Support local news that keeps Indy informed.

GIVE NOW

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Ted Somerville is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at tedsomphoto@gmail.com.

Close window X

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

Would you hold one of these scaly, furry, cold-blooded critters?

by Ted Somerville, Mirror Indy
February 9, 2026

<h1>Would you hold one of these scaly, furry, cold-blooded critters?</h1> <p class="byline">by Ted Somerville, Mirror Indy <br />February 9, 2026</p> <br /> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS01-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73115" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Katie Kolcun (right), the vice president of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, holds an Argentine tegu during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the organization on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS02.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73116" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bailey Russell, a member of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, holds an Arizona blonde tarantula for a photo during the reptiles and amphibians show.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS03-1024x737.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73117" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An Australian bearded dragon sits in its enclosure during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignfull are-vertically-aligned-center"> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS04-1024x732.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73118" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Children look at a ball python held by a member of the Hoosier Herpetological Society.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS05-1024x692.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73119" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Katie Kolcun, vice president of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, presents a giant marine toad while the Messen family listens during a show hosted by the organization on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center"> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS06-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73120" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">James Rankin poses for a photo in the conservatory during the show hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS07-1024x743.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73121" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A leopard gecko is held by a presenter during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS08.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73122" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A member of the Hoosier Herpetological Society shows a snake to a young attendee of the reptiles and amphibians show.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS09-1024x741.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73123" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Crumb family looks at tortoises during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image alignfull size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS10.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73124" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Members of the Simpson family explore the conservatory during the reptiles and amphibians show.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS11-1024x776.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73125" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Katie Kolcun, vice president of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, wears Khaleesi, a female boa, during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the organization on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS12-1024x639.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73126" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jim Horton, president of the Hoosier Herpetological Society, holds a mangrove monitor during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the organization on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignfull"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS13-1024x724.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73127" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nia Dunham (right) and Luke Mcelwee look at a blue feigning death beetle during a reptile and amphibian show hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society on Feb. 7, 2026, at Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS14-1024x711.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73128" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hoosier Herpetological Society members Joy Mason (left) and son, John Michael Mason, have their photo taken at their booth during the reptile and amphibian show.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS15.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73129" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A visitor of the reptiles and amphibians show holds a blue feigning death beetle.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EXP-REPTILE-SHOW-PHOTOS_TS16-763x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-73130" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Raquel Simpson (left) and Tristian Simpson look at a corn snake during the reptile and amphibians show.</figcaption></figure> <p><em>Ted Somerville is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach him at <a href="mailto:tedsomphoto@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tedsomphoto@gmail.com</a>.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/reptile-amphibian-show-hoosier-herpetological-society-photos-2026/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=73168&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/reptile-amphibian-show-hoosier-herpetological-society-photos-2026/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

1