The following is a list of reviews of herpetological books and magazines, taken from herpetological publications from approximately the beginning of the 1990s onwards. It does not claim to be comprehensive, although the list is added to on a regular basis, especially with recent magazines.
As with other pages, recent entries are in red. Note that a fair number of the titles are German-language publications: this is partly because many of the magazines on these indexes are published by the DGHT and partly because Germany generally publishes a large number of herpetological books, from the scientific to the popular. Where possible I have given a translation of the title.
The inclusion of reviews of a particular book, magazine or article does not imply recommendation or criticism of it. If you want to know what the reviewer thought, read the article!
| AMP = Amphibia | German publication from the DGHT: focuses on captive husbandry and reproduction of amphibians. May now have been split into two separate magazines. |
| CCB = Chelonian Conservation and Biology | Seems to be a quarterly or biannual publication, fairly weighty, going back to about 1994. |
| D=Draco | Quarterly herpetological magazine from the German Natur und Tier Verlag that usually focuses on a theme, eg agamid lizards or desert herpetofauna |
| DAC=Dactylus | Now defunct magazine dealing with gekkonid lizards: published 1990s? |
| E = Elaphe | German publication from the DGHT: focuses on captive husbandry and reproduction of reptiles and amphibians. |
| EE = Die Eidechse | German publication from the DGHT dealing with the family Lacertidae. |
| GO = Gekko | Journal of the Global Gecko Association. |
| I = Iguana | German twice-yearly publication from the DGHT dealing with the family Iguanidae and, since the past couple of years, also Agamidae. |
| IR = International Reptilian | European magazine, published in UK. It may alternatively be known as the Reptilian, but we have kept the IR abbreviation to distinguish it from Reptilia and Reptiles. |
| IT = Iguana Times | Magazine of the International Iguana Society. So far we have not added any articles from this magazine. |
| PR = Pet Reptile | European magazine, published in UK. Slightly more "entry level" but contains some good articles. Wound up in 2001. |
| PRK = Practile Reptile Keeping | UK magazine first appearing in 2009, edited by David Alderton. Like most magazines with "Reptile" in the title, also covers amphibians and invertebrates. |
| R = Reptilia | European magazine, published in Spain but produced in English, German and Spanish. |
| RH = Reptile Hobbyist | US magazine published by TFH. Merged with R&A to become R&AH (see below). |
| Rs = Reptiles | US magazine which bought out Vivarium. Despite the title, covers amphibians and invertebrates too. So far we have not added any articles from the magazine. |
| R&A = Reptile & Amphibian Magazine | Now sadly defunct, although back copies may be available at herp exhibitions, etc. For some years this was practically the only herp magazine for most non-scientific folk. |
| R&AH = Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist | Formed out of the merger of Reptile Hobbyist and Reptile & Amphibian Magazine: last issue November 2001 |
| S = Salamandra | German magazine published by the DGHT (German Herptological Association) in English and German. So far we have not added any articles from the magazine. The DGHT also publishes magazines for each of their specialist groups, eg Radiata (tortoises), Lacerta (lacertid lizards), etc. From 2005 Salamandra will be published in both English and German. |
| SA = Sauria | German publication from the DGHT: focuses on those lizard and snake groups which do not have their own specialised DGHT publication. |
| Ta = Terarista | Czech herpetological magazine, published yearly by the Terrarium Society of Prague in Czech with good English summaries |
| V = Vivarium | Magazine associated with Advanced Herpetological Library and Philippe de Vosjoli. Bought out by Reptiles around about the turn of the century. |
| Title | Authors | Magazine | Issue | Reviewer |
| A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Australia | Gerry Swan | PRK | 3 | ? |
| A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of East Africa | Bill Branch | PRK | 3 | ? |
| A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of India | Indraneil Das | PRK | 3 | ? |
| A Photographic Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of New Zealand | Tony Jewell | PRK | 3 | ? |
| A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand | Merel J Cox, Peter Paul van Dijk, Jarujin Nabhitabhata and Kumthorn Thirakhupt | PRK | 3 | ? |
| A Sheltered Life: The Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise | John Murray | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Die Abgottschlange [The Boa Constrictor] | Hermann and Erika Stöckl | E | 17:1 | Christian Bittner |
| Adventures in Green Python Country | Karl H Switak | R | 56 | Mercè Viader |
| Agamid Lizards of Southern Asia: Draconinae 1 | Ulrich Manthey | R | 59 | Steven Winchell |
| Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region | James H Harding | RH | 3:7 | Jerry G Walls |
| Amphibians and Reptiles of Greece
|
E F Valakos et al | R | 56 | Javier Valverde |
| EE | 19:1 | Werner Mayer | ||
| Die Amphibien und Reptilien der Südwest-Türkei [The Amphibians and Reptiles of South-West Turkey] | Hermann and Erika Stöckl | E | 17:1 | Christian Bittner |
| Axolotl [German language] | Joachim Wistuba | E | 17:1 | Peter Janzen |
| Big Snake: The Hunt for the World's Longest Python | Robert Twigger | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Biology of the Boas and Pythons | R W Henderson and R Powell (eds) | R | 58 | Steven Winchell |
| Chamaeleo calyptratus. The Yemen Chameleon | W Schmidt | R | 55 | Javier Valverde |
| Cockroach | Marion Copeland | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Contributions to the History of Herpetology 2 | Kraig Adler (ed) | R | 58 | Javier Valverde |
| S | 45:3 | Wolfgang Bischoff | ||
| Comstock Classic Handbooks [North American Field Guides to Lizards, Snakes, Turtles, Salamanders, and Frogs and Toads] | Hobart M Smith [Lizards], Archie Carr [Turtles], Sherman C Bishop [Salamanders], Albert Hazen Wright and Anna Allen Wright [Snakes and Frogs and Toads] | RH | 3:4 | Jerry G Walls |
| Copeia 1997 | Various | RH | 3:8 | Jerry G Walls |
| Copeia 1999 | Various | R&AH | 6:6 | Jerry G Walls |
| Dictionary of Herpetology | H B Lillywhite | R | 60 | Steven Winchell |
| Enzyklopädie der Schlangen [Encyclopedia of Snakes] | Chris Mattison | E | 17:1 | Lutz Dirksen |
| European Reptile and Amphibian Guide | Axel Kwet | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Exothermae Magazine [tarantulas] | Philip Charpentier | RH | 3:4 | Jerry G Walls |
| A Field Guide to Spiders & Scorpions of Texas | John A Jackman | RH | 3:8 | Jerry G Walls |
| A Field Guide to Texas Snakes | Alan Tennant | RH | 4:2 | Jerry G Walls |
| Freshwater Turtles and Terrapins: the Complete Guide | A Luison and S Redaelli | R | 59 | Javier Valverde |
| Die Gattung Boa [The genus Boa] | Klaus Bonny | E | 17:1 | Dr Lutz Dirksen |
| Geckos of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Comoros and Mascarene Islands | P Schönecker | R | 59 | Steven Winchell |
| A Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Egypt | S Baha El Din | R | 55 | Steven Winchell |
| A Guide to the Reptiles of southern Africa [German language] | Graham Alexander & Johan Marais | E | 16:1 | Martin Landstein |
| Heimische Amphibien [Native Amphibians] | Dieter Glandt | E | 17:1 | Axel Kwet |
| Das Helmchamäleon Chamaeleo (T.) hoehnelli [The Helmeted Chameleon Chamaeleo (T.) hoehnelli ] | Michaela Jötzlaff | E | 17:1 | Uwe Starke Huber |
| Herpetologica 1997 | Various | RH | 4:2 | Jerry G Walls |
| How to Know the Spiders | B J Kaston | RH | 3:8 | Jerry G Walls |
| Keeping and Breeding Geckos | John Coborn? | DAC | 1:3 | Peter Yinging |
| Keeping Axolotls | Linda Adkins | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Die Kragenechse Chlamydosaurus kingii [The Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii] | Thomas Hörenberg | E | 17:1 | Peter Fritz |
| Life In Cold Blood | Sir David Attenborough | PRK | 3 | ? |
| The Lives of Captive Reptiles | H G Petzold | R | 58 | Javier Valverde |
| The Lizard King | Bryan Christy | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Lonesome George: The Lives and Loves of the World's Most Famous Tortoise | Henry Nicholls | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Die Mauereidechse - erfolgreich im Schlepptau des Menschen [German language] | Graham Alexander & Johan Marais | E | 16:1 | Guntram Deichsel |
| Mean and Lowly Things: Snakes, Science and Survival in the Congo | Kate Jackson | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Monitor Lizards - Natural History, Captive Care & Breeding | B Eidenmüller | R | 55 | Steven Winchell |
| Parasitology in Snakes, Lizards and Chelonians. A Husbandry Guide | P Schneller and N Pantchev | R | 60 | Javier Valverde |
| Phylogenetic Systematics and Biography of the Carphodactylini (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) | Aaron M Bauer | DAC | 1:4 | Peter Yinging |
| Poison Frogs. Biology, Species & Captive Husbandry | S Lotters, K H Jungfer, F-W Henkel & W Schmidt | S | 44:1 | Dennis Rödder |
| Reptilien - Faszination Vielfalt [The Manyfold Fascination of Reptiles ] | Fritz Jürgen Obst | E | 17:3 | Wolfgang Bischoff |
| Snake | Drake Stutesman | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Snakebit: Confessions of a Herpetologist | Leslie Anthony | PRK | 3 | ? |
| Snakes of Arabia. A Field Guide to the Snakes of the Arabian Peninsula and its Shores. | D Egan | R | 57 | Javier Valverde |
| The Snakes of Europe - All Species from West of the Caucasus Mountains | G Kreiner | R | 55 | Steven Winchell |
| Spiders of Connecticut | B J Kaston | RH | 3:8 | Jerry G Walls |
| Taxonomy, Life History and Conservation of Giant Reptiles in West Kalimantan | M A Auliya | R | 58 | Javier Valverde |
| Tortoise | Peter Young | PRK | 3 | ? |
| True Boa Constrictor | H & E Stöckl | R | 57 | Javier Valverde |
| Varanoid Lizards | B Eidenmüller and H D Philippen | R | 59 | Steven Winchell |
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