RHJ 2
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF LEGAL REPTILES' KEEPING & BREEDING
Dmitri Tkachev, Oleksii Marushchak (Ukraine)
Regulations pertaining to the keeping and breeding of reptiles and amphibians vary widely from country to country, or from state/province to state/province, and being unaware of these regulations can result in costly consequences for the herpetoculturist. In this article, RHP director Dmitri Tkachev, and Oleksii Marushchak, head of the Research and Development Department at BION Terrarium Center in Ukraine, discuss the basic tools for understanding those regulations that pertain to you, and how to manage your collection so that you can demonstrate and defend your legal rights to maintain and breed these species.
CENTER FOR REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN PROPAGATION 1994-2018: INTERVIEW WITH RON TREMPER
Ron Tremper (Costa-Rica)
RHP director and RH Journal Editor In Chief, Dmitri Tkachev interviews one of the pioneers of herpetoculture, herpetoculturist and author, Ron Tremper. Dmitri and Ron discuss how he first became interested in herps in his hometown of Fresno, California, and how that interest grew and inspired him to establish the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Propagation. Through his business, Ron is responsible for the introduction of many species to the U.S. and worldwide herpetoculture communities including, most notably, the first albino leopard geckos and many of the amazing morphs that followed.
PASSION FOR PUFFING SNAKES: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS WITH SPILOTES SULPHUREUS
Roy Arthur Blodgett (USA)
Roy Arthur Blodgett provides a detailed account of his methods for the husbandry of the large and impressive Amazon puffing snakes (Spilotes sulphureus). Roy discusses the range, natural history, taxonomy, and physical characteristics of this species, followed by his experiences establishing and maintaining this species in naturalistic, climate controlled enclosures. After his initial success at hatching eggs from a gravid wild caught female, he goes on to describe the challenges and possible solutions to obtaining fertile eggs in captivity.
"GURIXOTICS" — FAMILY TORTOISES' FARM
Gergő Gurics (Hungary)
Private herpetoculturist Gergő Gurics of Hungary discusses the small, private tortoise farm "Gurixotics" that he and his wife operate where they maintain and breed small colonies of nine species of tortoises. Gergő describes his compartmentalized, but naturalistic methods of keeping these species, followed by his specific description of each of the species they work with, and the individual nuances of their care.
BREEDING OF YELLOW-BELLIED TOADS AS AN OPTION OF AMPHIBIANS' CONSERVATION IN UKRAINE
Oksana Nekrasova, Oleksii Marushchak (Ukraine)
Oksana Nekrasova, Senior researcher at Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Ukraine, and Oleksii Marushchak, Head of the Department of Research and Development, BION Terrarium Center present the methodology and results of an experiment designed to explore the feasibility of using ex situ reproduction (herpetoculture) of amphibians for reintroduction to historic habitat where the species once occurred. Using yellow-bellied toads (Bombina variegata) , considered a vulnerable species in Ukraine, the authors detail the process they went through to obtain the regulatory permissions to conduct the experiment and the steps they took from parent stock acquisition, to housing and feeding, reproduction and finally reintroduction to their study site in the wild.
THE HERPETOFAUNA FOUNDATION
Rogier van Rossem (The Netherlands)
While growing up in The Netherlands, Rogier van Rossem began working with reptiles and amphibians at a very young age. This passion grew with him, and he decided he wanted to use his passion to do more to promote and support research, education, and conservation of the animals that had fascinated him for so long. Roger shares the story of how he created The Herpetofauna Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports fundraising for herpetofaunal research and conservation, and facilitates collaboration between various conservation and educational organizations working with these species.
KEEPING AND BREEDING OF MOPHEAD IGUANAS
Ivo Apetauer (Czech Republic)
Ivo Apetauer, a private herpetoculturist from the Czech Republic share the story of how he became interested in mophead iguanas (Uranoscodon superciliosus) and the techniques he developed for the successful captive husbandry and reproduction of these fascinating but rarely bred South American iguanids.
KEEPING AND BREEDING OF NEW GUINEA SNAKE-NECKED TURTLE AT CHERKASY ZOO
Iryna Solov'yova, (Ukraine)
Zoologist of the "Aquaterrarium" Department at the Cherkasy Zoo in Ukraine, Iryna Solov'yova, describes natural history of the New Guinea snake-necked turtle (Chelodina novaeguineae) and provides details on the herpetoculture and breeding of this species at the Cherkasy Zoo.
KEEPING AND BREEDING OF COMMON BARKING GECKOS
Armein Broer van Dijk (The Netherlands)
Armein Broer van Dijk, a private herpetoculturist from The Netherlands, discusses the common barking gecko (Ptenopus garrulus maculatus), and his efforts and techniques he uses to successfully maintain and reproduce this species in his private facility.
FROM REPTILE ROOM TO ZOOLOGICAL CENTER — THE LILYDALE HIGH SCHOOL REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN COLLECTION
Michael Swan, Marcus Whitby (Australia)
Lilydale High School in Victoria, Australia is a budding young herpetoculturists dream. Join curator of Lilydale High School's Reptile House, Michael Swan, and tutor, Marcus Whitby, as they discuss the unique educational program involving an onsite zoo and zookeeper program that they developed and run at what many in our community would consider the most fortunate high school in the world.