Publication Identification

Field	Information
Country	United Kingdom
Publisher	Marine World Publications Ltd.; renamed Valley Publishing Ltd. effective February 5, 2004
Publisher address	Aero Mill, Kershaw Street, Church, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 4JS
Magazine title	Reptile World
Publication status	Pending research update
Publication run	First issue September/October 2003.  Exact final issue and full run: Pending research update
Editor	Liz Donlan
Printer	Nayler the Printer Ltd., Accrington, Lancashire
ISSN	Pending research update
Language	English
Publication type	Specialist reptile, amphibian and invertebrate keeping magazine
Publication frequency	Bimonthly
Collection coverage	Issues 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 (2003–2004); Issue 5 not represented
Earliest issue represented	Issue No. 1, September/October 2003
Latest issue represented	Issue No. 6, July/August 2004
Years represented in the collection	2003 and 2004
Publisher / organization	Marine World Publications Ltd.; renamed Valley Publishing Ltd. effective February 5, 2004
Editor / publisher	Liz Donlan
Frequency	Bimonthly

These magazines do not all feature snakes on the cover but the rarity necessitated preservation and sharing here.

Preservation Significance

Reptile World has particular preservation significance because the collection begins with the premiere issue and preserves an almost consecutive record of the magazine’s first year.  Issues 1 through 4 are present, followed by Issue 6, with only Issue 5 missing from the opening sequence.  The surviving magazines document the publication as it was being created, introduced to readers and developed, rather than preserving only isolated issues from an established title.  The first issue contains the publisher’s own account of how Reptile World began after Marine World Publications Ltd. identified demand for a regular reptile magazine in the United Kingdom.  Later editorials record the response to the premiere issue, production delays, the development of regular features and contributors, changes in staffing, increasing subscriptions, problems with unpaid stockists and the financial pressures faced by a new specialist magazine.  The March/April 2004 issue also documents the publisher’s change of name from Marine World Publications Ltd. to Valley Publishing Ltd. effective February 5, 2004, while retaining the same address, contact information and personnel.  Together, these issues preserve a contemporary primary source record of the launch and early operation of a small British reptile periodical, including its editorial decisions, commercial challenges, readership, contributors, advertisers and relationship with the reptile keeping community.  The physical magazines also preserve cover subjects and photographic credits, article topics, advertisements and husbandry information that provide a snapshot of British reptile keeping culture in 2003 and 2004.