On the last Saturday of July 2024, we co-hosted a protest with PETA and a local animal rights organizer at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California against the Reptile Super Show, a yearly event that exploits reptiles and amphibians for display and sale to the public.

Protesters displayed signs and distributed literature about the harms of buying animals at expos and via the pet industry. There was also an eye-catching display featuring a human “snake” jammed inside a plexiglass tank. The expo was held at a packed convention center with sellers who cram snakes, lizards, tortoises, frogs, and other animals into tiny plastic containers, bins, and cages. 

The captive reptile industry relies on the capture of vulnerable wild animal populations and then uses them for breeding. The pet trade is tied to illegal animal trafficking, harms critically endangered species, and destroys conservation efforts. Over 25 million live reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and other animals are imported annually into the U.S., according to a Government Accountability Office report. 

Reptiles and amphibians who are sold at expos suffer extreme stress and debilitating health issues, including malnutrition, an unnatural and uncomfortable environment, isolation, the overwhelming stress of confinement, and premature death. 

High mortality is caused by breeders selling animals with existing health issues or hyping expo attendees into buying members of exotic species who they are not equipped to care for properly. Even the best vivariums cannot replicate the complex ecosystem habitats where these animals live in the wild. We are calling for an end to the sale of reptiles and other captive animals due to the harms of captivity, the loss of biodiversity in taking wild animals from their native homes, and the risk of spreading diseases to humans and other animals. 

We also protested the auction of captive animals occurring as part of a Reptile Super Show ‘After-Party’ hosted by the United States Association of Reptile Keepers. Reptiles are auctioned off by sellers in small plastic containers at a noisy party, with no consideration for the stress endured by these animals. Sellers use auction proceeds to lobby against legislative and regulatory reforms that would better protect reptiles from the harms of captivity.

Instead of supporting the harmful wild-animal trade with purchases, we urge people seeking a reptile companion to do in-depth research on the complex needs of the specific animal and consider adopting one of the many abandoned reptiles available at overwhelmed animal shelters and rescue facilities.