The industry has been promoting the basics, highlighting the best species for beginners while simultaneously showcasing expert level institutions, academics, and the scientific community for decades. There is a spectrum in our industry, and we feel the hobby has been held hostage by these two opposing extremes. 

We’ve teamed up to start a conference that will promote inclusion and provide content that is of benefit to the entire hobby; not just one segment or another. The goal is to run the gamut of interests in the hobby, but with less emphasis on elementary beginner species such, while also not showcasing scientific or institutional subject matter.

Think back to the days of the great Vivarium Magazine or Reptile and Amphibian Magazine from the early 90’s and the demographics they served. These were great publications that were largely formative for this industry. That’s who we are trying to reach: the hobbyist that is younger and is possibly intimidated by overly scientific and academic symposiums of the past. That’s where the idea of The Reptile Talks came from.

We want to promote the hobby and the industry, not just institutions and academia. The number one priority for all of us is the advancement and expansion of the reptile and amphibian hobby and industry. 

We are doing all of this to promote the responsible keeping of reptiles and amphibians in captivity with all funds left over after operational costs and travel expenses of presenters being donated to USARK.

The Reptile Talks Team,

Ramy Guirguis — Reptile Super Show

Armen Keuylian — HerpTime