Lizards of the World

by Chris Mattison

Human interest in Lizards i not new.These reptiles have been the subject of superstition and speculations of fascinate us today.We know comparatively little about lizards,however,and the data produced by increasing scientific study is often impenetrable to the interested general reader

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[Turtleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid intro to the many species of lizards of the world and a good survey of the many diverse life forms among the lizards, from tiny anoles to large monitors. The book is more than 30 yr old so some info is dated. The fundamentals have not changed so much of the material is still useful. The main thing that is out of date is the number of species in certain groups. For example, the book indicates there are are about 85 species of chameleons, whereas more than 200 have now been identified. One larger error that is not a result of the age of the book is around the discussion of temperature dependent sex determination. For some lizards, the temperature of the eggs will determine the sex of the offspring. One page the author states warmer temperatures produce males but on the very next page states that warmer temperatures produce females (p.84-85). The truth is that warmer temperatures produce males, but in some species, even warmer temperatures produce females. One interesting thing about reading older books is to see which predictions come true or false. The author outlines the threats that Rock Iguanas (genus Cyclura) face and predicts that all species will become extinct in the wild before the end of the 20th century (p. 129). Luckily, the author was wrong about this. Ten species remain alive in the wild, although some are quite rare and face ongoing threats. Overall, this is a solid book on lizards with lots of wonderful photos (some just in B&W) but many in colour.