This second edition is written by a leading expert on the group, so that means it’s up to date and comprehensive. The success of the first edition (2010) meant that the book was very soon ‘out of print’. However, the revision was no simple task as a lot has happened in chameleon biology and taxonomy in the eight years between this revision and its original. The author has summarised and integrated all of this into the species accounts, many of which have been rewritten.
Everywhere we look in Africa, new reptilian novelties are turning up. Over 20 new taxa have been added to chameleon diversity since the first edition, and their rate of description shows no sign of abating. It is probable that another 20–30 species await discovery and description, assuming we discover them all before their forest habitats are cleared.