Welcome to this month’s Practical Reptile Keeping.
 Do take care if you keep tortoises in your garden. It is not just a question of preventing them from escaping. There have been a number of accounts of thefts recently - to the extent that this story has made the front page of a national newspaper. Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is that this then reinforces the view that tortoises are very valuable, and so could increase the likelihood of casual thefts. Don’t place your tortoise in an area where it will conspicuous to passers-by therefore, take photographs of it and finally, don’t forget that microchipping offers probably the best way of identifying individual tortoises, in the event of a theft.
You need to mark Sunday 15th August in the calender as a day that you are busy - attending the brand new Kempton Park Reptile Expo! Cut out the ÿ rst of our two tokens in this issue so you can take advantage of our 2-for-1 admission offer. Also, keep up-to-date as ever in this issue with what’s happening in the world of reptiles. There’s news of the latest morphs and breeding successes plus a couple of potentially controversial articles too.
Also, if you would like to share your experiences with other readers, you can always email me at prk.ed@kelsey.co.uk
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.. |
Snakes Without Scales
In the depths of Leicestershire, there is very well-respected reptile shop called Scales & Tails, which is run by David Cooke. Dave usually has some really interesting species available, and just recently, Scales and Tails became possibly the first UK establishment to welcome the scaleless Texas rat snake into its inventory. These snakes essentially lack scales over their entire bodies, with their skin having an amazingly smooth appearance, although usually, there are a few odd scales remaining, which give them a kind of “bejewelled” appearance.
The mutation is a simple autosomal recessive, and the heterozygous animals are therefore entirely normal in appearance. Dave is very keen to point out that although these snakes do not have the scales of a typical colubrid, they are no different, in terms of shedding, eating, drinking and their overall level of activity. “There is nothing other than their appearance that distinguishes them from a normal colubrid,” he adds.
I have noticed that there were some very mixed opinions about these snakes online, and I suppose they are not for everyone. Many people seem to take the view that snakes evolved scales for a reason, and it is rather unethical and unnecessary to breed animals that lack them. In my opinion though, these animals appear to be totally problem-free and as long as it stays that way, I don’t think there is a worry. They cost £1200 each. It is also worth mentioning that scaleless corn snakes are also becoming increasingly popular in the US and Europe at present, and it will only be a matter of time before a large number of people are working with them in the UK. |
|
|
