A MAJOR DRAW
The historical biogeography of reptiles in the Peloponnese region is unparalleled in Europe. It tells stories of complex evolutionary processes shaped by the unique topography, climate, and environment that fostered a remarkable diversity of species and elevated reptilian endemism to its highest levels. It stands out as the best when considering the size of the peninsula along with the diversity and abundance of amphibians and reptiles.
Pre-order now: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/reptiles-and-amphibians-of-the-peloponnese.html
26/05/2025
A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
This book represents the first overview and taxonomically updated checklist of snakes recorded from or expected to occur in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Parallel texts in English and Kurdish, 384 pages, illustrated with 180 colour photos and 45 maps.
Buy now: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/snakes-of-the-kurdistan-region-of-iraq.html
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
“It wasn’t until I met Chris Mattison in 1986 that my photographic skills received a tremendous boost. I was working in Baja California, México at the time and Chris and I were introduced by a mutual friend because Chris wanted to come with me on a trip to photograph Baja herps. During this trip, he shared with me many of his photographic skills but most importantly, he taught me how to take wide-angle photographs and any success I have ever had at this I owe to him. I remember shooting a Vizcaino Desert Zebra-tailed Lizard on a sand dune outside of Guerrero Negro and Chris saying to me ‘Why not take the picture of the lizard showing it in its habitat?’ and then proceeding to teach me the mechanics of how to do so. The second major upgrade to my skills came when I met Jeremy Holden in Phnom Penh on my first expedition in Cambodia. Jeremy is one of the best all-around photographers I know and spending two weeks with him in the jungles of the Cardamom Mountains gave my photography the push it needed to get it to the next level. What Chris and Jeremy taught me are still the most valued techniques I use today and the main reasons people seem to like my picture stories.” – excerpt from the Preface.
Pre-order now: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/techniques-for-photographing-reptiles-and-amphibians-in-the-field.html
13/11/2024
LATEST NEWS
A fully comprehensive and user-friendly field guide to the snakes of Australia, covering file snakes, pythons, colubrids, natricids, elapids marine elapids, homalopsids and blind snakes. The book describes all 240 species and subspecies with type locations and distribution maps, for each species; details of etymology, pronunciation, appearance, range, ecology, disposition, danger level and the IUCN Red List Category. Keys to families and genera for quick identification of a species. Covers identification diagrams, habitat types, snakes in the environment and snake bite prevention. Includes a glossary and checklist of all of the snakes.
Buy now: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/field-guide-to-the-snakes-of-australia.html
TWO MORE BOOKS FOR OCTOBER
The scientific community has rediscovered anuran larvae (tadpoles) as valuable subjects of developmental, evolutionary, ecological, ecomorphological and toxicological research. Innovative molecular methods have provided new insights. Field research combined with molecular genetics has vastly expanded our knowledge of species diversity and of environmental adaptations and has resulted in a revision of concepts. Correspondingly, molecular methods have broadly extended our understanding of amphibian development, leading to both new insights into evolutionary processes as well as support of medical research. The present work boldly attempts to update current knowledge on the larval biology of anurans more than twenty years after the highly commendable tadpole book published by Altig & McDiarmid (1999).
Pre-order Volumes I and II now: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/biology-of-anuran-larvae-volume-1.html and https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/biology-of-anuran-larvae-volume-2.html
19/09/2024
SOON-TO-BE
Our new releases premiering at the 34th Convention of the DGHT AG Urodela, 4–5 October 2024, Gersfeld (Rhön)
Browse through our catalogue: https://www.chimaira.de/
02/09/2024
NEXT OF KIN
If one did not know that banded newts were real, they might easily be mistaken for creatures of fantasy. These impressive newts have long fascinated people, both in the wild and in aquariums. Authors Michael Fahrbach and Uwe Gerlach are among the admirers of the genus and have arranged this book to focus on all facets of their cultural history, taxonomy, systematics, distribution, behaviour and natural history of these urodeles. Additionally, the authors contribute their years of experience in the successful husbandry of this urodele genus to provide comprehensive information on their care and breeding in captivity. Pathogens of and hygiene protocols for banded newts in captivity and in the field are discussed in detail to inform responsible work with these animals in captive and wild settings. Finally, detailed species accounts are provided for each Ommatotriton species. This comprehensive work draws on more than 220 references spanning more than 200 years of publication and decades of husbandry experience, presenting a comprehensive compilation of the current state of knowledge about these veritable water dragons.
Pre-order here: https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/the-genus-ommatotriton.html (English), https://www.chimaira.de/herpetology/die-gattung-ommatotriton.html (Deutsch)
Expected availability: October 2024
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At a first glance, Chimaira Buchhandelsgesellschaft, located in Frankfurt-Heddernheim since 2004, and in spite of its unusual name, has the appearance of a typical urban book shop – contemporary children and young readers’ books in the window display and two racks with a colourful mix of second-hand books out in front. Otherwise, there are few shops in this street. On entering the welcoming shop and taking a look around it will soon emerge that there is more to it: an antiquarian books department and specialist literature sections in the fields of herpetology, that is amphibians and reptiles, entomology and ichthyology.
How did it happen that all of this was combined under one roof? Founder Andreas S. Brahm, a professional book dealer who learnt his trade in Frankfurt, became self-employed with his first book shop near Frankfurt Zoo in 1990. Right from the start, he felt it was important that »old and new« be mixed, i.e., that there had to be an antiquarian and a contemporary leg. And it had to be a formal shop: »A shop with fixed opening hours conveys a certain sense of genuineness to the customer.« Spurred by his personal interests, he compiled and mailed out in 1993 a small catalogue that listed herpetological publications in stock – the magnitude of the response came as a great surprise to him. This sparked the idea of specializing, and today, »there is no assortment like ours in the whole wide world,« the now fifty-year-old explains with a twinkle in his eye.
Gerold Schipper, with a PhD in German philology and having been »one of the first customers« of Brahm’s, first joined as a freelance associate in 1995 when the first publishing project was turned into reality; he has been an integral part of the team since 2000. Together, they oversee the Edition Chimaira, which, amongst others, publishes the renowned ›Frankfurter Beiträge zur Naturkunde,‹ and under which label about 140 books have been published so far. The publishing and antiquarian legs pollinate each other in that, for example, a collector may pen a preface for a volume of the Edition, or a sought-after scientific treatise may be selected for reprinting. While the general range of books and antiquarian items (including literature specifically on Frankfurt and ›Insel-Bücherei‹) cater rather for local customers, the more scientifically minded clientele interested in herpetological works can be found throughout Germany and abroad. Purchases of libraries in this specialist sector usually stem from scientists who retire from their posts. One such collection was recently acquired from Switzerland, and another one was purchased from Argentina a few years back. ›Shopping trips‹ are not required, says Brahm, with offers often coming in all by themselves as a result of the fire-wire network that exists between herpetologists. Or customers would sometimes point out opportunities for making an acquisition. On the other hand, the grapevines will quickly spread the word when Chimaira has bought up something interesting, and the telephone often starts ringing even before all the new books have been catalogued.
Chimaira’s turnover is made up for about 30 percent by antiquarian and 70 percent by contemporary items. In 2008, a more spacious storing facility with an office was rented in Griesheim District; this is where the company’s stock for the Internet trade is to be stored and administered in the future.
A comprehensive catalogue is published (10,000 copies) once every year, added to which are three smaller ones – each listing both new and antiquarian items in stock. These are distributed to the customers in Chimaira’s own databank and the roughly 8,500 members of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für H**petologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT). While the publishing house has yet to make an appearance on an antiquarian book fair, its range of publications is regularly presented at scientific symposia and terrarium fairs. From Prague to Porto, from Stockholm to Naples – »we’ll be there if we can get there by car.« Back home, business will then be left in the capable hands of the third member of the team, Brahm’s daughter Natascha-Louise, who also takes care of decorating the shop window, manages the children’s books department and keeps the doors open.
And why the name »Chimaira?« It is easily pronounced internationally, sounds exotic, and, says Schipper, is a perfect choice for indicating the many faces the company has. Actually, with two directors as innovative as these, the one or the other face may still be expected to be added.
