Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

#ToyTuesday: Gashapon Vol. 1

One craze that seems to be popping up everywhere I go is that of gashapon. If you’re not familiar, gashapon are toys dispensed in a vending machine in a capsule (usually a ball) that originated in Japan. The term can…

#SciFri: Down House – The Home of Charles Darwin

If you’ve seen my posts on social media, then you likely know that earlier this month I visited Down House, the home of Charles Darwin. As it’s name suggests, it is located in the village of Downe (formerly spelled “Down”)…

#StevesLibrary: A Natural History of Sea Serpents

One of the things that has always captivated me is the the swirling legends of sea serpents. Those elusive, monstrous beings said to rise from the deep with eyes like lanterns and bodies long enough to wrap around ships. As…

#ToyTuesday: Mojo Fun Amphibians and Reptiles Part I

There has been some time since the last #ToyTuesday, so it is about time I made up for it. I am still planning some videos in the near future, so keep an eye out for these on social media and…

#SciFri: The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians – A year on

It has been a year since the The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians at ZSL London Zoo opened, replacing the older and more dated Reptile House that was closer to the zoo’s entrance. As someone that visits London Zoo…

#SciFri: Why you shouldn’t move spawn between ponds

Every spring, nature lovers across Great Britain (myself included) eagerly await for the first clusters of frogspawn to appear, a sign of the renewal of life in our ponds after the long winter months. For me, it is an undeniable…

#SciFri: Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Last summer, I was lucky enough to be able to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. Apologies it has taken me so long to get around to writing this, I finally had some time to perfect my draft. Located in the…

#StevesLibrary: Infinite Life

First of all, I must apologise for the long hiatus of this series. Life has been extremely hectic over the past 9 months and so, I haven’t been able to read as much I would have like to. I also…

#ToyTuesday: Toymany Frogs

You may have read my post a couple of weeks back, where I introduced the fact that I was now working to review a number of figurines of amphibians and reptiles, produced by various toy companies. The first of these…

#SciFri: What torches do I use during amphibian surveys?

One of the conversations that will probably come up this weekend at the Herpetofauna Workers Meeting in Sheffield regards what torches we should be using when conduction amphibian surveys. At this time of the year, as we enter the amphibian…