A dichotomous key (that is, one that gives the user only two choices at each level of morphological scrutiny), it is designed for use in college-level herpetology or vertebrate biology courses. It will be especially useful as an effective tool for teaching the principles of taxonomy and for introducing students to the systematics of amphibians and reptiles.

This list includes the names of all Recent species known to occur, or to have occurred, in the geographic areas covered by this report. No distinction is made between resident and migratory species or between those that occur regularl and those of casual or accidental occurrence. Species that are extinct are indicated as well as species whose only occurrence is the result of introduction by man. The list includes the scientific names and English names of taxa from order to species

The definitive reference source covering the 123 species of amphibians and reptiles found in New Mexico, including over 130 color plates and 100 maps.