HerpHouse Volume 1

Since I’m 3 years in now, this is awkward. I mean, my team of people pulled off what as far as we know is the first completely digital herpetology & herpetoculture magazine. Within a year we’ve made leaps & bounds. As an ‘editor’ I feel I should’ve had some grandiose vision of what I wanted from Volume 1 of HerpHouse Magazine. I didn’t, I just wanted to provide a reptile care magazine with more useful content and less advertising.

Issue 1. We talk about Ball Python Care by Ricky Melamed of Ricky’s Reptiles, Reptile Shows, Green Tree Pythons by Scott Powley of Powley Exotics, Geckos, Hissing Roaches, Banded Geckos by Marcia McGuiness of Golden Gate Geckos, Iguanas, and Red Eared Sliders.

Issue 2 we go across the pond and visit with none other than Gary Rolfe of Northampton Reptile Centre when he advises on the captive care of Axolotls! Then we jump back over and run down to South America with J. D. Hartzel of Herpin Time Radio to learn about Argentine Tegu care. We are then visited by the Chameleon crew of Ryan Jarosek and Debbie Swiechowicz. In their articles they prepare us for responsible chameleon care. We also get into Leopard geckos with Daniel Bebb who walks us through the process of taming some of our more wild scaly friends.

Issue 3 we take on some of the more controversial issues facing herpetoculture today. Legislation regarding large constrictors is one of the most prevalent issues. Responsible ownership for large constrictors is the primary focus with Chris M. Law writing An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure and Large Constrictors: Beginners Guide to Handling and Safety. We then talk in depth about the Savannah or Bosc’s Monitor as the new monitor craze and what is actually involved in the captive care of Savannah monitors. Dr. Robert Sprackland talks with us about reptile incubation while Elizabeth Semple profiles the Bearded Dragon as the new family pet.

Issue 4 we get shot at while field herping with Melissa Coakley, learn about the Papuan Python via Matt Charnock, we then spend some time with Jim Pearce who rescues a Reticulated Python in Africa! We then get to spend some quality time with Katy Bugler (Pixie to her close friends) who while small in stature has the attitude of a giant. She shares with us her favorite snakes large constrictors!

Issue 5 Sara Viernum The Wandering Herpetologist educates us on why amphibians are important to the ecology of the world. Tom Williams from across the pond drops in to speak about breeding and the controversy over wild caught species. Justin Guyer whom you’ll recognize as co-host of Herpin’ Time Radio writes about the care of Mexican Night Snakes. We introduce Tales & Trails by Melissa Coakley who’s agreed to cover field herping adventures as she travels both nationally and internationally chasing reptiles, amphibians, and much more!

2011 Annual Wow, in this we get the first glimpses of what’s to come from our insanely talented Creative Director Kevin Oskow. This is also when we jumped into the desktop publishing realm of Macintosh products. To say this was the best investment we made would be an understatement. Anyway, this is a recap of some of the best articles of the year. Geckos Fact & Fiction by Corrina Sara Bechko, Axolotls by Gary Rolfe, Savannah Monitors…Man’s New Best Friend by John F Taylor, The Color Changing Colossal by Matt Charnock, and finally Chris M. Law writes about crocodilian ownership in his piece How Much is that Alligator in the Window?