Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

#SciFri

#SciFri: Visiting Parc Zoologique de Paris

The Parc Zoologique de Paris (sometimes called the outdated Vincennes Zoo) is one of the city’s most surprising (and surprisingly modern) attractions. It blends an impressive heritage landmark (the famous Grand Rocher, or ‘Big Rock’) with a 21st-century approach to…

#SciFri: GIANTS at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

I was fortunate enough to be in Birmingham recently, and while I was there I visited the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. I will be covering the museum itself in a later blog post for #MuseumMonday so please keep an…

#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…

#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…

#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)…

#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…

#SciFri: Vanishing Viper Conference 2025

The adder (Vipera berus) is Britain’s only native venomous snake, which is having a bit of a tough time and suffers from a major image problem in the public media. Populations are patchy and concentrated in a mosaic of heathlands,…

#SciFri: Fossil Hunting at Abbey Wood for Shark’s Teeth

I’m no stranger to going fossil hunting on the coast, I know many of you have read my posts about the Essex and Kent coats. However, what about in the middle of London? I was fortunate enough to be invited…

#SciFri: A herpetologist’s visit to SEA LIFE London Aquarium

I recently visited an attraction that I haven’t been to as a child, it has been so long that I don’t have memories of the experience. If I do, they have blended in with all of the other aquariums I…

#SciFri: Reflecting on the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2025

The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival was first held in 2005, and conceived by local enthusiasts alongside Dr Paul Davis of the Natural History Museum and the Lyme Regis Development Trust. Originally intended as a one-off celebration of the Jurassic Coast’s…