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	        An Introduction to rec.pets.herp
		 Part 1/3: About This Newsgroup
	       Bill East <eastb@concentric.net>

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This document is copyright 1995-1998 by Bill East, and may be redistributed
freely under many circumstances; the details are explained in Part 1 (section
3.1).  Some sections were written by other authors, who are also identified in
Part 1.

This document is provided as-is, with no expressed or implied warranty of
any kind.  Every effort has been made to make this FAQ an accurate and
comprehensive source of information; however, the maintainer offers no
guarantee that these efforts have been successful, and assumes no
responsibility for damages resulting from errors or omissions.

This document represents the understanding and opinion of the maintainer,
and, where possible, a consensus of posters to rec.pets.herp; it is not
endorsed by, and does not necessarily represent any position of, the
maintainer's employer or ISP.

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Section 1: Introduction and Disclaimer

Welcome to rec.pets.herp!  This is a monthly informational posting that
answers some common questions and provides pointers to other sources of
information.  Aspiring posters to rec.pets.herp should read this document
first.

You are not expected to know everything in this document cold before posting;
there won't be an exam.  However, many of the most commonly asked questions,
especially by new posters, are at least partially answered here.  Take some
time to look through it; your problem may already be solved!

This document is provided as-is, with no expressed or implied warranty of
any kind.  Every effort has been made to make this FAQ an accurate and
comprehensive source of information; however, the maintainer offers no
guarantee that these efforts have been successful, and assumes no
responsibility for damages resulting from errors or omissions.

This document represents the understanding and opinion of the maintainer,
and, where possible, a consensus of posters to rec.pets.herp; it is not
endorsed by, and does not necessarily represent any position of, the
maintainer's employer or ISP.

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Section 2: Table of Contents

Part 1: About This Newsgroup

	1. Introduction and Disclaimer
	2. Table of Contents
	3. About this FAQ
	        <3.1>  Author
	        <3.2>  How to get the FAQ
	        <3.3>  Formatting and usage
	        <3.4>  Acknowledgements
	4. Generalities
	        <4.1>  What is rec.pets.herp?
	        <4.2>  What is sci.bio.herp?
	        <4.3>  What is/isn't a herp?
	        <4.4>  What about tarantulas, scorpions, and so on?
	        <4.5>  What kind of questions are/aren't appropriate here?
	        <4.6>  What does CB stand for?
	        <4.7>  What does <some term> mean?
	        <4.8>  What do these numbers like "1.2" mean?
		<4.9>  What are those funny things in brackets in the Subject
		       lines of posts?

Part 2: Other Resources

	5. Other information resources
	        <5.1>  What other online resources exist?
	        <5.2>  What are some good offline resources?
	        <5.3>  How do I find a nearby herp society?
	        <5.4>  Where do I get information about iguanas?
	        <5.5>  Is there a care sheet for <whatever species>?
	        <5.6>  What zoos have good herp collections?

	6. Obtaining and identifying herps
	        <6.1>  Where can I get a <whatever species>?
	        <6.2>  How do I identify this creature in my yard?  Can I
			keep it?
	        <6.3>  I just bought a <whatever species>.  How do I take
			care of it?
	        <6.4>  Is it OK to order herps through the mail?  Over the net?

Part 3: Questions About Herps

	7. General herp care
	        <7.1>  My herp got away.  How can I find it?
	        <7.2>  Is there something wrong with using mealworms as food?
	        <7.3>  Is there something wrong with using live feeder rodents?
	        <7.4>  I can't keep my <whatever species>.  What do I do?
			Let it go?
	        <7.5>  Can't you get salmonella from reptiles?

	8. Choosing a herp
	        <8.1>  What's a good first herp?
	                <8.1a>  Snakes
	                <8.1b>  Lizards
	                <8.1c>  Turtles & Tortoises
	                <8.1d>  Frogs & Toads
	                <8.1e>  Salamanders & Newts
	                <8.1f>  Caecilians
	        <8.2> My kid wants a reptile; what should we get?

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Section 3: About This FAQ