Calgarians' interest in exotic critters creeping up, hobbyists say | CBC News

Calgary The exotic pet hobby encompasses countless species of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids and more. Clockwise: Mexican redleg tarantula, amelanistic corn snake, Pacman frog, red-eyed tree frog, crested gecko and Trinidad olive tarantula.(Amir Said/CBC) Exotic pet keeper Nolan Asplund poses with a six-foot false water cobra, a species native to South America, at the 2025 Spruce Meadows PetFest.(Submitted by Nolan Asplund) Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society president Cody Faulds holds up a ball python during the 2025 Calgary Reptile Expo, a biannual event hosted by the non-profit society.(Amir Said/CBC) A variety of ball python morphs, or varieties, on display at the Calgary Reptile Expo. Thousands of different ball python morphs exist, making the species highly coveted by reptile keepers and breeders.(Amir Said/CBC) A greenbottle blue tarantula, native to Venezuela. The spider's striking colours and elaborate webs make it popular among tarantula keepers.(Amir Said/CBC) Calgary's exotic pet scene ‘growing exponentially,’ hobbyists say Vet cautions to consider complex care, long lifespan of these pets A house filled with snakes and spiders might be straight out of many people's nightmares, but to longtime exotic pet keeper Nolan Asplund, they’re like family. “Exotic animals, and animals as a whole, have taken up my entire life,” said Asplund, who has more than 70 reptiles, amphibians and arachnids in his care. The 17-year-old aspiring zoologist operates Funky Fresh Reptiles, an exotic pet business headquartered in his parents’ house in the Calgary bedroom community of Okotoks. He’s got everything from leopard geckos and Santa Isabel poison dart frogs to a Brazilian rainbow boa and ball python - not to mention Asian forest scorpions, a camel spider and more than a dozen tarantulas. He’s far from the only reptile fanatic in the area: Alberta’s exotic pet community - particularly in Calgary and surrounding area - has been “growing exponentially” in recent years, Asplund said. Calgary has cemented itself as one of Canada’s exotic pet hot spots, with the city being home to major events like the Western Canadian Reptile Expo and Calgary Reptile Expo, both of which bring in thousands of attendees. Cody Faulds, president of the Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society, said the city’s exotic pet community has been “growing steadily." Attendance at the group’s events, including the Calgary Reptile Expo, has been increasing, and more people are reaching out for information on keeping exotic pets. Faulds - who owns multiple reptiles, including three box turtles and four snakes - attributes the hobby’s increasing popularity to multiple factors. “It's getting easier and easier to get into,” he said. Faulds said the exotic pet hobby has come a long way since the Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society began in 1984. “Forty years ago, you basically pulled an animal from the wild, and nobody had any idea how to make the animal healthy and happy living in captivity,” Faulds said. “Now there's more people, more breeders sharing that information.” More pet stores are stocking a greater variety of exotic pets, and more landlords are allowing them to be kept on...

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