Gilleni said:
You may wish to invest in a field guide. (You won't regret it!) The two relevant ones from the Herp Shop are:
A FIELD GUIDE TO REPTILES
OF NEW SOUTH WALES
By Gerry Swan, Glenn Shea and Ross Sadlier
This is a thorough update, expansion and revision of A Field Guide to snakes and Lizards of New South Wales which was published in 1990.
In A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales you will find every gecko, flap-footed lizard, goanna, dragon, skink, snake and turtle known to live throughout the many habitats of New South Wales. This State reptile guide narrows down the field of species identification to a manageable size for any naturalist.
The telltale details that make identification possible lie in the descriptions of families, genera and species: these are accompanied by clear line drawings. Where you need to tune out similar species, simple keys are provided. For herpetologists, the location maps, generated from the Australian Museum database, will prove invaluable.
Gerry Swan is an Associate of the Australian Museum and well known author.
Dr.Glenn Shea has a PhD in veterinary science and is a lecturer at the Dept. Veterinary Anatomy at Sydney University. He is a taxonomist who has published 100 or so scientific papers.
Ross Sadlier is the Collections Manager for the Herpetological Dept. of the Australian Museum. He has a BSc and has co-authored a book on the reptiles of New Caledonia.
Soft cover, 21.3cm x 11.4cm, 302 pages, colour photos, distribution maps.
$34.95
*** and ***
A Complete Guide to REPTILES of Australia
By Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan
Soft cover, 480 pages, published by Reed New Holland.
Australia has one of the richest and most diverse collections of reptiles in the world: more than 800 species have been described to date. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia provides accounts of all of them and nearly all are illustrated with lively colour photographs showing them in their natural habitat. Whether you want to identify reptiles in the wild or in your garden, this book is for you.
Species are grouped in families, for example Skinks, Geckos, Monitors, Blind Snakes and Pythons. Each entry includes a distribution map, a description - with distinguishing features picked out in bold text - notes on a species' preferred habitat and range, information on subspecies and similar species and, wherever appropriate, the conservation status of that species. Extra photographs show most recognised subspecies, as well as differences within species and between sexes.
The book also explains how reptiles are classified, how scientific and common names are applied, how to measure a reptile and how conservation status is determined. Photographs of different reptile habitats will help you pinpoint the likely location of certain species.
Herp Shop? Price:
$49.95
I recomend the Guide to Australia... it is basically the current equivalent of cogger and a great book.
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