Steve's Herpetological Blog

An insight into the life of Steve, his research and the many books he reads

Year: 2020

#StevesLibrary: Improbable Destinies

Knowing the author’s name from the world of herpetology, I was expecting there to be slightly more about his research on anoles from the get go. However this is restricted to a single chapter, which in itself is interesting enough….

#SciFri: Reflecting on 2020, the year everyone wants to forget

For many people, this year has been quite a trying and stressful time. I fully sympathise with this view given the delays and isolation caused by lockdowns, in the attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. To me, it has…

#SciFri: What’s that lichen?

During a recent walk along the North Downs Way recently with my good friend Vanessa, we stumbled across some trees that were covered in lichen. Being the curious types that we are, we collected some twigs from these trees and…

#SciFri: Why are there so few herpetologists in the UK?

As a herpetologist working in the UK, it has always struck me just how few of us there are. This stretches through the realms of professionals such as ecologists or academics to students with a focus on amphibian or reptile…

#SteveReviews: Alien Worlds

Anyone who is a fan of Dougal Dixon’s After Man must have been as excited a child on Christmas morning when Netflix dropped the trailer for Alien Worlds. I know I was! To my mind, it is the first speculative…

#StevesLibrary: Extraordinary Insects

If there is one thing that I have come to appreciate even more this year, it is insects. I’ve always have a soft spot for them, as they are pretty much everywhere and come in an array of colours and…

#SciFri: The wonders of dissecting owl pellets

Did you know that many birds such as owls produce pellets? Pellets are formed of all of the indigestible material they’ve consumed such as bones, teeth, feathers and fur. This is then compacted in the gizzard and regurgitated as a…

#StevesLibrary: Blowfish’s Oceanopedia

If there is one thing I like about a book when I pick it up, it is that I can’t put it down unless I pass out or something comes up that necessitates the need for me to put the…

#SteveReviews: Brave Blue World

One resource that we often take for granted is water, it’s so important that we use it as a sign of potential extra-terrestrial life. Why you may ask? Well as far as we’re aware, water is essential for life and…

#StevesLibrary: The Secret Life of Bones

It is very rare that you come across a book that looks at a single subject yet finds a number of ways to dissect it from every angle possible. However, that is exactly what The Secrets of Bones by Brian…