A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia

Book excerpt: A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia has been the most comprehensive field guide available for Australian reptiles since the first edition was published in 2003. As new species are discovered, known ranges extended and higher quality images become available, updated editions of the book have been written to reflect these changes. This fifth edition includes images, descriptions and maps for all 1,011 species of reptiles described up until the end of December 2016. Some of these are pictured in life for the first time, and many are represented by several images to depict geographical and sexual differences. The book features easy to use diagnostic illustrations to explain anatomical features, a comprehensive glossary, and the more significant reptile habitats are pictured. Each species has a clear and concise text description to aid identification, with diagnostic differences from confusion species given in bold font. Each species has a distribution map and image(s) on the facing page. For ease of use, indexes to both scientific and common names are provided. Designed as field guide, with a sturdy plastic cover and compact layout, the target readership for this book is anyone with an interest in reptiles, whether scientists or amateurs. Previous editions are regarded as the standard reference guide for professionals working in the field and have also been popular with general naturalists.