Practical Reptile Keeping – July 2026

Summary

A yellow bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, takes the cover of Practical Reptile Keeping July 2026 under Colourful Dragons and Their Care. The cover also carries an unusual tribute to Taylor Swift, frog and toad breeding habits, snake-necked turtles, chameleon care and the rough scale python.

David Alderton's opening is the issue's best story: a female white-lipped tree viper, Trimeresurus albolabris, at a specialist reptile facility outside Antwerp, Belgium, produced 11 well-formed neonates on the morning of 12 July after two years entirely alone. She arrived as an adult in mid-2024 and had never been with a male.

The two explanations are long-term sperm storage from a mating before arrival, or facultative parthenogenesis, virgin birth. Genetic tests are under way, with early results favouring sperm storage but parthenogenesis not ruled out. A senior keeper said "We had almost forgotten she was capable of this."

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Content Guide

▸ Opening Feature — The viper alone

p.4 · A birth with no father — David Alderton
The snake is a white-lipped tree viper, Trimeresurus albolabris, a vivid green pit viper with pale lip markings. She arrived at a specialist reptile facility outside Antwerp, Belgium as an adult in mid-2024 and lived alone for two full years, 24 months, never housed with a male. Earlier this month keepers saw her behaviour change: restlessness, long periods coiled against the warm glass, and refusing food for nearly three weeks. On the morning of 12 July a trainee on routine cleaning found 11 tiny, fully formed neonates, none longer than a pencil, already carrying the mother's bright green and the species' sharp white lip line. Live birth is well documented in the species, but 24 months without a male makes this extraordinary. Read it before you assume you know how your own reptiles reproduce.

The two explanations
Either the female stored viable sperm from a mating before she arrived, long-term sperm storage, or this is facultative parthenogenesis, virgin birth. Genetic testing is still under way, and preliminary results lean towards sperm storage without ruling out parthenogenesis. A senior keeper said: "We had almost forgotten she was capable of this." The neonates have been carefully separated and are thriving under intensive care, and the mother has returned to her usual secretive behaviour. Ask your vet what your own female has been exposed to before you assume any clutch is impossible.

▸ News and Views (p4, compiled by G. Valentine)

Three new snakes from Ecuador
A team led by Alejandro Arteaga of the Khamal Foundation, supported by The Explorers Club Discovery Expeditions, found three previously unknown cryptozoic, underground, snakes in Ecuador, beneath graveyards and churches in remote towns. They are small, cylindrical and rather primitive-looking, and are named after people or institutions supporting exploration and conservation of remote tropical cloud forests. The genus is Atractus, the most diverse snake genus in the world with more than 150 species globally. One, Atractus michaelsabini, was found beside a church in Guanazán, an Andean town in El Oro province, Ecuador, photographed by Amanda Quezada; another, Atractus zgap, was photographed by Alejandro Arteaga. New species under graveyards is the detail worth repeating. Look up one Atractus species before you assume the genus is dull.

Also new
Six tiny new frogs from Mexico, three secretive black-bellied salamanders from the Appalachian Mountains, a mountain frog from Australia and a bent-toed gecko from Cambodia are reported. Discovery roundups are the reason herpetology magazines exist. Name one of the six Mexican frogs and look it up.

▸ Features

p.20 · Keeping and Breeding Dragons — Terri Sommella
The cover species gets the lead feature, following Sommella's 25 years running Fire and Ice Dragons in the US. Colour morphs are the reason dragon care needs updating. Check your dragon's morph against the care advice.

p.25 · Life in Water — Paul Donovan
Donovan writes on aquatic life. Aquatic setups are the most technically demanding corner of the hobby. Test your water before you blame the animal.

p.36 · Enrichment for Reptiles and Amphibians
Enrichment gets a full feature across both classes. Enrichment is the welfare improvement most keepers skip. Add one new enrichment item this week.

p.41 · Restoring the Reputation of Female Chameleons — Pete Hawkins
Hawkins argues for female chameleons. Female reptiles get blamed for problems caused by husbandry. Re-read your chameleon setup before you call the female difficult.

p.44 · Keeping and Breeding the Rough Scale Python — Marc Mense
Mense covers the rough scale python. Rough scale pythons are the species that separates experienced keepers from beginners. Compare your setup with the article before you pair one.

p.47 · Amphibian Reproduction — Frogs and toads
The diversity of breeding habits in frogs and toads gets a feature, the cover's frog promise. Amphibian reproduction is the most varied in the hobby. Watch one breeding behaviour and name it.

p.54 · Introducing Snake-Necked Turtles
Snake-necked turtles get an introduction. Turtle care is the purchase most owners regret. Check the adult size before you buy a hatchling.

▸ Regulars and Books

p.60 · Tales from the Reptile House — Bill Lowe
Bill Lowe closes with tales from the reptile house. Closing columns work when the writer has actually kept the animals. Read it last, as the editor intends.

p.32 · Q & A · p.34 · Reptile Focus
Keeper questions and a species focus run here. Q&A is where real keeping problems surface. Send in one question of your own.

Mysterious Creatures
David Alderton and Akara Heart's book Mysterious Creatures: The Truth Behind the Legends explores unicorns, dragons, werewolves, mermaids, phoenixes, Bigfoot and thunderbirds, blending science and wonder, scepticism and belief, in bookshops and on Amazon in Kindle and hardback. Legend books are where a reptile writer's range shows. Read one chapter on dragons after the cover feature.

▸ Advertising

Exo Terra
Exo Terra's Frogs & Co range is advertised at www.exo-terra.com, designed to create a harmonious natural microhabitat and successfully establish bioactive planted vivariums with thriving frog groups. Bioactive advertising is the real buying guide. Compare one product with your own vivarium's needs.

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Editor's Take

The fatherless viper is the reason Practical Reptile Keeping July 2026 is worth opening: Trimeresurus albolabris, Antwerp, 24 months alone, 11 neonates on 12 July 2026, and the honest split between sperm storage and parthenogenesis with tests still running is a story told with dates and uncertainty rather than a miracle. Alejandro Arteaga's three new Atractus snakes under Ecuadorian graveyards and churches, against a genus of more than 150 species, is the best news page. Weakest is the features: all seven are listed with authors and page numbers but no body text survives, so the dragons, chameleons, pythons and turtles cannot be quoted, and the Taylor Swift tribute on the cover never appears in the text at all. Buy this for the viper and the new species; the features are a contents page.

Strengths
• Viper gives 24 months, 11 neonates, 12 July 2026
• Both explanations given with tests still running
• Atractus gives three new species and 150-plus genus
• Seven features have named authors

Weaknesses
• No feature body text available to quote
• Taylor Swift tribute never appears in the text
• Advertising and book promotion fill the gaps

Verdict: Selective read — the viper birth and new species, features unquoted.