Like his previous titles exploring some of the smallest creatures in nature, Bishop's detailed and luscious photographs are like looking through a window at the zoo and seeing lizards and their habitats in person. But better, because Bishop uses his skills to bring geckos, monitors, skinks and others to life as one would only see in nature, not in the artificial environment of captivity. Bishop shares basic facts about these reptiles, including diet, habitats, defense systems, basic reproduction and other features.
What readers will find most interesting is the variety of weird abilities many lizards have -- puffing up large enough that nothing can pull them from holes in the ground, running on water, flying from enemies, swimming beneath the desert sand and squirting blood from their eyes to foil predators.
The narrative is direct, descriptive and fun to read. Printed on colorful pages that complement the photos, the text only adds to the beauty of this book. Not one to leave budding scientists and photographers wanting, Bishop includes descriptive captions to each photograph, including each lizard's name and proportion compared to the photographed size. A two-page fold--out featuring a basilist running across a pond will wow readers. As usual, Bishop shares stories about how he captured the amazing photos. An index, bibliography and glossary help readers explore the book and learn more about these creatures that have been around since the days of the dinosaurs.
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