FEEDING ISSUES WITH SNAKES ? Loss of appetite is an issue that is often encountered by snake-keepers ? but what are the causes and how can you be sure if there is an underlying health problem? Snake breeder and veterinary surgeon Dr Tariq Abou-Zahr BVSc MRCVS provides vital insight.

HERPETOLOGICAL MYSTERIES ? fakery in the fi eld of reptilian creatures was not uncommon during the 1800s, when far less was known about the natural world than is the case today. But such objects can still be a source of mystery, as Dr Karl Shuker reveals.

THE FRIENDLY SPIDER PROGRAMME ? Few creatures in the natural world divide opinion more than spiders. While many readers of this publication are likely to fi nd them fascinating, there are some people who simply cannot stand to be near them. What happens if you?re keen on keeping tarantulas, but your partner is terrifi ed of them? Help is at hand, as Susie Kearley reveals and much more...