In Pursuit of the Gene

In Pursuit of the Gene

From Darwin to DNA

by James Schwartz

This wonderul book is a nice mix of history of genetics and biography of the key figures in genetics, beginning with Darwin and ending with Muller - a span of about 75 years. It is written with the layman in mind, but anyone with some background in genetics will probably get the most out of this book. Rather than simply offer a history of genetics, or a series of biographies, the author has combined these topics into a captivating story that is both well researched and a joy to read. Key scientific experiments are explained so that someone with a basic understanding of genetics can understand them, and enough background is given about people involved to make them interesting personalities.

One underlying aspect of the book is the unfolding of how science progresses. From the bull-headed pursuit of an idea that proves to be completely wrong, to the insightful genius whose ideas take decades to confirm. It includes attempted plagiarism of scientific ideas and results as well as another type of scientific theft which is still common in some labs - the taking and claiming of all data that comes out of a lab by the major professor or primary investigator.

In writing this book the author included footnotes that illustrate the extent of his research. Personal letters, journals, and other documents were heavily used and allowed the author to present aspects of the history of genetics that have not been presented before making this book a valuable reference.

I have purposely not gone into specifics about this book, for I could not do it justice. Perhaps I am biased since I have always been interested in genetics and in the history of biology, but I truely believe this book will be of interest to a broad audience. It is well written and interesting, not only for the direct subject of genetics, or for the biographies, but also for the way it covers the development of scientific ideas. I highly recommend this book to anyone working in a scientific lab, particularly graduate students and professors. In addition anyone interested in the subjects covered will find their interest fuelled by this book. I have already ordered another book, recommened by the author in the acknowledgements.

The Last Tortoise

The Last Tortoise

A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime

by Craig B. Stanford

This book is an enlightening summary of the status of the world's tortoises and the problems

they face. The text is written for the general public, but unfortunately I think most readers that

decide to read this book will already be aware of many of the threats tortoises face today. The broad coverage of the book, however, should offer some new insights to most readers.

The book begins with a preface describing the status of living tortoises. Despite the dire descriptions, the author emphasizes that there is still hope for the long term survival of most tortoise species. The first couple of chapters define tortoises and discuss the variety of their biology and natural history. The third chapter outlines many of the threats to tortoises, such as habitat destruction, disease, and incidental killing (e.g., road kill). All along the way the author offers good examples using a variety of tortoise species and situations. The fourth chapter, entitled, "Eating Tortoises" was quite enlightening for me. I had no idea what a huge, world-wide problem the consumption of turtles is, or how massive the effect of consumption is on global tortoise populations. Giant tortoises that live on islands are the subject of chapter 5, with both the causes of their decline as well as their conservation discussed in detail. Finally, the problem of captive tortoises is discussed in chapter 6. From the desire to have the really rare tortoise to the seemingly benign desire to simply have any pet tortoise, the author covers a wide variety of issues associated with the captive trade in tortoises and its effect on wild populations. Chapter 7 offers potential solutions by highlighting some successful conservation strategies. This is followed by a final chapter of hope that people will change their ways to protect tortoises. The author also includes some useful appendices: extremes of the tortoise world; tortoises on the brink of extinction; tortoise species; and further reading.

Overall I found this book interesting and informative. I am not well versed with most of the species the author discusses, but I was working on Desert Tortoises in 1988-1989 when the western Mojave populations were emergency listed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Here I found a couple of minor errors in the book. The author indicated that captive desert tortoises were released into the wild as a result of the emergency listing: "When tortoise owners learned that the pets they had taken from the wild years earlier were now on the endangered species list, many responded in the best-intended way possible. They put the tortoise in the car, drove him back out to the desert, and released him with a sense of having done something good in the world.... Within a few years of the initial listing of desert tortoises as threatened, biologists began to find wild tortoises that were sick."

In fact, upper respiratory disease syndrome was one of the major factors in getting the species listed, not a result of the listing. Personally, I think it is hopeful to think many people would take the time to drive back out to the desert to release their captive tortoise. I am sure it happened, both before and after the species was listed as threatened, but I am somewhat dubious that the listing had much effect on the number of tortoises released.

This perspective (that people were trying to help the desert tortoise by releasing them after they were listed) may be a bit optimistic in some respects, but this optimism comes through in much of the book. The author offers several optimistic solutions that could substantially help tortoises. I sincerely hope that he is right and tortoises are protected. Unfortunately I am a bit cynical - perhaps it is because I live in a state where most people feel the earth is here for humans to use and abuse.

Regardless of my somewhat pessimistic view of the future of tortoises, this book was well worth reading. I hope many people read it, especially people who keep turtles and tortoises in captivity. Everyone can help protect tortoises, even if you only donate funds to conservation projects. In fact, buying and reading this book, or giving it as a gift, will help protect tortoises - The proceeds from sales of this book are being used to support tortoise conservation in Asia and elsewhere.

Swimming with Crocodiles

Swimming with Crocodiles:

A true story of adventure and survival

Will Chaffey

Arcade Publishing, New York, x, 300 p., 16 plates

ISBN: 978-1-55970-902-6. $26.95

Dispite the herpetological title and cover, this book is primarily a coming of age story with a herpetological subtext. After graduating from a private high school and finding himself unable to get into any of the universities that he had applied for, Will Chaffey decided to go to Australia. With little knowledge of the country and virtually no plans of what to do when he got there, Chaffey scraped by working for room and board. Eventually he moved on — working his way through other parts of Australia — meeting "Jeff" Cunningham along the way. Jeff had a keen interest in herpetology, particularly in finding the Rough Scaled Python (Morelia carinata).

The bulk of the book consists of Will and Jeff's journey through the Kimberly's in northwestern Australia. This remote and largely unexplored portion of Australia is of particular interest to herpetologists because of the presence of the Rough Scaled Python as well as the prospects of discovering new species. Somehow the author managed to get funding from Australian Geographic Magazine for this expedition, and with somewhat haphazard planning the they flew into the Drysdale River Station. From Drysdale River they began their journey on foot, west to Prince Regent Sound, where they planned to hitch a ride on a tourist boat. Along the way they hoped to find a Rough Scaled Python.

Unfortunately, for readers hoping for something of herpetological interest, very little of the book discusses the primary goal of the journey. Reptiles are occasionally mentioned, but only in passing. The focus of the book is the personal struggle to survive and the coming of age story of a young man trying to find his place in the world.

Even with minimal herpetological content, this book is a good read for anyone interested in the remote Australian northwest. The Kimberly's is an area that many herpetologists have dreamed of going, and this book is a good way to experience the area, until you are able to get there yourself.

The Hooded Serpent

The Hooded Serpent

I received this plate several years ago, but have been unable to determine the original book it came from. The plate itself contains very little information — no artist or engraver. In the upper left is "Vol. 1. pa. 147" - This at least tells me the book is in English and probably published in London. The plate has wide margins and the total size is about 14.5" x 9" (37 x 22 cm).

From the anthropomorphic characterizations of the orangutan, ape, and even the serpent, I had assumed the plate was from the 1600s. Recently I was thumbing through Ramona and Desmond Morris' 1966 book, Men and Apes when I spotted a very similar illustration of the Orangutan. This illustration came from Daniel Beeckman. 1718. A Voyage to and from the Island of Borneo, in the East Indies... T. Warner, London.

I was able to get a copy of the 1973 reprint of Beeckman's voyage to see if it also included the hooded serpent and Java ape — it doesn't. I do not know if Beeckman's voyage was published in multiple editions - an official report and a popular account. The reprint is of a popular account. So it is possible that the plate I have came from an official report, if one exists.

More likely the Beeckman was the original source for the illustration and the copy I have appeared in a later book, perhaps and encyclopedia.

I have also been able to find a similar illustration of the hooded serpent. There is a copy on Brown University's library website dated 1774. Although I originally found it on the
blog: A journey Around My Skull. This illustration is from The Royal American Magazine, or Universal Repository of Instruction and Amusement, May, 1774 (They just don't name magazines like they used to...). This 1774 illustration lacks some of the detail of the hooded serpent in the plate I have, but is clearly based upon it, or a related copy. Given that the 1774 illustration lacks detail, I would guess that my plate was published between 1718 and 1774.
Eventually I hope to discuss the evolution of natural history illustration. This engraving is a good example of the anthropomorphic style from the 17th and early 18th centuries when artists frequently had to illustrate animals from written descriptions, or at best a carcass, or stuffed specimen.

I would be most grateful for any comments or insights to the origin of this plate.

Note added 1/21/2015: In updating this old blog with the hopes of beginning to add content again I found another version of this same plate on the PrintedPrimate.org website: http://printedprimate.org/2010/02/20/an-ape-of-java-the-hooded-serpent-oranootan/ . The two plates are mirror images of each other and it is clear one has been copies from the other - a direct copy of an engraving would have to be re-engraved thus causing the copy to be a mirror image of the original. I think my copy has slightly more detain, suggesting it is the earlier version, but I honestly don't know. The two plates also have different headings (volume and page number).

The PrintedPrimate website also has another plate showing the same Ape from Java illustration and it is dated 1752. I believe this 1752 illustration is a later copy of the original, so my new guess for the publication date for this plate is between 1718 and 1752.

Review: Snakebit: Confessions of a Herpetologist

Snakebit: Confessions of a Herpetologist

Leslie Anthony

2009 Greystone Books, Vancouver, xii, 292 pages

Clothbound with a dust-jacket. ISBN: 9781553652366

When I first heard about this book, I was somewhat suspicious — 'Confessions of a herpetologist' — who is Leslie Anthony? I searched my herpetological database and came up with nothing. When the book arrived, it was clear that he was a herpetologist —not just someone who likes amphibians and reptiles and decided to write a book about it. He has a Ph.D. in herpetology from the University of Toronto and was a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University's Redpath Museum. His acknowledgements include a number of well known herpetologists; still I couldn't find a single herpetological publication by him. Thus I started to read the book with dubious curiosity.

By the time I finished the prologue, I was hooked. Anthony's writing style is engaging and his insights into the herpetological community and biology of amphibians and reptiles are genuine and accurate. Since he completed his postdoc, Anthony has worked as an outdoors/sports journalist. The origins of this book stemmed from a trip to Finland to write ski story for an international travel magazine. While working on the story he found himself in the Arctic circle watching snakes (Vipera berus) sunning in rock outcrops surrounded by snow and skiiers. While observing these snakes in such an unlikely location, and after having been out of mainstream herpetology for a number of years, Anthony was struck by how important amphibians and reptiles had been in his life and he suddenly wanted to know why — and why his life was so distant from these animals now. Thus began the journey that led to this book. A journey of remembrance, renewing old acquaintances, and reliving past adventures.

Without going into too many details of the book, Anthony begins by recounting his childhood collecting amphibians and reptiles near Toronto. Eventually he landed a job on a faunal survey and became the herpetologist on the team. This work opened the door for him to meet James P. Bogert, who became his graduate advisor for his Masters. Anthony returned to Toronto for his Ph.D. under Robert W. Murphy, where among other things he played guitar in Rommy — the first and only phylogenetic rock opera (1988). He returned to play again in the tenth anniversary concert of Rommy II in 1998. During his postdoc at McGill's Redpath Museum Anthony worked with David M. Green.

Throughout his herpetological career, Anthony went on several herpetological expedtions, most with Robert W. Murphy, to places such as Baja California, Vietnam, and Armenia. These trips as well as several others make up a large portion of the book. The exotic locations are made all the more exotic by the expedition members and the author's ability to tell a good story. But herpetological expeditions make up only a part of his journey to examine his past herpetological life. In 2006, Anthony returned to the joint ASIH/SSAR/HL meetings in New Orleans. His part retrospective, part insider commentary on herpetological meetings is insightful, although many herpetologists may disagree with some of his observations — and ichthyologists will wholehartedly disregard his observations as rubbish.

At the end of his journey to uncover the importance of amphibians and reptiles in his life, Anthony writes:

"I owed a lot to herpetologists. Ultimately, they'd delivered me an understanding that no type of blind faith could ever serve up. Most importantly, I'd learned how to question and why. They had also given me laughter, absurdity, knowledge, deep time, discovery, healthy fear, and sheer terror. But if herpetologists... had taught me how to look at the world, then snakes had shown me how to see it. From within and never without. As part and not apart. Snakes led the way to a lifetime of natural appreciation. They'd also brought a sense of mystery, reverence, and true beauty. So I was indebted to them too..."

I think most herpetologists I know could easily agree with these sentiments. I also think most herpetologists would enjoy this book. It is very well written and engaging from the very beginning. Anthony pulls in tidbits from a wide variety of sources (Ditmars, Minton, and Francesco Redi to name a few). There is much in this book that herpetologists will be able to relate to. There are also several characters in this book that are well known in herpetological circles. If you have any inclination towards biographies or true life adventures, you will probably enjoy this book. My only criticism of the book is that there are no photographs — of people, places, or animals.

After reading this book, I was armed with a bit more information about the author — where and what he studied — so I did another quick search to discover why I didn't have any references to any of his many publications. I quickly discovered that I had been led astray by the book. The author of the book is Leslie Anthony, however as a herpetologist he is known as Leslie A. Lowcock. Search for him using this name and you'll find a number of publications. If, like me, you have reservations about reading a book subtitled 'Confessions of a herpetologist' because you can't link the author to any herpetological research, you can cast those doubts aside. The author was (is) an able herpetologist.

Snakes: Ecology and Conservation

Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel (Editors)

Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake species. Furthermore, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals, despite the fact that less than a quarter of all species are venomous and most species are beneficial because they control rodent pests. It has become increasingly urgent, therefore, to develop viable conservation strategies for snakes and to investigate their importance as monitors of ecosystem health and indicators of habitat sustainability.

In the first book on snakes written with a focus on conservation, editors Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel bring together leading herpetologists to review and synthesize the ecology, conservation, and management of snakes worldwide. These experts report on advances in current research and summarize the primary literature, presenting the most important concepts and techniques in snake ecology and conservation. The common thread of conservation unites the twelve chapters, each of which addresses a major subdiscipline within snake ecology. Applied topics such as methods and modeling and strategies such as captive rearing and translocation are also covered. Each chapter provides an essential framework and indicates specific directions for future research, making this a critical reference for anyone interested in vertebrate conservation generally or for anyone implementing conservation and management policies concerning snake populations.

Turtles of the United States and Canada, 2nd Edition

Carl H. Ernst and Jeffrey E. Lovich

Ernst and Lovich's thoroughly revised edition of this classic reference provides the most updated information ever assembled on the natural histories of North American turtles.


From diminutive mud turtles to giant alligator snappers, two of North America's most prominent experts describe the turtles that live in the fresh, brackish, and marine waters north of Mexico. Incorporating the explosion of new scientific information published on turtles over the past fifteen years — including the identification of four new species — Ernst and Lovich supply comprehensive coverage of all fifty-eight species, with discussions of conservation status and recovery efforts.


Each species account contains information on identification, genetics, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, predators, and conservation status. The book includes range maps for freshwater and terrestrial species, a glossary of scientific names, an extensive bibliography for further research, and an index to scientific and common names.

Logically organized and richly illustrated — with more than two hundred color photographs and fifty-two maps — Turtles of the United States and Canada remains the standard for libraries, museums, nature centers, field biologists, and professional and amateur herpetologists alike.

Méhelÿ salamander plate from 1895

In updating the classic herpetological illustrations I just added a plate of salamanders from:

Méhelÿ, Lajos. 1895. A magyarországi farkos kétéltüek álczái (Larvae amphibiorum urodelorum Hungarieae). Természetrajzi Füzetek. 18 (3-4): 149-165; 270-288, 1 plate.

The salamanders featured on this plate are, from top: 1. Salamandra salamandra (listed as Salamandra maculosa), 2. Ichthyosaura alpestris (listed as Molge alpestris), 3. Lissotriton montandoni (listed as Molge montandoni), 4. Lissotriton vulgaris (listed as Molge vulgaris), 5. Triturus cristatus (listed as Molge cristata)