Added 18 September 2005: last updated 2 December 2007.

Periodical Index - Terrarium and Vivarium Advice

A guide to general articles on the construction and maintenance of terraria and vivaria appearing in herpetogical periodicals over the past few years


The following is a guide to general terrarium and vivarium articles that have appeared within herpetological magazines within the last few years. These articles deal with important subjects such as the purchase, construction and maintenance of terraria and vivaria, and the correct use of environmental controls, lighting and plants and so forth. It is an ongoing project, ie I am effectively cataloguing these entries myself from the actual magazines, some of which are harder to get hold of than others (especially when they are no longer being published!). I hope however that some people will find it useful.

I should nevertheless add that if you are entering the hobby of animal keeping for the first time, you should probably find a good book to start you off with. Some of these articles may be hard to find, particularly if the magazine itself is out of print (as is sadly the case with some listed below). A book can also cover the subject in more depth.

Key

AMP = Amphibia German publication from the DGHT: focuses on captive husbandry and reproduction of amphibians. May now have been split into two separate magazines.
CCB = Chelonian Conservation and Biology Seems to be a quarterly or biannual publication, fairly weighty, going back to about 1994. 
D=Draco Quarterly herpetological magazine from the German Natur und Tier Verlag that usually focuses on a theme, eg agamid lizards or desert herpetofauna
E = Elaphe German publication from the DGHT: focuses on captive husbandry and reproduction of reptiles and amphibians.
EE = Die Eidechse German publication from the DGHT dealing with the family Lacertidae.
GO = Gekko Journal of the Global Gecko Association.
I = Iguana German twice-yearly publication from the DGHT dealing with the family Iguanidae and, since the past couple of years, also Agamidae.
IR = International Reptilian European magazine, published in UK. It may alternatively be known as the Reptilian, but we have kept the IR abbreviation to distinguish it from Reptilia and Reptiles.
IT = Iguana Times Magazine of the International Iguana Society. So far we have not added any articles from this magazine.
PR = Pet Reptile European magazine, published in UK. Slightly more "entry level" but contains some good articles. Wound up in 2001.
R = Reptilia European magazine, published in Spain but produced in English, German and Spanish.
RH = Reptile Hobbyist US magazine published by TFH. Merged with R&A to become R&AH (see below).
Rs = Reptiles US magazine which bought out Vivarium. Despite the title, covers amphibians and invertebrates too. So far we have not added any articles from the magazine.
R&A = Reptile & Amphibian Magazine Now sadly defunct, although back copies may be available at herp exhibitions, etc. For some years this was practically the only herp magazine for most non-scientific folk.
R&AH = Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist Formed out of the merger of Reptile Hobbyist and Reptile & Amphibian Magazine: last issue November 2001
S = Salamandra German magazine published by the DGHT (German Herptological Association) in English and German. So far we have not added any articles from the magazine. The DGHT also publishes magazines for each of their specialist groups, eg Radiata (tortoises), Lacerta (lacertid lizards), etc. From 2005 Salamandra will be published in both English and German.
SA = Sauria German publication from the DGHT: focuses on those lizard and snake groups which do not have their own specialised DGHT publication.
Si = Situla French-language herpetological magazine, also covering invertebrates
Ta = Terarista Czech herpetological magazine, published yearly by the Terrarium Society of Prague in Czech with good English summaries
V = Vivarium Magazine associated with Advanced Herpetological Library and Philippe de Vosjoli. Bought out by Reptiles around about the turn of the century.



Article Magazine Issue Author
GENERAL & BASIC
A Cage in Every Corner - and a Herp in Every Cage RH 3:8 Wayne Labenda
Herp Hints: Looking after a herptile for the first time PR 42 Terry Thatcher
Herp Hints: Springtime PR 44 Terry Thatcher
Money-Saving Tips for Maintaining Your Herps [Starting Out] R&AH 7:2 Wayne Labenda
Prevention rather than Treatment: Avoiding Health Problems associated with Captive Maintenance R 33 Tobias Eisenberg
Psst!! Are You Legal? RH 2:3 Jerry G Walls
Record Keeping for Reptile Keepers R 18 Joan Egert
COMMUNITY CAGES
Maintien en captivité de reptiles en terrarium de communauté climatique [Captive maintenance of reptiles in climatic community terraria] Si 7 Veronique Dang & Philippe Brinon
OUTDOOR HERPETOCULTURE      
Hazards of the Great Outdoors: Things to Consider Before Taking Your Herps Outdoors [Starting Out] R&AH 6:8 Wayne Labenda
FOOD
Breeding Cockroaches Shelfordella tartara R 38 F Bruse
Breeding Crickets for Prey R 38 F Bruse
Breeding Fruit Flies R 38 F Bruse
Raising Fruit Flies [Mailbag] Rs 4:2 Dr Floyd Waddle
Fliegen als Futter für Terrarientiere [Flies as food for terrarium animals] A 2/02 Peter Janzen
Herp Hints: Feeding [dried food & sprouting seeds] PR 40 Terry Thatcher
Herp Hints: Feeding PR 41 Terry Thatcher
Herp Nutrition: Waxworms RH 1:2 Jerry G Walls
Invertebrate Prey for Terrarium Animals R 38 F Bruse and H Werning
WATER
Wasser in der Terraristik Teil 2: Wasseraufnahme von Terrarientieren und Erscheinungsformen von Wasser im Terrarium [Water in the terrarium Part 2: how terrarium animals take in water and the ways in which water appears in terrarium] A 2/02 Ulrich Schmidt
Wasser in der Terraristik Teil 3: Beeinflussung von Wasser [Water in the terrarium Part 3: adapting water] A 1/03 Ulrich Schmidt
HEALTH
Brand im Terrarium [Fire in the Terrarium] E 1/07 Andreas Scheithauer
Salmonella and Reptiles: the facts IR 6:5 Stephen J Divers & Martin P C Lawton
Salmonella in Reptiles R 33 Tobias Eisenberg
Salmonella: what reptile owners need to know PR 45 Mike Penman
Salmonella Prevention Herp Mail R&AH 6:9 Allen R Both
LIGHTING
UV Dangers [dangers of UV usage?] Herp Mail RH 2:3 ?
Lighting and Breeding Ask The Breeder Rs 9:12 Sean McKeown
Die Versorgung von Reptilien in der Terrarienhaltung mit ultraviolettem Licht [The provision of ultraviolet light to reptiles in the terrarium] E 1/07 Martin Böttcher
PLANTS
Planted terrariums PR 5 Chris Mattison
Herp Hints: Plant life for the vivarium PR 46 Terry Thatcher
Plants for the Vivarium R 13 Jon Coote
Fungi and Bacteria: Benign species add a new dimension to your vivarium [The Living Vivarium] Rs 11:9 Rex Lee Searcey
Vivarium Planting Mixes: Part 1 - Basic information and components [The Living Vivarium] Rs 9:12 Rex Lee Searcey
FISH & INVERTEBRATES IN THE TERRARIUM
Dischidien für das Terrarium [Dischids in the terrarium] A 2/02 Peter Hoffmann


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