THE WELWYN AND HATFIELD TIMES (UK) 01 August 07 Enter the dragons: 27 of them!
A boy who adopted two male reptiles got more than he bargained for when Steve turned out to be Stevie.
Ben Skinner, of Knebworth, acquired the bearded dragons from school, but a misunderstanding over the sexes of the pair has left his family with 27 eggs.
His mother Angela told the WHT: "Ben used to be president of the reptile club at his school, St Edmund's College in Ware.
"He persuaded me to let us look after two bearded dragons from school because he was so keen on them.
"After they were returned to the school Ben then wanted to have two of his science teacher's, so I agreed."
Angela, who has three children, added: "I have never been a reptile person at all - and I don't like spiders or snakes - but there was something about the dragons that was calming and they are quite friendly."
The pair, named Steve and Godzilla by Ben, were three months old at this stage, but eight months later they appeared to be fighting.
In the end 13-year-old Ben had to separate them, giving Godzilla away to a friend.
But events took a more surprising turn a few weeks ago.
"We had been out at a friend's across the road for a musical evening," said Angela.
"We came back and the children were amazed to find 'Steve' laying the last three of 27 eggs."
They phoned Paul's Reptile Den in Potters Bar as soon as they could to find out what to do and were advised to put the eggs in an incubator.
About the size of sugared almonds, they have to be kept at a constant temperature of 27°C and are expected to hatch in mid- September.
Steve has also been renamed Fluffy.
Ben said: "It's quite exciting.
"We don't know at this stage how many of them will survive, but two of my friends have already said they want some.
http://www.whtimes.co.uk/content/whtimes/news/story.aspx?brand=WHTOnline&category=News&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=newswhtnew&itemid=WEED01 Aug 2007 11:04:31:630
