Gators can get their hands on some scaly creatures at the Paramount Plaza Hotel and Conference Center on Saturday.
Reptiles, amphibians and small exotic animals will be featured and sold at Gainesville’s special one-day event called ReptiDay.
The annual event is hosted by Repticon, an organization that sponsors exotic animal expos around Florida.
Starting at 10 a.m., attendees can participate in seminars and interact with vendors offering reptile pets and supplies until 5 p.m.
“You’re going to see things that you are not going to see at any pet store,” said John Redd, a Repticon events organizer.
This year, the highly sought-after giant sungazer lizard will be a new addition to the event.
Previous snake owner Andrea Likens, a UF telecommunication alumna, said she plans on attending.
“I love learning about and interacting with animals of all kinds, and reptiles are something that I think are widely misunderstood,” Likens, 23, said.
Turtles, frogs, iguanas and spiders from the 15 to 20 vendors will also be on sale.
Redd said the family-friendly event will help children learn more about reptiles.
General admission tickets for ReptiDay can be purchased at the door. They are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for kids under 4.
[A version of this story ran on page 10 on 10/17/2014]
