Steve's Herpetological Blog

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

Zoology

#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…

#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,…

#MuseumMonday: My visit and a quick history of the Powell-Cotton Museum

Last autumn I was able to visit a museum that had been on my bucket list for a while. I had planned to visit while I was living in Canterbury undertaking my PhD at the University of Kent, however the…

#SteveReviews: Kingdom

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you’ve probably heard about Kingdom, which is a six-part British nature documentary series produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit and narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Filmed…

#StevesLibrary: Top 10 Books on De-extinction

De-extinction refers to the scientific process of bringing extinct species back to life through advanced techniques such as cloning, genetic engineering, or selective breeding. This concept has gained attention due to breakthroughs in biotechnology, like extracting viable DNA from preserved…

#MuseumMonday: A quick visit to the Natural History Museum, Colchester

Nestled at the end of Colchester’s High Street, directly opposite Colchester Castle and set within the atmospheric fabric of a medieval church, the Natural History Museum in Colchester is a small but remarkably rich local museum. It tells a regional…