Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

Steven Allain

#SciFri: When frogs were used as pregnancy tests

Long before lateral flow pregnancy tests became a routine purchase in pharmacies or supermarkets, confirming a pregnancy was a slow, uncertain, and often expensive process. During the early twentieth century, physicians relied on indirect signs and symptoms or laboratory tests…

#StevesReviews: Evolution with Chris Packham

Few concepts have shaped modern biology as profoundly as evolution. It underpins every aspect of ecology, genetics, physiology, behaviour and conservation, yet communicating evolutionary theory to a general audience remains a considerable challenge. Evolutionary processes often occur over immense timescales,…

#StevesLibrary: DK Eyewitness: Amphibian

Thinking about my own personal development, few publishers have shaped children’s non-fiction as profoundly as Dorling Kindersley (DK). For more than three decades, the Eyewitness series has introduced millions of readers to subjects ranging from dinosaurs and space exploration to…

#MuseumMonday: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum – A Fascinating History of Medicines, Poisons and Pharmacy

Tucked away on East Smithfield, a short walk from Tower Bridge and St Katharine Docks, is one of London’s lesser-known medical museums. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum is easy to overlook. It does not have the grand scale of the…

#MuseumMonday: A comprehensive review of the Hunterian Museum

The Hunterian Museum is one of London’s most fascinating, controversial, and intellectually challenging museums. Located within the headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons of England at Lincoln’s Inn Fields (easily accessible from Holborn tube station), it houses one of…

#SciFri: Kew Gardens – A Comprehensive Review and History of Britain’s Botanical Treasure

I have previously written on the wonders of Kew Gardens, but since then I have learnt a lot more about this amazing attraction, so I thought I’d try to do it justice this time. In my mind, there are few…

#SciFri: Wild Health – People, Nature & One Health

The health of people, animals and the natural world is inseparable. The quality of the environments in which we live, the health of wildlife and domestic animals, the spread of infectious diseases, the pollutants we release into the environment and…

#MuseumMonday: The Museum of Zoology at the University of Cambridge

The Museum of Zoology in Cambridge is one of Britain’s most important natural history museums, bringing together the history of zoological research, the extraordinary diversity of animal life and the development of modern biological science. Located in the heart of…

#SciFri: Titanosaur at Peterborough Cathedral

When you think of dinosaurs, the last place that comes to mind is probably a cathedral (unless you’re thinking along the lines of the Natural History Museum). However, earlier in the spring of 2026, one of the most extraordinary exhibitions…

#MuseumMonday: A Review of the Galleries of the Peterborough Museum

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery is one of those museums that is considerably more interesting once you begin to appreciate the breadth of its collections. Housed in a substantial Georgian mansion on Priestgate, in the centre of Peterborough, the Museum…