Lizards Volumes 1 and 2
John Skillcorn
Author: Manfred Rogner
Translator: John Hackworth
Publisher: Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida.
ISBN Volume 1: 0-89464-939-6
ISBN Volume 2: 0-89464-968-X
Price: £92.95 (Twin-volume set, 1997 Edition)
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About the books
Lizards, Volumes 1 and 2, is the first comprehensive work
describing all known families of lizards in such depth and breadth.
Rogner outlines the geographic distribution along with the natural
habitats and lifestyles for each species. The author also draws
heavily from the firsthand experiences of herpetological enthusiasts
in detailing husbandry practices for feeding; administering vitamin
and mineral supplements; breeding; and setting up, heating, lighting
and maintaining vivaria. Detailed descriptions and copious colour
photos illustrate physical characteristics of the lizards. Volume 1
describes geckoes, flap-footed lizards, agamas, chameleons, iguanas,
basilisks, and anoles. Volume 2 examines crocodile lizards, gila
monsters, legless lizards, plated lizards, sungazers, skinks, night
lizards, tuataras, and crocodilians.
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About the author
Manfred Rogner teaches biology and has been keeping and
breeding various amphibians and reptiles for over 20 years. He is
chairman of the "Arbeitskreis Amphibien - und Reptilienschutz e.V."
a society whose aim is the conservation of the German amphibians,
reptiles, and their "biotypes" (living spaces). Mr. Rogner
has also authored two books on garden ponds and a book on turtles.
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This twin-volume set is available as two separate books,
depending on which groups of lizards you are interested in.
Now before you balk at the price for the two volume set, let
me point out the fact that to say this is a master-work of its type is an
understatement. The text is so detailed and contains so much information
that I feel you would rarely be in a position to need to refer to any other
work. It looks like Krieger have done it again.
However, I have found a few things with which I do not
entirely agree, although maybe with such a work I am being just a bit
'picky'. I have observed, for example, the gecko Gonatodes albogularis
in the wild in Costa Rica and have found them to be entirely diurnal. They
live in a variety of habitats, but mainly on the lower trunks of rainforest
trees. However, the author states that this species is mainly active at
night. A very minor point, but worth mentioning I think.
The quality of the binding is excellent. The entire set
exhibits a product of a very high standard. Both volumes are extensively
illustrated.
The photographs are superb and show lizards I had no idea
existed! For example, apparently Acanthosaura armata is a common
agama from Southern Thailand. The photograph on page 123 shows this
reptile, an animal so unusual that I am amazed that I have never heard of or
seen it before. This, however, is just one example of many more upon which
I could comment.
The two volumes include information on all known families of
lizards:
Volume 1 Contents
Care and Husbandry of Lizards in the Vivarium
Vivaria, Sunlight, Feeding, Reproduction
Geckoes (sic) (Eublepharinae, Diplodactylinae, Sphaerodactylinae,
Gekkoninae)
Flap-footed lizards
Agamas
Chameleons
Iguanas (Iguanas, Basilisks, Anoles, Spiny lizards, Lava lizards)
Bibliography
Photographic sources
Index
Volume 2 Contents
Knob-Scaled lizards
Beaded lizards
Monitor lizards
Alligator lizards
Plated lizards
Cordylids
Lacertids
Skinks, Smooth lizards
Night lizards
Teiids
Worm lizards (True~, Florida~ and Sharp-Tailed~)
Tuatara
Crocodilians (Alligators, Caimans, Crocodiles, Gharials)
Bibliography
Photographic sources
Index
I know that many people who are interested in Dendrobatids are
also interested in other cold blooded vertebrate animals. If you need a
reference work on lizards, then I have seen nothing to equal this set of
books. Expensive they may be, but worth the expenditure.
