Practical Reptile Keeping

Practical Reptile Keeping is the only monthly herp care magazine published in English. Launched in 2009, it attracts an international readership and is packed with advice on how to look after and breed snakes, lizards, tortoises, turtles, amphibians and bugs. As well as stunning photography, each issue features technical help, product information and health care advice to keep your animals in tip-top condition, plus breeding details and the latest news relating to this group of creatures from around the world.

Welcome

FRESH INSIGHTS INTO OLD WORLD MUD SNAKES • Featuring stories that include new insights into the way that lizards regenerate their tails which could have medical benefits for us, how droughts can impact in surprising ways on turtles, a significant invasive species reaches Europe, why reptiles with long necks used to be at a disadvantage plus more, starting here with a better understanding of an unusual group of snakes. Compiled by G. Valentine.

Researchers unlock the secrets of cartilage regeneration in lizards

The effects of drought on turtles

CROCODILES' ANCESTORS GREW VERY SLOWLY

INVASIVE RED FIRE ANTS SPREAD TO EUROPE

LONG-NECKED REPTILES AT RISK FROM PREDATORS

Out of Africa Peter's Ground Agama • This month, Paul Donovan writes about a relatively small lizard which he was very familiar with in his previous home in Botswana, before his recent move to Zambia where the species can also be found.

Considerations when buying a snake • Where to go and how to recognise a healthy individual are vital considerations when you first enter the world of snake-keeping. Here a veterinarian and snake breeder passes on his advice.

Basic health checks • When buying a snake, it is important to carry out a basic health check. I have listed 10 key areas here. If it helps, photocopy this list and take it with you when you go to buy the snake. Otherwise, especially with the excitement of the moment, it can be easy to overlook something.

The snake whisperer • The life of one of the most remarkable people ever involved with reptiles and their care is profiled here by Christian Castille.

On the move

Helping an aging anole

Giving supplements underwater

AMPHIBIAN FOCUS • Common reed frog - Hyperolius viridiflavus variabilis

The world of newts • Amphibians are broadly divided into two main groups. Whereas frogs and toads form the anurans (literally meaning ‘tail-less amphibians’), newts and salamanders comprise the order Caudata. Yet it is not as easy as you may think to distinguish a newt from a salamander, especially as they both occur in the Old World and the New World, with their distribution overlapping.

How reptiles see the world • The ways in which reptiles gain information about their surroundings are quite remarkable, with their senses actually being far more sophisticated than our own, in a number of ways. Hannah Salisbury MSc, BSc (Hons) AniSci reports on the latest discoveries, and also what can go wrong.

Discover Stimson's python • Keen Australian python enthusiast Tariq-Abou Zahr, BVSc, MRCVS considers the natural history of these relatively small snakes, and how this influences their care.

Supplements for insectivores • There is no doubt that the ever-increasing range of feeder insects available today has made it easier to cater for insectivorous species, but don’t be misled. This is only part of the story, as Dr Andy Tedder explains.

The mystery of the Samar stick insect • The Samar stick insect (Brasidas samarensis) is certainly an enigmatic member of the phasmid group, based on its appearance. Females are large, powerful, spiky bugs, whereas males appear so much smaller and more delicate that they would seem to belong to a different species, writes James Brereton,...