The Australian Frog & Reptile Show in conjunction with Wild Australia Expos proudly presents
The 2008 Best in Show Competition
Castle Hill, Sydney , NSW
The following correspondence sets out the marshalling procedure for displaying your animal and it also provides you with the hygiene protocol all entrants must adhere to. Failure to adhere to these simple rules will result in disqualification of your animal and/or removal of any award.
Marshalling Procedure :
All finalists must present their animal for inspection between 8am and 9am on Friday the 2nd of May or Saturday the 3rd of May.
If you are not the registered entrant of the animal, then you must have a letter of delegation from the registered entrant permitting you to handle the animal for the duration of the show.
Reptiles should be presented in a white or light-coloured cotton bag or pillowslip inside a ventilated sturdy clear plastic container with securely clipped on lid. Amphibians should be presented in a ventilated sturdy clear plastic container with securely clipped on lid. All bags and containers must be labeled so as to identify the owner. Once your animal passes scrutineering, you will be provided with a number. This number corresponds to an enclosure within the Best in Show hall. You must proceed directly to this enclosure and place your animal in it. Lock the enclosure and retain the keys. The container that you brought the animal in must be removed off site.
There will be a space behind your cage set out for owners only. We advise that you bring a collapsible chair if you intend to spend considerable time with your animal. Please keep your entrant certificate with you at all times, as this will permit you to come and go from the show as you please.
CARA Conference attendees and those that wish to leave their animal unattended must report to the Best in Show office located in the hall. An absentee form must be signed prior to leaving your animal, providing all contact details. Animals may be left over night Friday and Saturday. A security guard will be present during these times.
Judging will take place throughout Saturday & Sunday. If in the unlikely event a judge requires closer inspection of your animal, you or your handler may be required to remove the animal from the enclosure. As the judging in each class is completed, the winners will be announced. The major prizes for Best in Show and Peoples Choice award will be announced around 4pm on Sunday.
It is a requirement that all animals be on display until after the announcement of these final awards. If exceptional circumstances require early departure, please report to the Best in Show office.
During the show, contestants can choose to purchase the cage their animal is in. Please see one of the organisers to arrange payment, and then at the conclusion of the show, on presentation of your receipt, you will be permitted to leave with your cage.
We are expecting a large number of the general public to be circulating around the animals on display in the competition. Please present well, and be patient and courteous in answering any questions they might have about your animal.
Hygiene Protocol :
• All reptiles are to be brought to the show in a white or light-coloured cotton bag or pillowslip inside a ventilated sturdy clear plastic container with securely clipped on lid.
• All reptiles will be inspected for mites or any obvious signs of disease before being allowed entry to the exhibition area.
• Exhibitors will not be able to handle reptiles other than their own.
• Reptiles are not to be removed from the cage until the end of the show, unless authorised by an official or veterinarian, appointed by the show committee.
• Judges, officials, veterinarians or anyone handling animals should take care to keep their clothing and equipment clean, and disinfect hands between handling reptiles.
• Any unauthorised person removing a reptile from a display cage will be asked to leave the show immediately.
• All cages are to be brand new, having never held animals prior to the show.
• Cages should all be on the one level and not stacked. An exception will be made in the case of multiple entries in the same class being entered by the one exhibitor. A maximum of two cages may be stacked at any one time.
• Breeders Choice®, or butchers paper is to be used as a substrate. Other substrates are not acceptable.
• Hygiene stations providing F10® or Virkon® spray will be available at strategic points (pre-show inspection table, inspection room and throughout the exhibition area) so that handlers can disinfect their hands immediately after contact with a reptile.
• A veterinarian will be present or at least contactable by telephone during the course of the show.
• A quarantine room will be available for close inspection or isolation of suspect reptiles.
• A footbath containing a suitable disinfectant such as F10® or Virkon® shall be at the entrance to this room. Everyone entering or leaving the room shall use the footbath.
• Reptiles can only be removed from a container once inside the examination room. Only owners, designated officials or the appointed veterinarian may handle the reptile.
After handling a reptile, hands must be disinfected prior to leaving the room.
The owner or those nominated by owner must be easily reachable or preferably to stay with the animal(s) for the duration of the show.
Appendix 1:
Quarantine and hygiene – questions and answers
• What diseases can be transmitted between reptiles at a show? Diseases include IBD (inclusion body disease), OPMV (ophidian paramyxovirus), other viral diseases, bacterial diseases (e.g. Salmonella spp.) and mites.
• How are diseases transmitted? Contact (e.g. reptile to reptile, substrate, cage furniture), body fluids (saliva, air borne droplets, faeces), blood.
• Mites
• How can we minimize this spread? Limit the number of people handling reptiles. Prevent reptile to reptile contact. Ensure “best practice” quarantine and hygiene procedures.
Disclaimer:
Despite the best intentions no hygiene protocol will totally eliminate the risk of infection.
It is incumbent upon exhibitors and other participants to follow the above hygiene guidelines in order to minimise the spread of disease.
Bibliography:
- Hygiene protocol for the control of disease in captive snakes. Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW). 2004.
- Mader D, 2006. Reptile Medicine and Surgery, 2 nd edition. Elsevier, Marathon , Fl..
Acknowledgements:
The following people have provided much appreciated assistance and comments in the preparation of this document:
Veterinarians Dr Bob Doneley, Dr Michael Cannon, Dr Anne Fowler, Dr Jane Roffey, herpetologists Peter Johnson, and Anthony Stimson.
Robert Johnson BVSc MACVSc CertZooMed BA
South Penrith Veterinary Clinic
126 Stafford Street
South Penrith NSW 2750
T: 02 4721 4796
E: reptilevet@tpg.com.au
W: www.reptilevet.com.au
CLASSES
HOW TO ENTER
PRIZES
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