Reddit mentions: The best veterinary encyclopedias

1. Maybe get him a zoo pass if you live close enough! I had an aquarium pass as a kid and it changed my life, I loved it and it really got me interested in life and the study of life. I'm now a human biologist!
   
   
2. There are lots of great books, but one I have had for many years now is the Encyclopaedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. I loved it when I was younger, it gave me a real passion for studying herps.
   
   
3. Youtube channels like Snake Discovery are awesome for encouraging an inquiring approach to reptile husbandry and care, without the issues that learning from other less-reputable sources might have.
   
   
4. I recommend finding him a guide to herping in California, and maybe be willing to take him on things like herping expeditions and hikes. This would also help him develop a love of the outdoors and of hiking, which is a FANTASTIC thing for a child to love doing! The more he associates being outside with the things he loves and wants to do, the better.
   
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5. He actually sounds like he might be on the autism spectrum, so I would highly recommend you research how to encourage learning in kids on the spectrum. One of the things that kids on the spectrum are really good at is "fixating" on a specific topic - in his case, reptiles - and learning absolutely everything about it and becoming experts in that field. However, this can sometimes lead to ASD kids neglecting other areas of their education and self-education, so I recommend that while you CERTAINLY shouldn't be discouraging his love of reptiles, since it's both cruel and doesn't work, you might also want to encourage him to take an interest in order areas of study too. Perhaps get him a book on amphibians, and help him learn about ALL of herpetology rather than just reptilians, and from this you can maybe branch out into learning about zoology in general.
   
   
6. Kids on the spectrum DO tend to get very bored in school, because they want so badly to fixate on their special interests that they can end up accidentally neglecting school work. It can also impair social development, and can result in kids being very intelligent, and knowledgeable in their favourite areas, but not scoring well on tests because the things their teachers are telling them are simply completely disinteresting to them. The best way to help with that is to find resources on parenting children with autistic spectrum disorders, ASDs, and following that advice in order to best help him out.
   
   
7. If you can, do take him to a neurologist or child psychologist to work out whether or not he's DEFINITELY on the spectrum or not, because if you have a formal diagnosis you can tell his school, who will be required to give him extra resources to help him learn. However, if he is diagnosed as such, whether or not you tell him his diagnosis is up to you, and literature is split on whether or not this actually helps kids or hinders them. Personally my experience is that telling kids helps them more than it hinders them. I obviously am not trying to diagnose your nephew based on a reddit post, you should certainly talk to a doctor or psychologist about that and trust their advice. However I think that most of your concerns and observations of his behaviour and your brother's seem in line with the concerns that are typically expressed by parents and carers of kids and adults with ASDs, which are also often heritable.

Don't know if you're already a fan of the TV show QI, but they do really amusing and interesting books of obscure facts, one of which is this http://www.amazon.co.uk/QI-Animal-Ignorance-Stephen-Fry/dp/0571233708/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322317240&sr=8-1

'The QI book of Animals ignorance'

If he's at a reasonable reading level ( I would get this for a 12/13 year old) this will be perfect.

Edit - this book only has small bw illustrations, so maybe get something like a national geographic subscription of a wildlife photography book for him to go with it a well.

This is pricy, but you did say they were a good friend: Dinosaurs: the Encyclopedia

Or maybe order something like this and cut out pics. Or this? Apparently in 1959 Sinclair ran a line of dinosaur stickers/stamps. You could probably find them online and then try to size them bigger and print. Or call you local Natural History museum if you have one and see if they have any vintage-looking postcards.

Yes! This one!

ABC and XYZ of beekeeping is pretty much the Bible when it comes to covering almost every topic you could ask.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/093602822X/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1320863732&sr=8-1

Give this one a go: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Sharks-Steve-Parker/dp/1554074096

There are probably several on the same page that would suffice as well.

[The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life is my favorite.] (http://www.amazon.com/Macmillan-Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Dinosaurs-Prehistoric/dp/0025801910/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462237228&sr=8-1&keywords=macmillan+encyclopedia+of+dinosaurs)

There's this:
https://www.amazon.com/Macmillan-Illustrated-Animal-Encyclopedia-Ltd/dp/0026276801

This is what I grew up with.

These are hardcovers, but could it have been either of these?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MacMillan-Illustrated-Animal-Encyclopedia-Whitfield/dp/0026276801

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Longman-Illustrated-Animal-Encyclopedia/dp/B000SIC890

Try this one: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Animals-Editor-Christiansen/dp/1905704070