THIS EDITORIAL is something in the way of an apology. Looking back, it seems the last one was over two years ago. This is for various reasons, including the inevitable changes that life brings, and also because we try to concentrate on putting up information on animals rather than our own opinions, at least as far as the herpetological sections are concerned. Nevertheless I felt it was time to explain a few developments on the site.
Most regular visitors to this site will have noticed by now that we are no longer www.nafcon.dircon.co.uk but www.cyberlizard.plus.com. This move came because our old ISP, who had been consistently reliable for 6 years, could no longer supply our needs, mainly in the area of diskspace where it appeared we might run into trouble in the short term. Whilst I conducted an operation to find all links to the old site and notify webmasters, inevitably many did not get changed before we moved. The extra diskspace means that now at least we can start to think about pictures as well as the extra information we want to put up.
We have carried on compiling and posting information on species, mainly lizards, snakes and tailed amphibians, with the odd update of crocodilians, chelonians and anurans, amphisbaenians and caecilians. (The tuatara gets a look in now and again as well). Most of our material covers Old World herps, simply because I have more access to information on them, but we are trying to post material on anoles and teiids as well. Another reason the New World is less well covered is because I think the large US herping constituency, who also have ready physical access, have probably covered much of it as well, as of course have their counterparts in other parts of the Americas. So New World species will be covered, but probably more slowly.
One thing I have noticed of late is that the European Herp pages are also in need of updating, addition and in some cases revision. New species have been described, albeit sometimes controversially and not always with acceptance from the rest of the scientific or herpetological community, and details such as scalation which I have added for African and Asian species, for example, are often absent. Therefore my most pressing task is to get European entries updated.
Other than that we have added some book reviews, the odd film and one (I think) games update. This is enjoyable but not really the main thrust of these pages. The Weightier Matters section I consider very important, but it has comparatively little material because I have tried to keep it straightforward without needless complication - something I personally feel clouds much religious and theological debate. Also I am not a polemicist!
I was greatly encouraged recently by a kind entry in the Guestbook. Feedback is helpful, and we will try to cater for any requests if reasonably possible. Many thanks to people who have sent E-mails, including requests for identification of reptiles and amphibians around the world! I also owe thanks to friends in the herpetological community such as Roger, Chris, Chris D, LilacDragon, Jon, Lynn, Ingo and Si, Guy and Justin, Jessica and Jim, Henk and Jeroen. If I have missed anybody out I apologise and hope they will forgive me for an accidental omission.
Best wishes
CYBERLIZARD
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