# What the best field herping guide?



## aj1992p (Dec 25, 2012)

Hi there, i do a fair bit of herping around nsw and have come across a few snakes and lizards i had no clue what they were? 

I know there are a few reptile guides but was wondering which one was the best and where i could buy one from thanks guys


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## eipper (Dec 25, 2012)

4 th edition of
A complete guide to reptiles of Australia by Steve Wilson & Gerry Swan will be released in mid march I recently heard. For now the third Ed is the most comprehensive.

cheers
Acott


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## geckodan (Dec 25, 2012)

I have one copy of the 3rd edition left $55 including shipping

Contact me at [email protected] if interested


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## Bluetongue1 (Dec 26, 2012)

Different authors provide different amounts of detail about how to distinguish given species. While Wilson and Swan are the most up to date taxonomically, the species specific data they provide varies in detail in comparison to other texts. For example, the Wilson and Knowles text tends to heave a much more detailed explanation of how to distinguish between similar species.

There are a number of field guides specific to NSW or sections there of. I would suggest that you go to your local library and spend some time going through their species descriptions. I would suggest that the best way to go is to take the good advice of one of the first two posters and also to purchase the most informative of the state related field guides. With a little cross referencing you can be assured of coming up with a taxonomically current ID.

Blue


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## Bushman (Dec 26, 2012)

aj1992p said:


> Hi there, i do a fair bit of herping around nsw and have come across a few snakes and lizards i had no clue what they were?
> 
> I know there are a few reptile guides but was wondering which one was the best and where i could buy one from thanks guys


'A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales', second Edition by Gerry Swan, Glenn Shea and Ross Sadlier. 



Bluetongue1 said:


> ...the Wilson and Knowles text tends to heave a much more detailed explanation of how to distinguish between similar species...


Can you please provide a title for this text?


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## sharky (Dec 26, 2012)

Bushman said:


> 'A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales', second Edition by Gerry Swan, Glenn Shea and Ross Sadlier.



Have the same one, was just about to reccomend it! Has clear photos, maps, habitat description, size description, written description of the reptile and more. It's great


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## eipper (Dec 26, 2012)

Patrick

Australia's Reptiles -a guide to the terrestrial reptiles of Australia by Stephen K Wilson and David Knowles. Published by Cornstalk in 1988

- - - Updated - - -

Patrick

Australia's Reptiles -a guide to the terrestrial reptiles of Australia by Stephen K Wilson and David Knowles. Published by Cornstalk in 1988


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## Dragonwolf (Dec 26, 2012)

Can someone recommend a suitable one for Queensland please? (my library is useless)


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## aj1992p (Dec 26, 2012)

Dragonwolf said:


> Can someone recommend a suitable one for Queensland please? (my library is useless)


Hi dragonwolf

After researching around most people prefer the complete guide over the state specific ones, but here is one for Queensland not sure how good it will be i just brought the complete guide to Australian reptiles, cant wait to get it now haha.

http://www.herpbooks.com.au/cms/fie...ypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=11&category_id=3


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## GeckPhotographer (Dec 26, 2012)

Apart from being slightly more out of date the Qld one is far far better than the nationwide one. The same goes pretty much for almost all state guides. (Apart from that the NSW one is really really out of date and not all states had a good one to start with), either way the Qld one is exceptional.... as long as you're in Qld you know.


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## Dragonwolf (Dec 26, 2012)

GeckPhotographer said:


> Apart from being slightly more out of date the Qld one is far far better than the nationwide one. The same goes pretty much for almost all state guides. (Apart from that the NSW one is really really out of date and not all states had a good one to start with), either way the Qld one is exceptional.... as long as you're in Qld you know.



LOL - yes, am in Qld - just not the nicest part.


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## Elapidae1 (Dec 26, 2012)

aj1992p said:


> Hi dragonwolf
> 
> After researching around most people prefer the complete guide over the state specific ones, but here is one for Queensland not sure how good it will be i just brought the complete guide to Australian reptiles, cant wait to get it now haha.
> 
> http://www.herpbooks.com.au/cms/fie...ypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=11&category_id=3



As has been stated the Wilson and Swan Complete guide to Reptiles Of Australia 3rd edition is the most current taxonomically and therefore considered a must have, it can however be lacking in in descriptions, keys, and illustration/diagrams, therefore it is handy to have a state or area specific guide to cross reference the problem with this being that it can sometimes be confusing because they are often not as current .
I carry Wilson and Swan, Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region and Lizards Of Western Australia. I Skinks.
The second and third titles are Western Australia Museum publications and I imagine each state museum would probably publish fairly comprehensive field guides.

It is important to try and keep them as current as possible out of date guides can lead to mind boggling confusion.

Imagine buying a 2nd hand guide and identifying P. affinis, P. mengdeni and P. modesta as Demansia sp as one of my old guides does.


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## Bluetongue1 (Dec 26, 2012)

Sorry *Bushman* and thank you *Scott*. Remiss of me not to provide the title. I was fast running out out of oomph when I posted.

As far as I am aware, only the WA museum has published comprehensive state wide field guides for its reptiles. The three books cover the lizards but not snakes, turtles or crocodiles.

Blue


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## Bushman (Dec 27, 2012)

Thanks Blue and Eipper. I don't have a copy of that book, so I'll try and get a copy on your recommendation.


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## eipper (Dec 27, 2012)

It's a very good book Patrick. The references are are also very comprehensive and provide some interesting reading as well. Just on the nsw guide it is too old now to be a primary reference, I would use it as a back up, but I do like having keys.

cheers
scott


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## Bushman (Dec 27, 2012)

Thanks Scott. That sounds like my sort of book. 
I agree that being up-to-date is important with field guides and the lastest NSW edition was published in 2004, so it should be used in conjunction with the Complete Guide.


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