Field Guide To Amphibians And Reptiles Of California

". . . encourage[s] hope and resilience in times of devastating damage."—New York Review of Books This user-friendly guide is the only complete resource that identifies and describes all the amphibians and reptiles—salamanders, frogs and toads, lizards, snakes, and tortoises and turtles—that live in California. The species are described in richly detailed accounts that include range maps, lifelike color paintings by Robert C. Stebbins, clear drawings of various life stages including eggs, notes on natural history, and conservation status. Easy-to-use keys for every order help identify species, and informative chapters cover more general topics including evolution, habitat loss, and photography. Throughout, anecdotes and observations reveal new insights into the lives of California’s abundant but often hidden amphibians and reptiles.

With its varied topography of coast, mountains, and desert, the San Diego region, considered one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, boasts a rich variety of amphibians and reptiles—from the arboreal salamander to the green sea turtle to the secretive San Diego banded gecko and the red diamond rattlesnake. More than a field guide, this up-to-date, authoritative, conservation-oriented book is the first comprehensive resource on the herpetofauna of the region, which is unfortunately also known for its high number of endangered species. Jeffrey M. Lemm gives information on identification, habitats, biology, and the conservation status of all 88 amphibian and reptile species found in the San Diego region. Many of these animals can also be found in a wide area of Southern California and Northern Baja California, making this valuable guide useful for a wide geographic area and a must-have for outdoor enthusiasts, nature-lovers, and professionals alike. * Includes a special venom section written by Sean Bush of Animal Planet’s "Venom ER" * 160 color photographs illustrate the major habitats and all 88 amphibians and reptiles found in the region * 70 range maps pinpoint the locations of each subspecies * A new, easy-to-use taxonomic key by renowned herpetologist Jay Savage as well as line drawings of tadpoles and amphibian egg masses help make species identification simple

The second edition of the Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois offers up-to-date information on the state’s 102 species of frogs and toads, salamanders, turtles, lizards, and snakes. Detailed descriptions by the authors include habitats, distinguishing features, behaviors, and other facts, while revised range maps and full-color photographs help users recognize animals in the field. In addition, an identification key and easy-to-navigate page layouts guide readers through extensive background material on each species' population, diet, predators, reproduction, and conservation status. A one-of-a-kind resource, the Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois is a definitive guide aimed at biologists, teachers, students, wildlife specialists, natural resource managers, conservationists, law enforcement officials, landowners, hobbyists, and everyone else eager to explore herpetology and nature in the Prairie State.

Publisher Description

The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true biological frontiers of North America. L. Lee Grismer is not only the foremost authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Baja California, but also an outstanding photographer. He has produced the most comprehensive work on the herpetofauna of the peninsula and its islands ever published. With its stunning color images, detailed accounts of many little-known species, and descriptions of the region's diverse environment, this is the definitive guide to the amphibians and reptiles of a fascinating and remote region. The culmination of Grismer's quarter century of fieldwork on the Baja peninsula and his exploration of more than one hundred of its islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, this book gives information on the identification, distribution, natural history, and taxonomy of each species of amphibian and reptile found there. Preliminary accounts of the life history of many of the salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes are reported here for the first time, and several species that were almost unknown to science are illustrated in full color. The book also contains new data on species distribution and on the effect of the isolated landscape of the peninsula and its islands on the evolutionary process. Much of the information gathered here is presented in biogeographical overviews that consider the extremely varied environments of Baja California in both a contemporary and a historical framework. An original and important contribution to science, this book will generate further research for years to come as it becomes a benchmark reference for both professionals and amateurs.

Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) are a significant but much-neglected component of the natural economy of the province of Alberta. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta, Second Edition continues both as a field guide and a comprehensive natural history, builds on the strengths of the first with a richly illustrated text and colour photographs of the species taken by renowned wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta, First Edition won an Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence and an award from the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. This second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated. Nomenclature has been changed to reflect current thinking in the field. New photographs have been added, and maps and illustrations have been updated. This is the essential reference for Alberta herpetofauna.

The Pacific is not only the world’s largest body of water; its vast expanse also includes an extraordinary number and diversity of oceanic islands, from Palau and the Marianas east of the Philippines to Cocos Island and the Galápagos west of the Americas. The isolation of these islands and the extreme distances between them long prevented scientists from studying their floras and faunas in a comparative context. But now George R. Zug, one of the world's foremost experts on the diverse reptiles and amphibians of the Pacific Basin, offers the first such systematic overview in more than half a century. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Pacific Islands is a compendium of frogs, lizards, snakes, and turtles living on these lands and in the adjacent waters of the oceanic islands in the tropical Pacific. The means to identify each species is included, along with entries that describe each animal's form, coloration, habitat, distribution, reproductive biology, and natural history. Color plates of more than 75 percent of the species also help to facilitate visual identification. This accessible and informative guide is the most comprehensive field guide available and will appeal to both novice sightseers and professional naturalists.

Identifies more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians.