23 December 2001
CHRISTMAS is upon us, so this is mainly an end-of-year editorial to wish everyone season's greetings and a good New Year in 2002.
2001 was an interesting year, if not initially alarming year, for the herpetological hobby. The first six months started badly, with Animal Aid and CAPS pressurising local councils into refusing to allow shows to go ahead, and Clifford Warwick's article in BBC Wildlife Magazine. There was also some disquiet over BBC's "Panorama" programme on the wildlife trade, although less contentious, and over the antics of Peter Heathcote of the Reptile Trust. However, the latter half of the year showed the tide turning back in the favour of hobbyists, with the deflating of the reputations of both Warwick and Heathcote, especially by the Reptilian magazine who put out several interesting statements about the activities of these two "experts". A show on private land went ahead in August in Dorset, as one did later that was confined to members of the International Herpetological Society. Finally towards the end of the year a court ordered the return of animals that had just been seized by the RSPCA and Heathcote to their owner. It is probably too early to expect a reduction in the level of activity by animal rights extremists, as demonstrated by the recent "report" by the Humane Society of the United States which calls for the banning of reptiles as pets. It is to be hoped, however, that those people who enjoy the company of animals and who are responsible keepers and owners are now better organised and informed to deal with the threat from such bodies.
Sadly lost this year were two magazines, "Pet Reptile" and "Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist". Although neither magazine was beyond criticism (is there any such publication?), both provided a valuable service and R&AH in particular had often been a strong source of material and information. We urge pet keepers to subscribe to publications that support their hobby: for reptile, amphibian and invertebrate keepers this would be the magazines "Reptilian" (UK), "Reptilia" (UK/Europe) or "Reptiles" (North America). There are also a number of online E-zines and websites that deserve your continued support, as do publishers of herp books and those booksellers who sell the rarer stuff not available elsewhere.
Looking briefly ahead into 2002, we hope to finish off our pages on the Lacertidae and Varanids ("true" lizards and monitor lizards respectively), and to make further inroads into the geckos. As the latter is a huge group, don't expect to see it necessarily sewn up in 2002 either! In any event it is worth reiterating that these are guides, not exhaustive accounts of every species, although we have tried to add as much useful detail as possible. There will also hopefully be some more accounts of the different skinks, although again the vastness of the family Scincidae makes this a long haul. As far as snakes are concerned we may be able to put in a page on Pine, Gopher and Bull Snakes, and possibly some taxonomic information on tortoises and turtles. There are hopes to do similar for the amphibians, but not just yet.
Thanks again to everyone who has sent us E-mails recently. If for any reason I haven't replied to you, please let us know and I will try to do so again.
CYBERLIZARD
November 2001
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May 2001
April 2001
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001
December 2000
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July 2000
May 2000 (II)
May 2000
May 1999