Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

Conservation

#StevesLibrary: Top 10 books on Rewilding

These Top 10 lists I’ve been writing every now and again seem to be popular, so I may try to write one every month or so. The topic of this list is books on rewilding. But what is it? Rewilding…

#SciFri: My first visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

I’ve got to admit something that will probably shock a lot of you. Despite the Institute of Zoology (IoZ) being a collaborative partner of my PhD, I had never been to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo until last year. All of my…

#SteveReviews: Ocean with David Attenborough

At 99 years old, Sir David Attenborough delivers what might be one of the most emotional and urgent works of his storied career with Ocean with David Attenborough, a feature-length documentary that’s as breath-taking in its beauty as it is…

#StevesLibrary: Gone – Stories of Extinction

Many of you will be aware that I am extremely passionate about conservation and trying to prevent extinction. I do not feel that the majority of humans understand or have the ability to comprehend extinction and unfortunately a book a…

#SteveReviews: Wild London

When you hear the name Sir David Attenborough, your imagination usually leaps to the sweeping plains of Africa, the coral cities beneath the sea, or the silent expanses of Arctic ice. However in Wild London, a 2026 BBC One documentary…

#StevesLibrary: Gathering Moss – A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

Regular readers of the blog will know that I am doing my best to try to combat plant-blindness. I’ve been visiting more botanical gardens and purchased some books on the topic of plant conservation. One of these is Robin Wall…

#ToyTuesday: Mojo Fun Amphibians and Reptiles Part II

You may remember that back in April I reviewed a number of smaller amphibians and reptiles from Mojo Fun, which was Part I of this series. I kind of forgot about the other half of the figurines that I had,…

#SciFri: What can you expect at the Bonn University Botanical Garden?

As you may have seen from my previous blog on the Museum Koenig Bonn, I was in Germany in September. Another of the places I visited whilst I was there is the Bonn University Botanic Garden. From the moment you…

#StevesLibrary: Neurodivergent, By Nature

First of all must come a confession. This is a book that I have been reading since August and have had to go back through a couple of times in order to really absorb it. The main reason for this…

#SciFri: The history of the Jardin des Plantes, Paris

The Jardin des Plantes is one of Paris’s most enduring and intellectually significant institutions. Situated on the Left Bank of the Seine in the 5th arrondissement, it is far more than a botanical garden. Over nearly four centuries, it has…