Exotic animals are becoming increasingly prominent as breeders and enthusiasts are producing striking colors and patterns in the reptiles they show off for sale. On April 25 and 26, the show’s first two-day expo took place. This specific event is held at the Harvest Pavilion in the Indiana State Fairgrounds every few months, with their most recent date being Sunday, September 7.

“My first ball python was an adult yellowbelly female that I bought at one of these shows when I was 17,” breeder Chris Henn of C.M.H exotics said.

Henn specializes in ball python breeding. He records lineage and every feeding date for each of his ball pythons from the day they hatch to the day they go to their forever homes.

“People see your Facebook posts or your MorphMarket, and here they get to put a business name with a face,” Henn said.

MorphMarket is an online shop for all reptiles, amphibians and insects. All sorts of breeders list their collections online and offer same-day shipping on their live animals.

“I started back in ’94… It was a lot different back then, it was more dog-eat-dog. Now, it’s a little more tame,” said Sue Henderson, a repeat feeder rodent vendor for Hoosier Mouse Supply LLC.

Henderson attends every reptile show at the Fairgrounds. She carries all sizes of live rats and mice for the feeding of snakes and monitor lizards, which are larger, carnivorous reptiles

“First, I started out with rats from a laboratory. I also got stuff here and there, and I made sure they were quarantined so they didn’t have any bad germs,” she said.

According to Sue, mice reproduce every 19-21 days, while rats reproduce every 21-23 days. Full-grown ball pythons, averaging four feet in length, require at least one adult rat every three weeks. Feeder rodents are essential to keeping all species of snakes.

“My favorite animal were the ball pythons. Sellers were much more educated and passionate about the species,” senior Violet Tordai said. She has been looking to go to the show for a while now.

Tordai attended the reptile show this past Sunday for the first time. She found that normal morph ball pythons were nearly a quarter of the price typically found at local pet stores.

“It was welcoming but a little intense just because of how much was there. I would go again, though,” she said.

The Midwest Reptile Show hosts one more event this year on Sunday, November 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Parking is $10 per car, while entry is $7 per person. Children under 8 enter free.