REPTILES — Steve K. Wilson

Packed with sumptuous photography, this is one of the first titles in the new and lavish ‘Deluxe’ natural history series from Reed New Holland. The images celebrate the beauty and marvellous design of some of our most misunderstood animals, the reptiles. They share a magnificence and elegance that we are now beginning to really appreciate.

They are, in the true sense of the word, awesome! The images have stories to tell. A gecko with padded toes dashes across vertical glass, seeming to mock the laws of gravity as it moves effortlessly over that smooth surface. In just a fraction of a second a chameleon unleashes its tongue, a high- velocity projectile, with the accuracy of a marksman to snatch an insect from a twig a body’s length away.

In a powerful test of strength and endurance, two great Komodo Dragons, the largest living lizards, rise on their hind limbs and try to topple each other in a meeting of muscles and scaly hides. Stunning shots of snakes, lizards, crocodiles and turtles from around the world are brought together via a foreword from expert herpetologist Steve Wilson, who explains why reptiles are such an ongoing success story, having been around for 200 million years and with 12,000 extant species adapted to habitats as varied as arctic tundra, deserts, rainforests and open oceans. All in all ‘Reptiles’ is a glorious memento of a fascinating subject, brought together in a luxurious book that celebrates the many astonishing reptile species from all around the planet, making it ideal for nature lovers, as a gift, or as an interior design feature in any home.