Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

Steven Allain

#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…

#SciFri: What to expect at RHS Hyde Hall

In my mind, there are few gardens in Britain quite like RHS Garden Hyde Hall. Set high on a ridge in the Essex countryside near Rettendon, between Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers, Hyde Hall combines formal horticultural displays, experimental planting,…

#MuseumMonday: The Royal Institution – A History and Review of the Faraday Museum

The Royal Institution of Great Britain is one of the most remarkable surviving institutions in the history of British science. Founded in 1799, it occupies an unusual position between a scientific society, research institution, educational establishment, public lecture theatre and…

#SciFri: The Art of Deception at the Whipple Museum

There is something wonderfully appropriate about the fact that the Whipple Museum of the History of Science should mount an exhibition about deception. Scientific instruments are objects upon which trust depends. A telescope must provide a reliable image; a balance…

#MuseumMonday: My visit to the Whipple Museum of the History of Science

The Whipple Museum of the History of Science occupies a distinctive place among Britain’s university museums. Hidden away on the atmospheric Free School Lane in Cambridge, the museum is not simply a repository of antique instruments. It is a living…

#SciFri: Homo sapiens – Classifying the Human Animal

The classification of the human species has occupied philosophers, physicians, theologians, and naturalists for thousands of years. Long before the emergence of modern biology, human beings sought to understand what humanity was, how humans differed from animals, and whether differences…

#SteveReviews: Secret Garden

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that last week was Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, I could therefore think of no better way to celebrate than to watch Secret Garden. In an age dominated by frantic streaming…