Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

#StevesLibrary

#StevesLibrary: Secrets of the Human Body

Something that has always fascinated me is the human body, how it works and how we figured out how so. Therfore in my mind, Secrets of the Human Body was going to be a fantastic read. I think I’m right…

#StevesLibrary: How to Clone a Mammoth

Back in 2013, I watched a number of TEDx talks uploaded to YouTube on the topic of de-extinction (you can find the playlist here). These introduced me to the idea of de-extinction and at the time, I was all for…

#SteveLibrary: The Butterfly Isles

One of my earliest memories of being immersed in nature (other than chasing lizards or frogs), is running round a field with a butterfly net trying to catch butterflies. It’s not nearly as easy as it looks, most of the…

#StevesLibrary: Spix’s Macaw

The writings are Tony Juniper are not unknown to me, I’ve read and reviews two of his books previously. What was unknown to me was the fact that he spent what seems a lifetime researching, for a book on the…

#StevesLibrary: The Brief Life of Flowers

One of the consequences of the recent lockdowns, is a growing love for flowers. The garden in the house I’m renting was a bit of a jungle, but recently my partner and I took all of our frustration out on…

#StevesLibrary: Shark

If I wasn’t spending my days studying amphibian and reptiles, I would have probably have chosen sharks instead. They too, like snakes and spiders, have an image problem – although once you understand them, they’re not all that scary. Sharks…

#StevesLibrary: Spillover

Right at the beginning of the pandemic, I tried to purchase a book that was recommended to me back in 2014 whilst still an undergraduate. My friend who had read the book, was studying microbiology and knew that I was…

#StevesLibrary: Shell Life on the Seashore

I ended 2020 by finishing Shell Life on the Seashore by Philip Street. I admit that this isn’t the most traditional end to a year but despite everything that went on during those painful 12 months, it was the 25th…

#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….

#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…