Reptiles of the Northwest [Paperback]

Alan st John (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2002

Interpretive naturalist, writer, educator and reptile specialist Alan St. John has crafted a richly photographed guide to the reptiles, snakes and turtles found in the Pacific Northwest. Each of the book's 44 accounts features photographs of the animal, as well as range maps and notes on identification, variation, distribution, habitat, behavior and similar species. The guide also has a strongly personal and accessible quality through St. John's field notes of his own encounters with each of the featured species.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is the definitive layman's guide to this subject. --Salem Statesmen-Journal

...an excellent book for people interested in the outdoors, even if they're not great fans of snakes. --Walla Walla Union Bulletin

It's hard to imagine a better book for the amateur herpetologist. --Burnaby Now

About the Author

A native of Bend, Oregon, ALAN ST. JOHN is a freelance interpretive naturalist who uses writing, photography, pen-and-ink drawings, and color paintings to teach about the natural world. His work has appeared in several Northwest regional magazines, along with national publications such as National Geographic, Ranger Rick, Natural History, Nature Conservancy, and the New York Times. In the past, he has also worked as a reptile keeper at Portland's zoological park and conducted extensive reptile and amphibian field surveys for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and for the U.S Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing; First Edition edition (May 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551053438
• ISBN-13: 978-1551053431
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good IDs, beautiful photographs, entertaining field notes, March 5, 2003

By 

Jonathan Crowe (Shawville, QC, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reptiles of the Northwest (Paperback)

This is a marvellously well-done little book whose only (minor) fault is that it skimps a bit on information about the animals themselves; facts about their diet, reproduction and behaviour are condensed into a paragraph each. Instead, we have a field guide worthy of the name that tells you where and how to find reptiles in northwestern North America and how to identify them, and that provides very good subspecies data (a rare thing nowadays), excellent range maps, and beautiful photography. Most enjoyable are the field notes at the end of each species description, in which the author tells a story about finding the animal in question in the wild (often so that it could be photographed for this book). This feature alone makes this book one of the most unique field guides I have encountered in years, and reminds us that a field guide is really about encountering and interacting with animals in the field -- and this point is ably illustrated by the often-funny photos of snakes dangling off someone's ear or lizards biting someone's hand. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Field Guide to Unique Animals, September 25, 2002

By 

"ecobeetle" (Burnaby) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reptiles of the Northwest (Paperback)

Reptiles are one of the most successful classes of animal that inhabit the earth. They occur in almost every climate and it should be no surprise that the Pacific Northwest has its share of fascinating reptiles. There are 42 species of reptile found from British Columbia to Northern California and Reptiles of the Northwest by Alan St. John is the guide to them. Comprehensive, with brilliant photographs, it is simply a must-own for not only budding herpetologists but naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Reptiles of the Northwest by Alan St. John has an easy to access and understand quick reference guide and detailed introduction to reptiles and herpetology. Each species of Northwest reptile is given a complete introduction with detailed description and information on its distribution, habitat and behaviour. What sets Reptiles of the Northwest by Alan St. John apart from other field guides are the 6 beautiful and informative color photos of each species and the informative and whimsical field notes describing each reptile. These are accounts of encounters Alan St. John has had with these reptiles and they give the reader experiences that you don't find in the average field guide. They are filled with the author's wonder and joy in these creatures, written with humour and warmth in a casual biographical style.
This is a special field guide. Its soft cover allows for ease of slipping into any backpack enabling one to take advantage of the great inclusion of the Northwest Reptile Life list note pages. Reptiles of the Northwest by Alan St. John is definitive and comprehensive It is a unique field guide to unique animals.