, imports cork — a natural material used in reptile habitats — from Portugal. The expo is where Petracca said he gets to educate reptile owners about the importance of the material in their habitats and connect with a "tight-knit community" of animal lovers.

"Everybody is helping each other and giving advice, and it's so easy to get involved," Petracca said. "It's the most welcoming community."

Some reptile owners took on the expo as an opportunity to expand their collection at home.

Jhonniel Valdez, of Brooklyn, attended the expo with his brother and dad. He used to be scared of reptiles, but the 8-year-old now thinks "they're super cool."

His passion especially grew for snakes, and his family has one at home. On Saturday, he let a boa constrictor rest on his neck — something he said "made me feel brave." 

Educating the next generation

Frederick Kick, owner of upstate Lockport-based Kicks Balls, sells a variety of reptiles, from ball pythons to red tegu lizards. Moving those animals from expo to expo can be tricky, especially with biting cold temperatures affecting the Northeast, so they're shipped in climate-controlled boxes stuffed with heat packs.

"They are sensitive," Kick said of the reptiles. "We have to keep everything super warm." 

From breeding reptiles as a child (to the dismay of his mother), Kick said his passion for the creatures only grew. Now, he tries to pass that passion on to the next generation.

 "They're very easy to take care of," Kick said. "They're a very big, growing part of the pet industry."

Alex Narizzano, 9, of Lynbrook, has a bearded dragon named Rocky at home whose favorite food is worms. He said he was always drawn to reptiles and how "different they are from other animals."

"They have all these adaptations that are really cool," Narizzano said.

Lisa Flynn, a Brooklyn elementary science teacher, was looking around the museum for ways to expand the school's lab, which already features a bearded dragon and a yellow-footed tortoise, among other animals.

Holding and caring for reptiles helps her students "learn about life cycles" and "learn about responsibility," she said. A new grant, she noted, is letting her "glam up her lab."

"So that's what we're doing," Flynn said. "I want to expose the kids to more."