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I Wanted to See Dragons, But I Saw Lunch Boxes Instead · The Wandering Wolf Podcast

• 0:00
  hello everyone this past weekend i did something i never done
• 0:04
  before i went to a
• 0:06
  reptile exhibition i didn't even know this kind of events
• 0:10
  existed until very
• 0:11
  recently i've been to things like comic-con stockholm and a
• 0:16
  bike exhibition a few
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: years back but never anything focused on reptiles
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I went because I wanted to feel inspired.
• 0:26
  Reptiles,
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  snakes,
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  lizards,
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  crocodiles,
• 0:29
  they are amazing reference for creature designs.
• 0:33
  I mean,
• 0:33
  if you think about dragons,
• 0:36
  they are basically just fantasy lizards,
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  right?
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  SPEAKER_00: So I thought this will be perfect.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: I imagined terrariums full of colorful reptiles,
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  SPEAKER_00: scales under the light,
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: a chance to take great photos for future art ideas.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: But that's not what it was at all.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: It turned out to be more about the food,
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: accessories and equipment for reptiles than the actual animals.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: There were maybe one or two places that had reptiles on display.
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  SPEAKER_00: One stand had lizards,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think an emerald lizard and some kind of gecko,
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: but they were mostly hidden.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Another had two green tree python snakes, very small ones.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, they looked like toys.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: I always thought pythons were bigger, but maybe these were babies?
• 1:35
  I went with my dad and we asked someone if there were more
• 1:38
  animals somewhere else.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: They said yes, plenty, but they weren't really on display.
• 1:45
  They were kept in small plastic boxes,
• 1:48
  like the kind you bring your lunch in.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: You had to lean right over them to even see the animals.
• 1:55
  That meant I couldn't take any good photos,
• 1:58
  which was kind of off the whole point of me going.
• 2:02
  We did see a few snakes,
• 2:04
  like an anaconda and a leopard snake,
• 2:08
  but that was pretty much it.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: One booth seemed to have a lot more,
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: but there was also so many people that we couldn't even get close.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: It was like a wall of humans between us and the reptiles.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: I had no idea the reptile hobby was that big.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: The crowd was massive.
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  SPEAKER_00: I don't mind locating reptiles.
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  SPEAKER_00: I think they are absolutely beautiful.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: But I definitely draw the line at certain things.
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  SPEAKER_00: I also looked around for reptile books,
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  because I thought maybe I could grab something for reference or
• 2:45
  inspiration.
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  SPEAKER_00: But they didn't have any.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Or, well, they had a few, but they were super old.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: When I googled reptile books later, most of what came out looked old too.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: So if you know any good modern reptile books, please comment.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: I really love to find some.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, both me and my dad left feeling pretty disappointed.
• 3:09
  We really wanted to see more lizards and snakes,
• 3:12
  but there just weren't any proper displays.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: No real photo opportunity,
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: no bursts of inspiration,
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: just a lot of boxes with teeny baby red eyes inside.
• 3:23
  And honestly,
• 3:24
  I don't understand how they even get hold of some of these
• 3:27
  snakes.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's beyond me.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: So no, we won't go back to that kind of event again.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, reptile exhibition.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: You need to seriously up your game if you want us back.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: It was still a little adventure though.
• 3:42
  And even if it was disappointing,
• 3:45
  it did remind me of how much I love reptiles.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: I've been drawing so many snakes and listen lately.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Getting really into the world.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess that spark is still there.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, this one, not the experience I hoped for.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Do you own any reptiles as pets?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm honestly curious what it's like.