DIY Homeschooler

The Reptile Book is a comprehensive study of North American reptiles by a highly respected and self-taught herpetologist. Published in 1907, this classic was expanded several times and republished.

Raymond Lee Ditmars began his interest in reptiles with catching snakes at the age of 12. He landed the job of assistant curator of reptiles at the New York Zoological Society when he was 23, using his own collection of reptiles initially.

Ditmars wrote to a general audience. It was his enthusiasm that led to the popularity of herpetology.

Throughout this work the writer has tried to assist the beginner — yet he feels that he has left out little that will interest the technical worker. He believes that the trend of scientific publications should be more in this direction. Let us consider but one argument, and that in relation to the study of reptiles. Suppose an intelligent farmer, with an inclination for the study of popular natural history, should find a snake upon his lands, and, wishing to find whether it was harmless or poisonous, opens a strictly scientific book, dealing with North American reptiles. What does he find? Elaborate descriptions of anatomical characters, many of these internal, and these descriptions under technical headings, each followed by a long list of synonyms and often a lengthy debate as to the former classification by other scientists than the author; about the only popular words in the description, are the articles “the” and “a”; even the colours are defined in intricate fashion. To this man, such a book is useless. He has no time to master the bewildering, new language he has discovered, so is unable to learn whether the snakes living on his farm are harmless or dangerous, beneficial or otherwise.

He was also involved in the first attempts at creating an antivenom institute in America.

Ditmars authored dozens of books; The Reptile Book was the first. It covers the following four orders:

• The Chelonia — Turtles and Tortoises.
• The Crocodilia — Crocodilians.
• The Lacertilia — Lizards.
• The Ophidia — Snakes.

Hundreds of reptiles are covered. The book is also heavy on half-tone illustrations with a scattering of full color illustrations.

Most readers will enjoy the “General Characters” of the reptiles covered. For example:

General characters. — The Snapping Turtles are the largest of the fresh-water chelonians inhabiting the United States. Their general form is well known. The dull, rough carapace, with its heavy keels and marginal serrations, the proportionately huge and sinister head, and the long, fleshy tail, with its alligator-like crest combine to make these turtles unique. The plastron is insignificantly small and narrow and affords comparatively no protection — but these big turtles do not seek to withdraw the head and limbs like their smaller and weaker relations. They are bold and aggressive fighters and their massive, keen-edged jaws cause them to be the terror of most of the aquatic and semi-aquatic creatures.

Eek.

Full descriptions do include classifications. But the illustrations and habits will be most interesting.

A truly living book, where the author loves his subject! And it is free.

Free eBook

• Read online
• PDF
• EPUB (convert to Kindle)

Suggestions

Have your students do one or more of the following:

• Make a Reptile Notebook.
• For each class above choose a few favorites.
• Narrate the information for specific entries.
• Add an illustration or drawing.
• Consult the Handbook of Nature Study for ways to investigate these creatures.

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Additional Resources

Nature Journal Notebooking Sets ~ Free Download
Free pages to use for the notebook.

Wildlife Observation Hike Form {Free Download}
Another simpler option.

Sources:

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240832203/raymond-lee-ditmars
• https://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%209/New%20York%20NY%20Sun/New%20York%20NY%20Sun%201942%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Sun%201942%20%20Grayscale%20-%200745.pdf
• http://journals.ku.edu/iguana/article/download/16987/15273/40974