Psychology student Jake (31) from Westend used to be terrified of spiders. “Then I saw a film about them and now I understand them much better.” In August he bought his first spider. There are now several terrariums in the bedroom with 15 tarantulas and 20 jumping spiders. “They’re really cute. You can even dance when I sing” Photo: Christian Lohse
By Sabine Klier
Cockroaches, spiders or snakes: The Terraristics Exchange Berlin in the Tegeler Seeterrassen is the largest marketplace for reptiles or insects in Berlin-Brandenburg. On Sunday, 42 hobby breeders and dealers showed animals and accessories. Even if many people are scared of these crawling animals, they are beautiful for the fans. And beauty is known to be in the eye of the beholder.
Organizer Torge Engels (46) was visibly relieved that the veterinarian inspected the exhibition without hesitation. But when a trader took an animal out of the cage, there was an immediate rebuke. “You know that we’ve forbidden this!”
42 exhibitors presented their breeding successes and products. The rush was great. Photo: Christian Lohse
Because the animals should not be stressed. The animal rights organization Peta has been up in arms against the reptile exchange for years – sensitive creatures would be sold off like junk.
Engels disagrees: “Our main work is education,” he says. “Everyone who comes here is united by their love for the exotic.”
Ball Pythons come in a variety of colors. This animal is six months old, is called “Black Pastel Mahogani” and costs 880 euros. Fully grown, it reaches a length of up to 1.80 meters! Photo: Christian Lohse
Every second exhibitor carries Styrofoam boxes through the show to transport their darlings home protected from the cold. They opened it for the BZt:
Housewife Sabine (54) from Mitte is beaming: she bought a millipede female for 35 euros. “It all started with a forest terrarium because I love moss. Agate snails also live in it. Then I bought a centipede to go with it. And the guy shouldn’t be left alone.” Photo: Christian Lohse
The most expensive animal at the exhibition – a yellow tree monitor for 3800 euros. “He’s very rare. His species was first discovered on a small Indonesian island in 2005,” says breeder Marc Seifert (28). The trained zoo keeper has specialized in breeding monitor lizards. Photo: Christian Lohse
Fashion student Pia (24) from Spandau has specialized in cockroaches. She already has several colonies with 400 crawling animals. “It all started when my grandmother sent me to her garden to collect potato beetles as a child,” she says, explaining her hobby. On Sunday she was given her first dwarf bird spider Photo: Christian Lohse
Student Alicia (15) bought a six-month-old bearded dragon. “The self-made terrarium is already waiting at home, equipped with a UV lamp and two heat lamps,” she says. “I fell completely in love with him. I call him Ranger” Photo: Christian Lohse
Biology laboratory technician Lars (22) from Görlitz bought a praying mantis: “It’s a big devil’s flower. It’s still small and doesn’t take up much space. The nice thing about it is that it can discolour depending on the surface.” Photo: Christian Lohse