Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine No.57 Rhino iguanas Vorige editie

Another year is drawing to a close, and I reckon that if there was a
typical end of the year award for the weirdest creature photographed during the preceding 12 months, it would have to go to the planthopper featured on our News pages this month. There were some incredible fi nds made during the course of this expedition, backed by
Conservation International, as revealed here.
Sadly, everywhere you look on the planet seems to be under development pressure, to sustain our growing population, with the ripples extending out to the remotest corners. How many species like the planthopper have already disappeared in localised areas of rainforest before we even knew they existed?
The future for wildlife generally is alarming, and zoos face being overwhelmed by the number
of species needing their help - if they are not already. But people are breeding species successfully, through their own eff orts. The knowledge bank of information surrounding the breeding and care requirements of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates has grown massively
over the past decade or two.
Just look at the number of tortoises now being bred successively, and how a better understanding of their accommodation needs has developed. Next month, we’re running a competition with two of the new Style tortoise homes as prizes, so don’t miss this opportunity.
Meanwhile, there are two articles that some may fi nd controversial in this issue. Brian Shadbolt describes his experiences of keeping a range of reptiles and amphibians in a mixed collection, while Richard White makes the case for housing ball (royal) pythons in vivariums, rather than tubs. Let us know your thoughts, and enjoy the festive season.