This first issue of the "Bibliography of Herpertological Bibliographies" contains more than 1130 publications each with a bibliography of at least 100 citations. It covers publications that appeared separately, single chapters from large works, theses and publications in journals and serials.

The thematic focus in on general herpelogical works, zoogeography, ecology, systematics, taxonomy, morphology, development, venoms, behaviour, diseases, parasites and terrarium keeping.

The bibliography is arranged alpabetically, according to the first author or editor and is preceded by a separate list of some handbooks, large works, symposium proceedings etc (arranged alphabetically and with special ID-numbers marked with a "H" in front).

The secondary bibliography serves as a reference work, a manual, and does not cover all systematic, geographic and subject-related areas. For all single entries in the main part of the bibliography, there is a full reference with the bibliographical details of the relevant handbook or volume of a work, there are the abbreviated title of the journal or serials, the number of the volume and page numbers for the article. Theses have the place, university and year.

Two indices are provided: the Author Index and the Subject Index.

Each given taxon has one higher systematic term appended. Geographical terms and names of states sometimes also hae more comprehensive terms added. No hierarchical structure has been attempted and there are no further references to higher or lower classifications.

The subject index offers a combination of a bisystematic unit with a keyword of a topical or geographic kind. English keywords have not always been translated into German. The keywords under each entry in the bibliographical par serve only as supplements to the main terms in the title, which are not repeated. Names of genera, species and subscpecies for an exception.