Familia Gekkonidae Reptilia Sauria

"Grismer brings together an impressive amount of original field and laboratory research, supplemented with a thorough review of existing literature, to present a first-rate accounting of the Baja California herpetofauna. This book sets the stage for further research of the reptiles and amphibians of this remarkable region."—Robert Hansen, Editor, Herpetological Review "Grismer is without question the foremost authority on the herpetofauna of the Baja Peninsula; no one else could have produced such a detailed, comprehensive treatment of the amphibians and reptiles of the area. The book stands as a monument to Lee's many years of dedicated work on the Baja herpetofauna and will be the standard reference on the subject for many years to come."—Julian C. Lee, author of The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucatán Peninsula

This edited volume is a timely and comprehensive summary of the New Zealand lizard fauna. Nestled in the south-west Pacific, New Zealand is a large archipelago that displays the faunal signatures of both its Gondwanan origins, and more recent oceanic island influences. New Zealand was one of the last countries on Earth to be discovered, and likewise, the full extent of the faunal diversity present within the archipelago is only just starting to be appreciated. This is no better exemplified than in lizards, where just 30 species (20 skinks, 10 geckos) were recognized in the 1950s, but now 104 are formally or informally recognized (61 skinks, 43 geckos). Thus, New Zealand contains one of the most diverse lizard faunas of any cool, temperate region on Earth. This book brings together the world’s leading experts in the field to produce an authoritative overview of the history, taxonomy, biogeography, ecology, life-history, physiology and conservation of New Zealand lizards.

Although biological exploration in Surinam started about 300 years ago, a thorough account of the Surinam herpetofauna has not hitherto been publish ed. Several publications on the subject have been issued (see below), but none of them was comprehensive. However, there are several papers dealing with a part of the Surinam lizards. The main reason for the absence of a complete review of the Surinam lizards (and, for that matter, of the entire herpeto fauna) has been the scarcity of the material available in museum collection although some of the more common species reached museums in considerable numbers. Until about 1900 the interior of Surinam was virtually terra incognita and most collecting took place in a restricted, cultivated area along the coast and the farthest inland point reached was Berg en Dal on the Suriname River. From 1900 exploration of the interior was actively encouraged by the Dutch Government, and under the auspices of the Koninklijk Nederlandsch Aard rijkskundig Genootschap several geographical expeditions explored the main river systems. Although the main purpose of these expeditions was to map the visited areas, usually the physician accompanying the expedition was entrusted also with the collecting of zoological and botanical specimens. Interesting ma terial from the interior started to reach the Dutch museums in ever increasing numbers after the late nineteen thirties when Dr. D. C. GEIJSKES arrived in Su rinam. The Surinam Expedition 1948-49 in which Dr. GElJSKES and Mr. P. H.

The Ecology of Papua provides a comprehensive review of current scientific knowledge on all aspects of the natural history of western (Indonesian) New Guinea. Designed for students of conservation, environmental workers, and academic researchers, it is a richly detailed text, dense with biogeographical data, historical reference, and fresh insight on this complicated and marvelous region. We hope it will serve to raise awareness of Papua on a global as well as local scale, and to catalyze effective conservation of its most precious natural assets. New Guinea is the largest and highest tropical island, and one of the last great wilderness areas remaining on Earth. Papua, the western half of New Guinea, is noteworthy for its equatorial glaciers, its vast forested floodplains, its imposing central mountain range, its Raja Ampat Archipelago, and its several hundred traditional forest-dwelling societies. One of the wildest places left in the world, Papua possesses extraordinary biological and cultural diversity. Today, Papua’s environment is under threat from growing outside pressures to exploit its expansive forests and to develop large plantations of oil palm and biofuels. It is important that Papua’s leadership balance economic development with good resource management, to ensure the long-term well-being of its culturally diverse populace.