Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine No.73 A Suitable Set-Up for Salamanders Back Issue

Did you spot the sad story recently about a bearded dragon that
was found seemingly abandoned and close to death on a
Brighton & Hove beach? This lizard wasn’t in the best of health generally, displaying signs of long-standing metabolic bone disease by all accounts, fuelling fears that it could have been dumped there. The story had a happy ending though, because luckily, the bearded dragon was taken to the specialist RSPCA Reptile Centre on the outskirts of Brighton. Christened Pebbles by the staff , he revived remarkably quickly, once
back in the warmth of a vivarium, and was eating again by the following morning. So far, no one has come forward to claim Pebbles, and how he ended up on the beach is still a mystery, but at least he is alive and thriving. Strangely enough, just before this story was reported, I’d been talking with John Hayward who runs the National Theft Register, and helps to reunite owners with their lost and stolen exotic pets. Although much of John’s work in the reptile area involves tortoises that have disappeared, either because they have wandered off or been stolen, he does get involved in other cases, particularly in the warmer months of the year when owners sometimes take pets such as bearded dragons out into their gardens to enjoy the sunshine with them. It only takes a momentary distraction, maybe something as simple as phone call, and then you can turn round and find that your lizard has disappeared. The same can easily happen with a free-roaming tortoise, but someone
subsequently finding your pet may be stumped when it comes to tracking you down. John was explaining to me just what a difference it can make, in terms of returning pets to their rightful owners, if they are micro-chipped.