NEW SCOTLAND — Alvin R. Breisch of New Scotland has won a National Outdoor Book Award for his book, “The Snake and the Salamander: Reptiles and Amphibians from Maine to Virginia.”

“Alvin Breisch’s long time work with reptiles and amphibians is clearly evident in this elegant and resourceful book,” said the NOBA Foundation in announcing the award this month. “A total of 83 different species are showcased and described in a refreshing, conversational style.

“Scattered about the text are delightful nuggets of information. The Smooth Greensnake, for instance, ‘is a bit of a picky eater.’ What gives this book the ‘wow’ factor are the 94 paintings by master illustrator Matt Patterson.  Patterson’s painstaking work is near perfection with each subject rendered anatomically correct and beautifully arranged in its natural habitat.”

The purpose of the awards is to recognize and encourage outstanding writing and publishing. The winners are chosen, in 10 categories, by a panel of judges consisting of educators, academics, book reviewers, authors, editors, and outdoor columnists from throughout the country. Breisch’s book won in the Nature and Environment category.

For 26 years, until his retirement in 2009, Breisch was New York State’s amphibian and reptile specialist. He studied, catalogued, and worked to preserve the state’s herpetofauna — its amphibians and reptiles, known as “herps.”

The 222-page hardcover book is illustrated lavishly by Patterson who does for amphibians and reptiles what Audubon did for birds: His original artwork depicts them accurately and artfully in their natural habitats.

“I wanted to group species that use a habitat,” Breisch told The Enterprise last March as the book was being published by the Johns Hopkins University Press, “to show their relationship to the environment. So, if you’re protecting vernal pools, you’re not just protecting the endangered tiger salamander but a lot of other species using those pools like the gray tree frog or the spring peeper, and even the mammals that come to the pools. You’re protecting an entire ecosystem.”

He also said of his book, “We wanted people just to read it and enjoy it.” Hence, it lacks the copious citations that typify scientific literature. Rather, the prose is straightforward and vivid, laced with personal anecdotes about encountering these creatures.

“I tried to use the species as lessons on biology with historic notes or conservation issues,” said Breisch who also did an Enterprise podcast on the breadth and worth of biodiversity.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer