by Fred Groves
A year ago, Krista Mason was scared of snakes. Now she has no problem holding one of her new pets, 16-foot, 130-pound ?Pip?.
?Pip? is an albino python and is one of the guest attractions at Bella?s Exotic Pets, which open soon at 28 Centre Street.
Rick Truant was the one who got her interested in snakes, spiders, frogs, exotic fish, lizards and all kind of creatures that will be featured at the new business.
?A year ago I was terrified of snakes. Rick has 30 years of dealing with snakes. I figured if you can?t beat them, join them,? jokes Mason inside her store that is undergoing major renovations to accommodate several indigenous species.
Mason had originally thought of setting up shop in Windsor and once she did some research found out there were strict by-laws against it, not only in the city, but several of the neighbouring municipalities as well ? except for Essex.
?I was somewhat surprised. It makes me think Essex is a little more educated about it.?
Education is what Bella?s Exotic Pets will be all about. There will be a snake room where ?Pip? will be laying up to 50 eggs per year.
?We are just coming into breeding season when we will have eggs in the viewing area. You will be able to see the eggs hatch,? said Mason.
So far, the reaction that Mason is getting is positive.
?A lot of people are excited and some businesses in town have said it will be good for Essex?
Lizards, geckos, giant toads, African bullfrogs and bearded dragons are just some of the interesting creatures that will be around in this extremely secure and people-friendly environment.
Not surprising, there is a misconception about these pets and, to many, they can be intimidating but Mason stresses that education is the key and that is why she and Truant have gone to schools with their pets as well as scout groups.
?Most of our snakes we got from friends and we?ve bred them. They have been handled since birth.?
The store will be divided into several areas. One will have large fish tanks but don?t expect to see your run-of-the-mill gold fish here. ?We are going to have some cool stuff like electric eels,? said Mason.
Another area will have a variety of spiders for sale including the fascinating funnel web spider and scorpions. They will all be in their own habitat with mulch and plants.
The store is going through considerable renovations and Mason plans on utilizing the adjacent garage area and small outdoor area to hold birthday parties so children and their parents can come and see what these interesting creatures are all about.
?It?s fun for me to see the reaction of the kids. I get e-mails from parents all the time saying how awesome it is.?
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