Planning a similar trip to Greece

Useful Field Guides

There is a phase "Fore-warned if fore-armed".
It means preparation before hand is very important
and this philosophy certainly applies to fieldwork.
Many reptiles and amphibians are secretive and difficult
to find, so simply pitching up in a foreign country and
expecting to find them is to be disappointed.
To this end, pre-trip research, contact with local experts or people
who have been there before, and an up-to-date field guide,
will massively increase your chances of success.

This page is intended as a source for field guides
and other useful books for someone planning
a trip to Croatia or the Balkans.
There is an emphasis on snakes and particularily vipers,
because that is what most field herpers make their priorities,
certainly we do, but the general field guides also cover the other
reptiles and amphibians.

Another aspects of pre-trip preparation I would emphasise
is take a good quality camera and know how to use it.
Since you should only be going to take photographs, no specimens,
and your photographic images should be all you taking home with you,
you owe it to yourself to learn how to take good photographs.

I do not condone, in fact I condemn, self-styled "reptile lovers" who
travel to another country to steal its wildlife,
for personal ownership or commercial gain.

REPTILE SMUGGLING IS A CRIME AGAINST REPTILES
Please don't do it!

The best field guide
to all the Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe

Arnold & Ovenden 2002 Collins Field Guide to the Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe 2nd edition

Previous or co-published editions

An alternative field guide
(smaller, lighter, cheaper)

Kwet 2009 New Holland European Reptile and Amphibian Guide English language edition

A Croatian language field guide to the
Snakes of Croatia

Hutinec & Lupret-Obradović 2005 Zmije Hrvatske (Croatian Snakes)

A Slovenian guide to the
Olm

Proteus: the mysterious ruler of Karst darkness English language edition

Guides to the Snakes of Europe

Kreiner 2007 The Snakes of Europe Edition Chimaira	Steward 1971 The Snakes of Europe David & Charles

Guides to the Vipers of Europe

De Smedt 2001 Die europäischen Vipern German language edition	De Smedt 2006 The Vipers of Europe English language edition

More general guides to Old World Vipers
(more suitable for background reading than as field guides)

Phelps 2010 Old World Vipers Edition Chimaira	Mallow, Ludwig & Nilson 2003 True Vipers Krieger