Welcome to this month’s Practical Reptile Keeping.
 Wow - what a show! I think everyone was surprised by the number of people who turned up at the Kempton Park Reptile Expo. The organisers had estimated that there would be about 1500 visitors on the day, but as we go to press, unoffcial estimates put the figure closer to 7000! This is great in the sense that it shows the support for the hobby, but it doesn’t make up for the disappointment of many who had to queue for up to two hours to gain admission, and some who gave up and went home with their families.
The organisers did what they could under the circumstances, and have asked us to apologise to those a
ffected. It was simply not possible, practical or safe to admit more people into the hall. The good news though is that they are already planning for a larger event next year. They have asked Kempton Park to reserve both the first floor hall and the upstairs hall for the same weekend. This will double the available area, and they hope to have more exhibitors plus a lot more space to allow people to move around freely.
There's a free gift on the cover of this
issue as you’ll have noticed, thanks to www.blueiguanaproducts.com We hope you’ll
fnd it useful.
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. |
|
|
