SINCE I LAST GOT INTO GEAR with adding fresh editorials we have been working in three main areas on the site.
The first of these was the addition of notes on chameleons in the lizards section. Now I don't keep chameleons myself, and I still think that for most people they are simply too demanding unless you are prepared to make a good deal of effort and have an eye for detail with things like varying live food diet, keeping live plants in a vivarium and putting your chameleon somewhere quiet in the house where it won't get stressed. However I know people who have kept them sucessfully because they were dedicated and knowledgeable enough to do so. Furthermore I think that even if you have no plans to keep any, they are still interesting to read about in their own right as part of that fascinating and multi-faceted group of animals, the lizards. While I cannot claim first-hand experience of chameleons, I also hope that the notes I have added will give some pointers towards those species which are better long-term captives while steering the beginner away from those which are likely to be difficult and disappointing. For the same reason I have as usual included a bibliography with books that deal with captive care of these unusual creatures.
The second of these, and long overdue, was revising and updating the section on European reptiles and amphibians. Apart from the fact that the layout looked somewhat irregular, a number of new species had been described or renamed. Also I decided to break it down into more manageable sections, so the reader can go more easily to a group of animals he or she may be interested in. Finally, and this is perhaps the biggest contribution this year, I have added a listing of species per country, so that if you go to anywhere in Europe as far afield as Turkey or Russia you may have some idea of what you may hope to see. Recently I have been producing a series of articles on Spanish snakes for The Inland Magazine
The third change has been in the layout of the Index of Herpetological Magazines. Most recently I have added a section on chelonian veterinary and health articles, as these seem to feature quite prominently in herpetological magazines: unsurprisingly, perhaps, given the popularity of the tortoise, especially in Europe. I also broke down the invertebrate index into different sections, as invertebrates cover such a wide range of creatures that I felt it was time to differentiate between the arachnids (spiders and scorpions being fairly popular in the terrarium hobby), insects (beetles and stick insects in particular having a large number of fanciers), and other invertebrates such as land hermit crabs, centipedes and millipedes, and molluscs, all of which have their own niches. One thing I should reiterate is that the aim with these indexes is not to encourage people to keep as many different animals as possible - such an aim is fraught with risk for all but the most dedicated and financially secure - but to give pointers to sources of information should a person decide that they want to find out more. I have also pointed out that quite a few of the magazines on the index are no longer being published, so back issues may become more of a problem as time goes by unless somebody is scanning them into electronic format and making them publicly available.
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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