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Endangered turtle bred in UK
Image: Bristol Zoo
The Vietnamese box turtle successfully bred

Bristol Zoo have become the first in the UK to successfully breed the critically endangered Vietnamese box turtle.

The zoo is part of a European breeding programme and, until now, the only other place in Europe to have bred the turtle, which happens to be one of the rarest in the world, is another zoo in Germany.

The baby, called Vernon, was born in July and is about 5cm (2in) long now. He lives in a boggy tank which replicates his natural habitat, and is hoped to grow to around 1kg (2.2lb) and live for up to 50 years.

Staff at the zoo have said the species was very difficult to breed.

"Not a lot is known about this species so we can learn an awful lot from this baby to improve our chances of breeding more in future," said Tim Skelton, Reptile curator at the zoo.

He added this was a 40-year career highlight for him.

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

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News Shorts
New form for online veterinary medicines retailers

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has produced a new online form for retailers wishing to sell veterinary medicines on the internet.

The form replace the previous Word version and is part of the VMD's ongoing commitment to digitise its processes. Anyone retailing prescription medicines online, including POM-V, POM-VPS and NFA-VPS categories, is lawfully required to register with the VMD before trading.

The change only applies to new applicants. Retailers already listed on the VMD's Register of Online Retailers or registered under the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS) do not need to do anything.