Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

Steven Allain

#SciFri: What are the Grandes Serres du Jardin des Plantes?

During my time in Paris earlier this summer, I spent a large amount of time in the Jardin des Plantes, I’ve already reviewed a couple of the museums and the Ménagerie will probably be next. Another of the many educational…

#ToyTuesday: Gashapon Vol. 2

This is the second roundup of my gashapon hunting I have so far posted, you can find the first here. There will of course be others too, as and when new sets are released and I get the chance to…

#MuseumMonday: Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie

It is hopefully clear by #MuseumMonday, that I love a good museum! The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris’s 19ᵗʰ arrondissement, is one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic science museums….

#SciFri: Discovering Dinosaurs at Lightroom

At heart, I am just a big kid (if that wasn’t already obvious). One of my passions outside of herpetology that helps to satisfy my inner childhood curiosity, is palaeontology. I am lucky enough to have published my first paper…

#ToyTuesday: Reviewing the Toymany 6-Piece Sea Turtle Figurine Playset

It’s been a while since I have done one of these, although I have more planned for the very near future. Sorry for the delay, life has been pretty hectic but I plan to share more awesome #ToyTuesday posts with…

#MuseumMonday: How about a map?

I am always trying to find new ways to make my blog posts more interactive, to innovate and find ways to help guide people through the content that I have created. One of the ways I am trialling is the…

#SciFri: KeeperFest 2025

Not too long ago I was lucky enough to attend KeeperFest, at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park to enjoy the fun and community of this festival-style gathering for professional animal keepers. It launched a couple of years ago (in 2023)…

#StevesLibrary: Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare

There are few books out there that comprehensively summarise everything you need to know in order to provide your pet tortoise the best possible care. However, a new book titled Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare by Jane Williams bridges this gap…

#SciFri: A herpetologist visits the Aquarium de Paris

During my visit to Paris this summer, one of the places I was able to visit (apart from the millions of museums and galleries) was the Aquarium de Paris, which is situated in the Jardins du Trocadéro overlooking the Eiffel…

#MuseumMonday: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery

If you love museums that feel like friendly encyclopaedias of a place where local history, natural history, art and a surprisingly global collection rub shoulders in a handsome old building, then the Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is a quietly…