A truly superb Collins Field Guide, with illustrations and descriptions of all European reptile and amphibian species.

The first part of the book includes info about the biology of reptiles and amphibians, their interaction with man, facts about snake bites and their treatment and a brief account of the reptiles and amphibians that inhabit the British Isles.

The main part of the book contains 40 color plates, depicting all reptiles and amphibians in Europe, except sea turtles, which are shown in line drawings. The color drawings are really terrific and show all details necessary for identification, as well as usual variations in pattern or color within a species.

Descriptive texts are lengthy, providing in depth information on each species, as well as a wealth of facts on range, habits, habitat, variation, voice (only for frogs and toads), venom (only for snakes) and similar species. Texts are accompanied by extremely helpful line drawings, emphasizing differences between species or sexes, features useful for identification, etc.

To avoid frequent repetitions in the species texts, many facts common to several different animals are placed in the introductions to families or other major groups. Introductory texts also include identification keys, which can be very useful in identifying animals.

The book also contains outstanding distribution maps, which let you see at a glance the areas where particular species can be expected to occur.

Contents:

• How to use this book
• Introduction
  • The biology of reptiles and amphibians
  • Reptiles, amphibians and man
  • Snake bite and its treatment
  • Reptiles and amphibians in the British Isles
• Salamanders and Newts
• Frogs and Toads
• Tortoises, Terrapins and Sea Turtles
• Lizards and Amphisbaenians
• Snakes
• Identification of Amphibian Eggs
• Identification of Amphibian Larvae
• Internal characters
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Distribution maps
• Index

This is probably the best Field Guide available and the only one you'll need to identify the fascinating reptilian fauna of Europe.

The hard-cover book, which I own, consists of 272 pages, plus 40 color plates, making a grand total of 312 pages. It is a sturdy book and is holding up exceptionally well, despite the heavy field use it has seen. Highly recommended!

Click on the thumbnails below to view images of the cover and inside pages.

To order the book online, kindly follow this link to amazon.co.uk. Thanks again for looking and happy rep watching!

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