TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Reptiles, especially snakes, don't always give people the warm and fuzzies.
But Micky and Tamara Meyer of St. Louis, who are bringing the Show Me Reptiles & Exotic Show to the Four States Fairgrounds on Saturday hope to lessen people's fears and even get them to choose a snake, or another animal displayed, as a pet.
The event typically attracts 500 to 1,000 people a day as it tours the country, Micky said.
"We have about a dozen different vendors and different animals," he said. "We have ball pythons, lizards, geckos and turtles. Really there's just something there for everybody and all come there for different reasons. We've been doing these shows since 2014. And hopefully they gain a new respect for reptiles or get over their fear of reptiles."
Micky said people will have the opportunity to touch snakes, and he has seen both children and adults alike change their attitude once they conquer their fear about snakes.
"A lot of times I've seen people hold a snake and then they will buy one and they are not scared, and they get a new pet," he said.
One of the most recognizable snakes that will be at the show is the ball python. They are sold from anywhere from $50 to $25,000, Micky said.
"There will also be corn snakes, king snakes, leopard geckos and crested geckos and boa constrictors," he said.
Constrictors are "very nice," Micky said, although that is not always how they are portrayed.
"The movie 'Anaconda' was pretty inaccurate," he said. "They are not going to wrap people up and kill them. It is very rare that people are constricted to death by a snake. Snakes just get a lot of bad press, and a lot of times it is really easy for people to be afraid of what they don't know so they are scared. We provide some education."
Tamara Meyer said she and her husband have been into snakes their entire lives and grew up in the woods catching and playing with them. When they married, they noticed what the snake show world was like and wanted to expand upon what was out there, she said.
"We thought the reptilian industry needed more than it was. It seemed like a pet trade, but we wanted to bring more experience to people," she said. "If I went to a show when I was a kid, I would think it was cool to see a reptile show and we try to make it more educational than anything."
She said attendees would get a chance to learn more facts about reptiles.
"Periodically a booth with artifacts and other different vendors will come out to share their knowledge of the basics of a ball python, and they will diagram a turtle body and explain how they are put together at different parts of the day," she said. "We want people to have more depth and knowledge about these animals."
Four States Fair Executive Director Lisa Garner said the show ran last fall at the fairgrounds.
"I'm really excited to have them return," Garner said. "They put on a very fun show, and it is interesting to come out and see the reptiles. They had everything, but a huge variety of reptiles."
The show begins at 9 a.m. for VIP ticket holders and goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for other attendees. Tickets are $12 for VIP's and $10 for the public. First responders and members of the military get in for 50% off the standard ticket price. Children 12 and younger get in free.
For more information about the traveling show, go to showmesnakes.com.