Book Review: Salamanders and Newts of Europe, North Africa and Western Asia (Staniszewski)

[Otterwoman]

Salamanders and Newts of Europe, North Africa and Western Asia (Terralog: Salamanders and Newts of the World, Vol. 1) , by Marc Staniszewski (Frankfurt am Main, Edition Chimaira, 2011). 162 pages. This gorgeous book, with a minimum of text (bilingual, English on the left and German on the right) and a superabundance of wonderful photos, would be a treasured addition to any caudate library. Featuring the salamanders/newts of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, each species and sub-species featured has several pictures, usually a male, a female, in both the terrestrial phases and the aquatic phases if applicable, a location map, and often a picture of the habitat, and sometimes even a picture of the eggs. Additionally, each species has a key including information on husbandry: specifically, recommended vivarium size, water depth, preferred type or lack of aquatic foliage, type of land parameters (terrestrial? aquatic? cave-dwelling? rock dweller?), temperature range, diet, keeper expertise level, et al. I can’t praise the photographic wealth of pictures of each species enough; in my review of my most recent favorite book, Salamanders: Keeping and Breeding , I praised the many species pictures in the book; but this book offers us a glimpse into the variation within a species itself (for example, 22 pages of photos of Salamandra salamandra subspecies, including two of a female actually giving birth to a larva). I think that is the book’s most valuable feature, the variety of pictures of any given species. And the photos are just beautiful.

The example page I selected shows the best features of this book: four pictures of one subspecies, an area map, and a picture of the habitat. On the previous two pages (not pictured), are 12 pictures of Lissotriton vulgaris vulgaris, and two habitat shots.

Available on Amazon starting at $43.60.

 

[Jake]

I enjoy that book too, especially the pictures of L.vulgaris.

 

[Otterwoman]

Yes, there are two photos on that page credited to our very own Jake! Including his avatar picture right here! If you look at the pic I scanned, you'll see it!

 

[Vister197]

It's cool that I got on this thread, I like to read such literature, I think that in the near future I will look for more information or reviews on this book and start learning it, by the way, I recommend you very useful source https://studydriver.com/hamlet/, there are collected light and interesting and at the same time very informative Hamlet essays, such collections always attract the attention of readers, because they reveal many problems, provide comparisons and analysis of situations, you should study too.

 

[Willy91]

I know this is an older post but thank you for the book recommendation. There was only one copy left on Amazon and I bought it Looking to do a deep on Caudata.