The Ultimate Book of Reptiles

Your guide to the secret lives of these scaly, slithery, and spectacular creatures!

Look inside
Hardcover
$19.99 US
On sale Aug 15, 2023 | 192 Pages | 9781426373732

Sink your fangs into the hidden worlds of these scaly and sensational creatures with leading reptile scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Ruchira Somaweera as your guide.

Meet the coolest cold-blooded animals ever. From lizards to snakes, turtles to crocodiles, something called a tuatara, and even enormous prehistoric reptiles (think real-life sea monsters!), you’ll discover what makes a reptile a reptile; how these creatures live, hunt, hide, and raise their young, and the wild adaptations that make them so unique. Learn which snake is the most venomous on the planet and which are surprisingly gentle creatures, which reptile is born with a highly developed third eye in its forehead, and which one is so tiny it could balance on the tip of your finger—plus loads of super important conservation information and impactful ways to join the fight to save endangered reptile species right from home!

With gorgeous full-color photographs and nail-biting from-the-field stories from Dr. Somaweera—including the time he waded waist-deep into a cave teeming with gigantic crocodiles!—this book takes you up close and personal with wild, weird, and just plain wonderful reptiles.

Complete your collection with The Ultimate Book of Sharks, The Ultimate Book of African Animals, and The Ultimate Book of Big Cats!
STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER is a longtime writer for National Geographic Kids magazine and has written several books for Nat Geo Kids, including Hey, Baby!; The Book of Heroines; Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff; and Mastermind. View titles by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

About

Sink your fangs into the hidden worlds of these scaly and sensational creatures with leading reptile scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Ruchira Somaweera as your guide.

Meet the coolest cold-blooded animals ever. From lizards to snakes, turtles to crocodiles, something called a tuatara, and even enormous prehistoric reptiles (think real-life sea monsters!), you’ll discover what makes a reptile a reptile; how these creatures live, hunt, hide, and raise their young, and the wild adaptations that make them so unique. Learn which snake is the most venomous on the planet and which are surprisingly gentle creatures, which reptile is born with a highly developed third eye in its forehead, and which one is so tiny it could balance on the tip of your finger—plus loads of super important conservation information and impactful ways to join the fight to save endangered reptile species right from home!

With gorgeous full-color photographs and nail-biting from-the-field stories from Dr. Somaweera—including the time he waded waist-deep into a cave teeming with gigantic crocodiles!—this book takes you up close and personal with wild, weird, and just plain wonderful reptiles.

Complete your collection with The Ultimate Book of Sharks, The Ultimate Book of African Animals, and The Ultimate Book of Big Cats!

Author

STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER is a longtime writer for National Geographic Kids magazine and has written several books for Nat Geo Kids, including Hey, Baby!; The Book of Heroines; Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff; and Mastermind. View titles by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more