Synopses & Reviews
World renowned for its biological diversity and model conservation system, Costa Rica is home to a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles, from the golden toad to the scorpion lizard and the black-headed bushmaster. Jay M. Savage has studied these fascinating creatures for more than forty years, and in
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica he provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of their biology and evolution ever produced.
Savage begins with detailed discussions of the natural and cultural history of Costa Rica, setting the stage for a detailed treatment of each of the 396 species of amphibians and reptiles that may be found there. Each species account synthesizes and analyzes everything that is known about the animal's anatomy, behavior, geographic distribution, systematics, and evolutionary history and provides keys for identifying amphibians and reptiles in the field. In addition to distribution maps and systematic and morphological illustrations, the book includes color photographs of almost every known species, many taken by the distinguished nature photographers Michael and Patricia Fogden.
Because Costa Rica has played, and continues to play, a pivotal role in the study of tropical biology as well as in the development of ecotourism and ecoprospecting, and because more than half of the amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica are also found elsewhere in Central America, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica will be an essential book for a wide audience of nature lovers, naturalists, ecotourists, field biologists, conservationists, and government planners.
Synopsis
World-renowned for its biological diversity and model conservation system, Costa Rica is home to a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles, from the golden toad to the scorpion lizard to the black-headed bushmaster. Jay M. Savage has studied these fascinating creatures for more than forty years, and in
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica he provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of their biology and evolution ever produced.
Costa Rica has played, and continues to play, a pivotal role in the study of tropical biology as well as the development of ecotourism and ecoprospecting, in part because more than half of the amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica are also found elsewhere in Central America. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica will be an essential book for a wide audience of nature lovers, naturalists, ecotourists, field biologists, conservationists, government planners, and those interested in Central America more generally.
"Written for the enthusiast as well as for the field researcher, this work is an excellent reference source for each of the 396 species of amphibians and reptiles that can be found in Costa Rica. Includes complete full-color photographs of all known species in the region, as well as maps showing their distribution patterns. . . . A must-have book for any library with interests in this subject area."and#8212;J. Elliott, Southeastern Naturalist
About the Author
Jay M. Savage is emeritus professor of biology at the University of Miami and adjunct professor of biology at San Diego State University. He is the author of
Evolution, coauthor of
Introduction to the Herpetofauna of Costa Rica, and the editor of
Ecological Aspects of Development in the Humid Tropics.
Table of Contents
List of Keys
Preface
Acknowledgments
Photographers' Acknowledgments
Illustration Credits
PART 1 THE BASICS
1Discovering a Tropical Herpetofauna
2 The Costa Rican Environment
3 Organization of the Systematic Accounts
(How to Use this Book)
PART 2 LIVING AMPHIBIANS
4 Amphibians (Class Amphibia)
5 Caecilians (Order Gmynophiona)
6 Salamanders (Order Caudata)
7 Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)
PART 3 LIVING REPTILES
8 Reptiles (Class Reptilia)
9 Squamates (Order Squamata)
10 Lizards (Suborder Sauria)
11 Snakes (Suborder Serpentes)
12 Turtles (Order Testudinata)
13 Crocodilians (Order Crocodilia)
PART 4 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION
14 Ecological Distribution of the Herpetofauna
15 Geographic Distribution: Historical Units, Faunal Areas,
Endemism, and General Patterns
16 Development of the Herpetofauna
Addendum
Glossary
Literature Cited
Systematic Index
Subject Index