Which Field Guide?

[dg]

I wonder if anyone can recommend a decent field guide of Aussie snakes? I do have Greame Gow's book, but the classification of Aussie pythons is pretty out of date. It could be that there is a new revised edition, but either way I'd like to know what you good folks recommend. I've been well out of the snake keeping world - I used to breed snakes for about 12 years when I lived in the UK, but a move to snake-free New Zealand kind of dealt my hobby a fatal blow! I'm in the process of building a house, and have amazingly persuaded my wife to share our place with some snakes again! Won't be ready for a while, but I'm now like a kid waiting for Christmas to come. I may get round to posting some pics of the snakes I had all those years ago (if I can find them, and if I can work out how to get them onto this site!) if anyone's interested.

[peterescue]

http://vs160455.server-store.com/sto...y113.inetstore

click the link and its the one on the top.

[Kersten]

Well there's always "Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia" by Cogger (or "The Bible" :wink: )....but it's out of print now "A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia" by Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan is also a goodun.

[Hix]

I don't think there is a current field guide just dealing with snakes, most of them deal with all herps. Probably the best would be A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia by Gerry Swan and Steve Wilson.





Hix

[hornet]

i'm with hix and kersten, i 2 have the complete guide to reptiles of austrlia and it is very good

[rexs1]

gerry swan and steve wilson s book is good
but I think david and tracey barkers book, pythons of the world vol 1 Australia,
is the best aussie python book available. Lots of good pics of the diff sp. to give people an insite to what locality snakes can/ should look like.
12 years old but still pretty much up to date
nick

[Hix]

Originally Posted by rexs1

gerry swan and steve wilson s book is good
but I think david and tracey barkers book, pythons of the world vol 1 Australia,
is the best aussie python book available. Lots of good pics of the diff sp. to give people an insite to what locality snakes can/ should look like.
12 years old but still pretty much up to date
nick

But it's hardly a field guide. And it doesn't cover Australia's other snakes.



Hix

[JasonL]

Not to mention the price$$$$$$$

[elapid68]

If you can't get Cogger, then the Swan and Wilson book is definatly the way to go. I've got 2, one for the office and 1 in the car.

[rexs1]

Hix
its a field guide to pythons ......
nick

[serpenttongue]

Some field guides are hard to come by these days but if you're willing to do some digging then i reccommend:

Dragon Lizards and Goannas of South Australia by Terry Houston
Dangerous Snakes of Australia by Mirtschin/Davis
Frogs and Reptiles of Australia by Ken Griffiths
Reptiles of NSW by Gerry Swan
Lizards of Australia by Stephen Swanson
Australian Goannas by Matt Vincent and Steve Wilson
A Field Guide To The Reptiles of the Australian High Country by Jenkins/Bartell
Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region by Bush/Maryan/Robertson/Browne-Cooper
Australian Reptiles by Stephen Wilson and David Knowles
Encyclopaedia of Australian Animals REPTILES by Harald Ehmann.

[snakehunter]

Why don't the barkers release more copies of the Aussie pythons book if it is in such high demand, or make a newer version?

[Sdaji]

Originally Posted by snakehunter

Why don't the barkers release more copies of the Aussie pythons book if it is in such high demand, or make a newer version?

They were originally planning to make an updated version, then they became even busier than they'd been before, then they had kids... don't hold your breath! Aparently Tracy gets about 2 hours of sleep each day, between being a snake keeper and a mom. The title of the book is "Pythons of the world, Volume 1: Australia"; they were planning to do other regions as well, Australia was to be the first in the series, but I don't think they even got around to doing any other volumes, let alone another version of the first. My copy is very well worn!

[snakehunter]

Yea now that you mention it I don't remember ever hearing of another volume. Hopefully they release another version, I have only seen it twice and is a great book but too costly.

[Hix]

Originally Posted by rexs1

Hix
its a field guide to pythons ......
nick

It's a reference book, not a field guide.



Hix