Don Broadley is universally regarded as the "godfather" of modern African herpetology. WIth more than six decades of active research based in Zimbabwe, Don's career has been at the nexus of the field since shortly after his arrival in Africa. IN his autobiography, Don presents the many details that have made up his life in herpetology. HIs numerous field trips, their participants and the reptiles and amphibians collected are all outlined in the orderly fashion that has characterised his many technical publications. DOcumented too are his first contacts with herpetologists around the world. THis reveals how central Don has been to research programs near and far, providing data, specimens and expertise to a tremendous number of researchers and facilitating the last half century's growth in African herpetology. [...] In Umtali and then in Bulawayo, Don built one of the largest collections of amphibians and reptiles in Africa, with its greatest strengths in the Zambesiaca region, incorporating Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Botswana - areas where most of Don's own field trips and those of his close associates generally took place. TOday, because of Don, the collection in Bulawayo, one of the largest in Africa, it is rich in type material and the Museum's journal Arnoldia is known to herpetologists around the world. BEcause of Don's centrality to herpetology, this book is a chronicle of the discovery of the herpetofauna of southeastern Africa. STories from many of Don's field trips, such as his run-in with a lioness in Botswana, have become legendary. HIs snake bites are even more storied from a stiletto snake bite only a few months after arriving in Rhodesia, to the 1960 puff adder bite that cost him his middle finger, to the boomslang bite that necessitated the transfusion of 13 pints of blood. ALl are documented in this book. [...] Don was an unassuming man, yet his life was anything but uneventful and his contributions were many. ANd all of this was achieved against the backdrop of hardships that life in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe have brought. FRom the war of independence to hyperinflation, Don persevered, driven by his abiding fascination with the African herpetofauna. WHether the reader is a longtime friend of Don's or someone for whom the name Broadley is familiar only from the literature cited of innumerable papers, this book will provide new insights into an extraordinary life in herpetology.

This superb detailed field guide covers the identification of all snakes, lizards, crocodilians and chelonians (turtles and tortoises) found in the east African countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. With species accounts describing appearance, habitat, distribution and natural history, with distribution maps and many colour photos, this is a complete reference book for anyone with an interest in the reptiles of this area.

The first—and only—authoritative guide to the snakes of Central and Western Africa. Nobody knows exactly how many snake species live in the biodiversity hotspots of Western and Central Africa. While field guides abound that make mammals, birds, and even insects identifiable for residents, travelers, and scientists, half a continent's herpetological richness has remained shrouded in mystery. In a region where nearly 30,000 people die from snake bites every year, even dire medical necessity has been an insufficient inducement for researchers to take on the daunting task of assembling an authoritative list of extant species, let alone a full descriptive record to aid in identification, the essential first step to administering an effective antivenin. The reptiles of Central Africa, particularly, are the most poorly studied in the world, despite their crucial role in the survival of threatened ecosystems. With Snakes of Central and Western Africa, Jean-Philippe Chippaux and Kate Jackson have created a game changer. The result of years of field research and systematic study in the world's leading museums, this book compiles for the first time a comprehensive guide to the region's snakes. Covering a vast swath of the continent, ranging from Mauritania in the northwest to Rwanda in the east and Angola in the south, Chippaux and Jackson provide detailed accounts for the more than 200 species of snakes that inhabit the region. The first part of the book is devoted to the taxonomic characters used for identifying snakes. The authors deal with the evolution and biogeography of African snakes as well as epidemiological and clinical aspects of snakebite. The remaining chapters are organized phylogenetically, following the latest consensus on evolutionary patterns of major snake lineages in sub-Saharan Africa. Species identification is facilitated by simple and accessible dichotomous keys and detailed descriptions of morphological characteristics, complemented by numerous drawings, photos, and distribution maps. Invaluable information on taxonomy and natural history is also included. The book concludes with a comprehensive index and a list of nearly 600 references. Snakes of Central and Western Africa illuminates a previously little-known part of the natural world, provides vital information that could save many lives, and will make an excellent addition to any herpetology library.

The revised and updated edition of the definitive guide to the reptiles of this region written by a team of internationally acclaimed herpetologists. East Africa is home to a remarkable assemblage of reptiles, from crocodiles and chameleons to turtles and tortoises, lizards, worm-lizards, and a stunning array of snakes. The region is a true herpetological hot-spot. This fully revised edition of the classic field guide to the region's reptiles explores the full diversity of these animals. With updated text, detailed maps and more than 600 new photographs, this book includes every one of the 500 or so species in the region. All are described and mapped, with virtually every species accompanied by at least one colour photograph. Comprehensive and definitive, Field Guide to East African Reptiles is an essential tool for all naturalists, conservationists, educators, field workers, medical personnel and students in the region.

Southern Africa is home to a remarkably diverse and rich reptile fauna, which is presented in this book in a lively and accessible way. A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa introduces the 517 species currently described in the region and presents interesting insight on reptile identification and diversity, distribution patterns, and biology and behaviour. It also offers tips on finding and observing reptiles, as well as unravelling the facts and fallacies of snakebite. Southern African reptiles fall into three main groups (orders): snakes and lizards, crocodiles and shelled reptiles, and each group comprises in turn a number of related families and sub-groups, which form the basic structure of the book. The reptiles are discussed within their relevant groups according to appearance, biology, reproduction, distribution and conservation status. Informative panels with simple icons provide key information on distribution, typical habitat and period of activity, and a wealth of full-colour photographs brings the subject matter vividly to life.

The story of one paleontologist's fossil digs in Africa, and his unexpected findings Winner of the Colbert Award for the best adult book about dinosaurs Winner of the Colbert Award for the best adult book about dinosaurs Louis Jacobs reopened paleontologists' eyes to the African continent when he uncovered a major fossil site in the hills of Malawi in the 1980s. During five digging seasons in Malawi and three in Cameroon, Jacobs found the remains of two meat-eating theropods, two herbivorous sauropods, an odd crocodile about the size of a Chihuahua, and rare early mammals. Now in paperback, Quest for the African Dinosaurs includes Jacobs' new introduction, which discusses recent developments in paleontological research in Africa.

Chameleons are fascinating creatures: they evoke a strong response in people, be it delight and wonder or fear. Chameleons of Southern Africa explores this interesting group of lizards and discusses their unusual and intriguing characteristics. The book presents an overview of all types of chameleons (of which there are up to 160 species), reproduction, behavior and their relationships to one another. There is a comprehensive identification guide to all southern African species – some 25 have been identified to date – together with distribution maps and colourful photographs of their many features and guises. For interested students, gardeners, naturalists and even just the curious, Chameleons of Southern Africa is an essential guide to these captivating lizards

The herpetological studies in southern Africa have undergone a renaissance sine the original Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa was published more than a decade ago. 83 new species have been discovered in that time, a rate of one every 44 days.

"Reptiles and amphibians of East Africa features: describes and illustrates the 200 reptiles and 80 amphibians you are most likely to encounter across all five countries of East Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi; pocket-sized and easy to use; concise and accessible, identification-oriented text; color photographs and a color distribution map for each species; and an indispensable resource for any ecotourist, anyone on safari, and even the casual visitor to the region."--BOOK JACKET.

Africa has a rich diversity of tortoises, terrapins and turtles. This authoritative field guide is richly illustrated with colour photographs that make for easy identification of the 46 African species; it provides accessible, up-to-date information and distribution maps, and examines how these creatures have adapted to their environments. The book offers an overview of their origins, anatomy and biology, their conservation status and the threats to their survival posed by the destruction of their habitats by man.