Claws, whiskers and snouts galore. The Paris Animal Show arrives with a slew of furballs at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 January. Either THE meeting place to find your next pet. Prepare to see 3,000 critters spread over 7,000 square meters: 1,000 cats and 500 purebred dogs. But perhaps you will rather leave with an animal with two or six legs. A quick overview of the most amazing specimens of the show!
1. The smallest cat in the world
Exit the big tomcats. Difficult not to be touched by this tiny boil of love with huge eyes and a solid dress. Singapura is the lightest and smallest cat species in the world. It weighs on average 2 kg and measures… 35 cm. Barely larger than a plastic ruler.
Originally from Singapore, our mini-feline is characterized by a short muzzle on a round head and large ears. Still little known in France, its fine and elegant silhouette hides a strange trajectory. If today it costs between 1000 and 1800 €, this kitty has long wandered the streets, where he rummaged in the trash. It was not until 1974 that a charmed American couple decided to bring three home. Since then, he has been wrestling across the Atlantic and continues to be emulated in Europe. For the record, he became the mascot of the Singaporean tourist office!
2. An Olympic shaped rabbit
We are far from the rabbit who chews his carrot. At the show, the rabbits follow show jumping (yes, you read that right), like real champions! It is even a discipline in its own right, kaninhop, which appeared in Sweden in the 1980s.
It all starts with a Swedish breeder who one day realizes the boredom of his big-eared acolytes. An idea crossed his mind: why not divert the show jumping for horses in the service of rabbits ... (Why did we not think about it earlier?) He then decides to place a series of barriers in their enclosure. Bingo: rabbits start to hop cheerfully. Since then, kaninhop has been all the rage among our northern neighbors to the point of becoming a national sport.
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And our rabbits are not kidding: they jump 2.50 m in length and more than a meter in height, four times their size. When the human record is around 2.45m ... Not even double our size. Okay, we bow. Suddenly, exit lapinou, up to Superlapin.
3. The giant ant
Message to those who do not like insects: refrain from approaching the reptile purse. Imagine an ant measuring 8 to 12 mm. Finally, thousands. Since this creature named Messor Barbarus, recognizable by its enormous head, lives in a colony of 80,000 individuals in captivity. A team of workers whose Queen can live up to 20 years and reach 14 to 16 mm!
In addition, they are black and shiny. Suffice to say that they see each other. But not enough to discourage enthusiasts. “In France, 5,000 homes have ants. The trend developed around twenty years ago, ”explains Florence de la Moureyre, curator of the show. Some even have them in the office (we will closely monitor our colleagues).
Keen on seeds, they harvest them by forming two-way "highways" several tens of meters long and a few centimeters wide. It is therefore better to avoid forgetting to close the cover.
4. A bearded lizard
After the insects, make way for reptiles. And not just any: a 50 cm mastodon in adulthood. A gigantic lizard with… a beard! Called Pogona Vitticeps, or more simply bearded Agame, it breeds only in the Australian desert. Far from being fierce, it supports handling without flinching: practical in the face of untimely hugs from children.
Beware of fine mouths, our reptile feeds on crickets, to be varied with cockroaches or worms (yum ...). He also needs a good bath at least four times a month like ... a good dog. Finally, it spreads its mouth widely to impress predators or ... the curious like you who will approach a little too close!
5. Too crunchy, the beads!
One has the impression that he ate too much with his innumerable bulges ... You do not know him? However, Sharpeï is 2,000 years old! This species from the Chinese province of Guangdong with the hippopotamus face pays for the luxury of ancient statuettes in its effigy, found in excavations, dating from the time of the Han dynasty in 220 BC. Its name means sand skin, a nod to its hard, dry coat.
Avoid giving him treats, our Sharpeï tends to be overweight. But as affectionate as he is, if he considers that he has not deserved a reprimand, he is able to sulk for a long time!
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Saturday January 25 to Sunday January 26 at the Parc des Expositions, 1 place de la Porte-de-Versailles (15th century). From 6 years old. From 8 to 14 €. www.parisanimationshow.com
