Melissa Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated December 18, 2009

Herps in Art, Literature and Mythology

Compiled by Melissa Kaplan

Reptiles and amphibians have appeared in various works of art and literature (and mythology) through the ages. I thought a page of references and links to some of the more unusual or interesting ones would be an interesting way for people to pass the time and enjoy something different, and perhaps learn something new or see their herps in a slightly different way...

Art
Lizard Relay: Jaguarundi with Green Iguanas and Banded Basilisks

Sandy Kiraly's Iguana Niche

Literature
* denotes children's books
Iguana Dreams. Delia Poey, editor.
Mythical Kings and Iguanas. Dory Previn. Online.
The Night Iguana Left Home*. Megan McDonald, illustrated by Ponder Goembel
The Philosopher's Stone, John A. Weeks, MD. An online novella.
The Iguana Brothers*. Tony Johnson, Mark Teague (Illustrator).
Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind. Carl Sandburg

Mythology And Fables
Dinosaurs and Dragons
Itzamná, Mayan ruler of heaven, day and night. Also, Itzam Na.
Opossum and the Great Firemaker. Jan M. Mike.
Snake Mythology
Tiger and Anansi
Zip, Mayan god of the hunt.

Stage, Television and Cinema
Animal Movie Stars. Transcript, Living On Earth, June 1998
Iguana Love. Donna Kuyper. Featuring Vega$ and her human handlers Des Wong and Kim Scott.
Night of the Iguana. Tennessee William; film directed by John Huston.

Toys and Games
Flicker the Iguana (AmazonUS, Animal Planet)

Other Interesting Things That Didn't Fit Easily Into The Above Categories

Among the names given to rocks in the vicinity of the Sojourner rover on Mars were: Gumby, Contour, Lamb, Asterix, Ratbert, Kitten, Duck, Iguana, Anthill, Nibbles, and Ender. (Space.com)

In Loco for Lizards, author Jim Cherry combines elements of art, cinema, literature, and more into this colorful, and colorfully written, book. A fun read for yourself and a great gift for the herper in your life.

Galapagos: Worlds End, by William Beebe. A lively and engaging account by the director of the New York Zoological Society - and world traveler, explorer and naturalist - of the NYZS research trip through the Galapagos Islands in the early 1920s.

These and other books and videos are available through:

If you know of any other interesting sites or references, please let me know. Note: I am not at this time interested in including the well-known fables, such as "The Tortoise and The Hare" (though I do think its evolution, especially that of the Hare, as cultural norms and personae change, would make an interesting research paper), or MUDD/D&D entities.