NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Between Comic-Con, 90s Con, and even Christmas Con, there may be a convention for almost anything.
This weekend a gathering in Nashville brought together animal enthusiasts to celebrate pets some may consider unconventional for Repticon.
Repticon is a two-day family-friendly convention with offerings for many people with different levels of familiarity with reptiles.
Many reptile and exotic pet vendors, as well as adjacent businesses, take part.
Organizers planned several educational workshops for the expo.
"A lot of people are scared of snakes so we wanted to try to alleviate some of their fears as well. Education is definitely power," said Mr. Brendan Reptile Guy, a reptile educator taking part in Repticon.
Mr. Brendan was one of many experts leading workshops, he says making sure you know how to care for a reptile before you purchase one is key to its health and survival.
The animals he uses for his workshops come to him as rescues.
"We take animals that somebody bought as a pet, but maybe it wasn't a good fit, and now they needed a new home for it. So we take those in," Mr. Brendan said.
River Marston lives in Detroit, but attended Repticon while visiting Nashville over the weekend.
"Reptiles are really cool you know, they're kind of misunderstood and we're kind of misunderstood people, so it's kind of a kindred spirit type of thing," Marson said.
For attendee Deanna Giddens, Repticon was a way to introduce her nieces and nephew to the animals she enjoys.
"I'm a very big advocate for snakes and reptiles, they're so misunderstood," Giddens said.
Repticon holds several expos around the country, their next stop in Tennessee will be Knoxville later this month.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
Get ready to get inspired - Tad found a second purpose later in life, turning his hobby into his full-time gig. He helps the planet, helps homeowners and finds fulfillment in a slower pace after being on the front-line during the pandemic.
-Rebecca Schleicher
