Customer Reviews

Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Firefly Encyclopedia series are uniformly excellent. There are several current volumes (Reptiles & Amphibians, Insects & Spiders, and Birds). With luck additional volumes will be added (I'd be especially keen to see one on fishes). The series picks up the tradition started with the David Macdonald's "Encyclopedia of Mammals" by having numerous experts contribute information about the organisms they study. Thus, each species or group of organisms is described by the scientists who know them best. The result is a truly amazing compilation of information about each type of organism.

The Reptiles and Amphibians volume contains information from 38 separate contributors about all types of reptiles and amphibians. Contents include:

Amphibians, general information: 28 pages
Caecilians: 4 pages
Salamanders and Newts: 22 pages
Frogs and Toads: 34 pages
Reptiles, general information: 20 pages
Turtles and Tortoises: 10 pages
Lizards: 38 pages
Worm-lizards: 2 pages
Snakes: 32 pages
Tuatara: 2 pages
Crocodilians: 12 pages

The book is lavishly illustrated. There are tons of amazing photographs and lots of beautifully rendered drawings. The text is well written and generally easy to follow. Some sections are fairly technical (I have a Ph.D. in Biology and got lost a few times), but probably 90% or more should be accessible to anyone. I strongly recommend this book for biologists, naturalists, and people interested in wildlife. It would make an excellent gift for a young person (probably junior high +) who likes animals.

Tim Halliday and Kraig Adler deserve much praise for the blend of informative writing and hard science in their Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians which has been in print since the late 1980s.

The illustrations, drawn in many cases from photos, and the photographs which are liberally distributed through the text serve to assist the readers' understanding rather than just being pretty pictures plopped in to fill space.

Both Halliday and Adler are serious scientists and their rigorous devotion to fact shows on every page of this encyclopedia.

I recommend it for everyone interested in reptiles and amphibians. In fact, I recommend all three editions as each is slightly different and shows the progression of their efforts over time. The latest edition, from Firefly Press, has the most color photography and the most up-to-date information.

Ten stars, if possible!! No more words needed, this a superb encyclopedia for all ages. Excellent pictures, diagrams, charts and fascinating information. If I could only own one encyclopedia on reptiles and amphibians, this would be it. Also highly recommended is Firefly "Insects and Spiders" Both are definitely worth the price.

Very informative with plenty of pictures. Besides excellent information on each species it also contains area maps, anatomy, and some historical information. Great book for animal lovers.