Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine No.58 Bearded dragons - Choosing lighting and substrates Back Issue

Until I started work on this issue, I must confess that I’d never heard of
Grace Olive Wiley, and yet I should have done. She was both a true pioneer in the world of reptile keeping, and a very remarkable woman. Fascinated by snakes from early childhood, she was clearly able to form a truly unique bond with them.
How else can you explain the fact that she free handled over 1000 of the most deadly venomous snakes in the world on a regular basis, without being bitten? Not only that, but she also assisted many of the three million visitors who were drawn to her Californian roadside zoo to do the same, without incident.
What was it that allowed her to convey to these snakes that they were in no danger with her, to the extent that they clearly trusted her? No-one knows. Yet as Julia Mueller-Paul reveals, there is much more to understanding reptile behaviour than we have ever suspected, and without any doubt, there is plenty more to learn too!
Who would have guessed that the incubation temperature of reptile eggs may determine not only the gender of the hatchlings in many cases, but can also impact directly on the behaviour of some species, for their entire lives?
Looking to the future, you may remember that last year, we profi led the remarkable Mr Grey, a highly distinctive bearded dragon bred at Monkfi eld Nutrition here in the UK. Now we can report that he has mated successfully with two females, and although the resulting off spring were not as colourful as he is, (as you can see in our News and views section), hopes are now very high that it will be possible to replicate his appearance in the next generation. Exciting times indeed, as the New Year dawns. I hope you have peaceful, prosperous and happy 2014.