A new column to focus on the most popular reptile pets.
The January issue always seems like the natural choice in which to debut new sections of a magazine, so in keeping with that tradition, I’ve got a couple new features to tout in this January 2009 issue.
First up is our new column, “Herpers’ Most Wanted,” which you will find on page 30. The idea behind this column is for each installment to feature a description and care tips for a specific reptile or amphibian that is particularly popular with the pet crowd. These will be animals that should be readily available (perhaps depending on the time of year) and that you’re likely to encounter whether you’re shopping for pet herps at expos, in stores or online.
We’re delighted Ken Foose agreed to helm “Herpers’ Most Wanted.” Regular readers may remember that Ken was featured in our October 2008 issue’s “Who’s Who in REPTILES” column. He’s vice president of the International Herpetological Symposium and the owner of Exotic Pets, a Las Vegas, Nev., retail store with a name that says it all. Being the owner of a store specializing in reptiles makes Ken a natural to write a column that’s supposed to focus on what’s currently the rage in the world of reptile pets. The column kicks off with the Russian tortoise, a favorite pet due in large part to its personality and especially the fact that it doesn’t grow as large as many other tortoises.
Our other new section can be seen on page 10 in “Mailbag.” For “Where in the World Is REPTILES?” we’re asking readers to send photos of themselves in interesting areas reading their copies of REPTILES. My submission can be seen up top. If we publish yours in the magazine, you’ll receive a free one-year subscription. If you already subscribe, we’ll extend your current subscription for a year. We hope to see some great photos from our globe-trotting readers, but you don’t have to trot the globe to submit a photo if there’s a photogenic attraction in your area. By the way, don’t send a fake photo like mine — we want yours to be the real deal.
We hope you’ll agree that the 2009 REPTILES has gotten off to a good start!
