Bearded dragons snakes

Thousands of exotic animals invaded Lawrenceville over the past weekend. Repticon, a national tour of exotic reptiles, was held at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. The event showcased an assortment of animals worthy of Noah’s Ark. See more after the jump.

Visitors, after walking through a giant inflatable snake head into the giant hall where Repticon was held, could be excused if they missed the 50-pound Tegu lizard being walked like a dog on a leash. Or if they nearly stepped on the young Sulcata turtle with a bouquet of flowers and donation can on its back roaming the convention floor for dollar bills and vegetable slices. There were that many reptiles present.

• These albino king snakes were priced upwards of $90.

These reptiles were not your ordinary tree frogs and garden snakes. They ranged from fluorescent jelly frogs to 13-foot pythons. There were even miniature pigs for sale. Hundreds of geckos, spiders, and sugar gliders lined the display tables.

Josie, a 14-year old Grayson, Ga., student who was help show some bearded dragons, mentioned that she has always loved reptiles. Josie says that she has always been “that girl” who would choose playing with snakes in the creek over dressing up dolls. She was not the youngest person in attendance. Repticon was filled with strollers, Boy Scouts, and children barely old enough to walk.

• Josie, a 14-year-old student from Grayson, Ga., holds a bearded dragon.

George Fleming of “Fleming Reptile” travels all over the country with his wife to participate in Repticon, averaging about 40 weekends during the year. George says that he has worked with reptiles for the better part of 50 years and cannot remember a time when he did not own a snake.

• Bobby holds an albino python. He has been involved with snakes since he was 17 and helped birth two of the largest snakes at Zoo Atlanta.

• Ace Pearce shows one of his geckos to a potential customer.

• More than 1, 500 people attended Repticon throughout the weekend.

Almost everything at Repticon was for sale. Snakes ranged in price from $20 to more than $2, 000. A number of vendors were also on hand selling everything from feeder mice to what one vendor called a “snake refrigerator.” If you want to see gigantic anacondas in person, Repticon will visit the Gwinnett County fairgrounds again in January.