AUD $20). Juvenile Crested geckos were stacked in small
plastic containers, and Alen showed me three specimens
of a new, unnamed morph he had produced that were
simply stunning. gecko the size of a fully-grown blue-tongue, and I
couldn’t wait to get the largest one out of its enclosure.
Ada warned that it will often bite, but it must have liked
me, as it was on its best behaviour.
Apparently, potential customers often go to the market
looking for aquarium fish and end up going home with a Predictably, there are some bearded dragon morphs that
would make any Aussie breeder’s mouth water. Alen
showed me a Leatherback Trans Hypo and a Hypo ‘Zero’
juvenile, along with a photo of a Paradox beardie that he
owned. Normal, wild-type beardies are not expensive
(about AUD $24) but they are an exception, as Australian
reptiles are generally in high demand and short supply.
A pretty ordinary-looking Northern Blue-tongue (Tiliqua
scincoides intermedia) was priced at AUD $1,160 and
Alen told me they were difficult to obtain.
‘It’s always amazing to see a
gecko the size of
a fully-grown
blue-tongue .’
But if there was a lack of Aussie herps, there was
reptile – it sounds just like the reptile retail trade in
certainly no shortage of exotic species to marvel at. The
Australia. Alen estimates that he sells an average of one other rack system contained some beautiful hatchling
or two reptiles per day in the market, but at least three
per day via the internet to other parts of China. He ships
. Exterior view of Alen’s reptile shop.
by air and road, and can also export to Hong Kong but not
other countries. He is permitted to import from overseas, 2.-5. Leopard Geckos are available in a myriad of
however, and recently purchased a number of New
colours and patterns.
Caledonian Giant Geckos (Rhacodactylus leachianus)
6. Highly prized ‘Black Night’ morph.
from the United States. It is always amazing to see a
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