Welcome To Practical Reptile Keeping

One of the most interesting parts of editing any specialist magazine such as Practical Reptile Keeping is the opportunity to meet and talk with people who are passionate about what they do. This was brought home to me again just recently, when I had the pleasure of catching up with Chris Newman, whom I first met many years ago.

His name may not be familiar to everyone, because Chris, by his own admission, prefers to stay out of the spotlight. But make no mistake: it is largely thanks to Chris’s foresight and commitment that the reptile hobby exists as it does today. He saw the need, at an early stage, to ensure that those involved in catering for hobbyists were represented in discussions at governmental level, enabling their views to be heard and understood.

At no small personal cost, Chris was instrumental in setting up REPTA - the Reptile & Exotic Pet Trade Association. In countless meetings since then, Chris has steadfastly advanced the case of reptile-keeping. If you are a shop or involved in supplying hobbyists, then why not consider supporting REPTA? Further challenges, particularly in Europe, lie ahead, and strength in numbers is important. You can email Chris for more details on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Finally, my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the magazine over the past year, and all good wishes for a speedy recovery to Wendy, from Just Me & My Tortoise, who has been unwell recently.

David Alderton,
Editor.

David is an acknowledged expert with more than 40 years of experience in this area. He has written and broadcast extensively about the care and biology of these creatures, and also speaks regularly to various herpetological groups..