Annual
C. H. S.  Pet  &  Photo  Contest  

Bring your live herp pets in tonight for this special ‘double feature’ meeting.  There is a limit of three pets per person. PLEASE bring a container for your pet so it can be on display in something that everyone can admire it in.  You may take it / them out for handling, of course, but you must bring something to put it / them in for those times when you need a break.  Your name should be on a label on each cage.

The following 4 pet herp categories will be open for judging:

SNAKES                TURTLES  &  CROCODILIANS

LIZARDS               FROGS  &  SALAMANDERS

The entire audience present will vote for the best pet in each of the 4 categories.  Some of the criteria that everyone should strongly consider in choosing the best herp is:

HEALTH – the animal should be in the peak of health, without scars, runny nose, cloudy eyes, full tail, not too fat, etc.

COLOR  &  PATTERN – how attractive that particular animal is compared to others of its species that you’ve seen.

TAMENESS – the best pet should be calm-natured, NOT trying to squirm out of the holder’s hands constantly.  Naturally, it also should NOT scratch, tail-whip, bite, etc.

Each pet owner will be asked to step up in front of the room and introduce themselves, tell us what kind of herp it is, tell a little about the animal (where it lives in the wild, what it eats, etc.), how long they’ve had it, and why they feel it’s a good pet.

The audience will vote for its favorites about halfway through the meeting, after which, ribbons will be awarded to winners, and the winners and their pets will be photographed for the CHS website.

Photographs must be submitted in print form, preferably in the 8” x 10” (or up to 8” by 12”) size range, but no larger.   You may submit smaller snapshots, but keep in mind that you have a much better chance if your entries are as big as everyone else’s to compete fairly with them.   Only single images, unaltered by digital wizardry or other “tricks”, will be eligible.   You must be the one who took images to enter them.   Color and / or black & white images are acceptable.

Up to 5 images may be submitted in each of the 3 categories by each contestant for no charge.   The following 3 herp categories will be judged:

 FLORIDA  HERPS --- The subject(s) must be native to Florida, or an introduced species that lives and breeds here now.  They can be wild or captive. 

BEHAVIOR --- The subject(s) must be exhibiting some form of behavior / action, doing something besides just sitting there looking pretty.

HERPS  &  HUMANS --- The subject(s) should be depicted in an obviously artificial (non ‘wild’) situation, such as around your home, or on & around manmade structures or areas.  This category includes pets, in their enclosures, being held by people, etc.

One winner will be chosen in each category, plus one  GRAND  PRIZE  WINNER.  That will he best overall herp image –- the one that wows and impresses us the most .  It gets the grand prize; no other criteria matters except that it is of a herp-oriented subject.  The 3 categories and Best of Show  winning images will be displayed on the CHS website if you provide a digital copy to Bill Love at  bill@bluechameleon.org  after the contest.

The judging will take place on Thursday evening at the meeting by Bill Love (who will not compete in the contest) and at least two other club members.  Emphasis will be on the visual impact of the image (how memorable it is), the difficulty factor of obtaining it, the fascination and ‘unusualness’ of the subject shown, and the shot’s overall artistic appeal.   The difference in quality between what simple cameras versus fancy, expensive cameras & lenses can record will not  weigh heavily against contestants.   It is photographic skill and creativity that counts here, not having expensive photo gadgetry.

You must label each of your pictures as to which of the 3 categories it is competing in.  Also put your name and telephone number (or email address) on each photo, plus list what species is depicted, where it was photographed, and any other details of the shot that you wish to describe it.