The author of this book was probably Britain’s first professional amphibian conservationist and his recollections of the evolution of the subject go back over five decades. Such insider accounts are valuable records of how we got to the current day. An idea of the importance of Arnold Cooke’s contributions to the field can be gauged by his senior-authored papers comprising three of the 18 pages of references.
The UK’s seven species of amphibians have sometimes been centre stage in conservation and public discourse – Great Crested Newts in particular. The book covers the hot topics of the times, from pesticides in the early days to climate change these days, and their impacts on these species and the role of herpetologists in the debates.
This valuable book will appeal particularly to that band of enthusiasts who have waded into ponds, nets in hand, or counted frogs or toads crossing roads, but it also tells part of the story of the development of nature conservation in the UK.
The cover? Not bad, but a bit fussy? I’d give it 6/10.
Tadpole hunter: a personal history of amphibian conservation and research by Arnold Cooke is published by Pelagic.
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