Reptiles

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 marvelous 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 year