"Most guides to animals in parks are intended primarily as identification aids and include relatively little on the biology of the species. Dodd's book is much more, with detailed information on all aspects of the natural history of these species. Biologists, students, and visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will find this an indispensable guide." --Arthur C. Echternacht Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee The Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the first book devoted entirely to the natural history of the forty-four species of amphibians known to occur presently or historically in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, in the most-visited national park in the United States. Features - The only comprehensive book on the natural history of the amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Beautiful original illustrations of salamander and frog larvae taken from specimens within the park - History of research and management effects on amphibians within the park - Extensive new information on the natural history of amphibians, based on four years of intensive field research - Simplified identification table guide to amphibian larvae - Summary of information on distribution (with range maps) and biogeography - Comprehensive bibliography of the literature on amphibians within the park - Summary of new data on the conservation of southern Appalachian amphibians, particularly with regard to land use, the effects of UV light, and disease C. Kenneth Dodd is a research zoologist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Florida Integrated Science Center and is president of The Herpetologists' League. He is the author of North American Box Turtles: A Natural History and numerous articles in Journal of Herpetology, Biological Conservation, Herpetologica, and other publications. He lives in Gainesville, Florida.

Describes the latest methodologies used to study the ecology of amphibians throughout the world. Each of the 27 chapters explains a research approach or technique, with emphasis on careful planning and the potential biases of techniques. Statistical modelling, landscape ecology, and disease are covered for the first time in a techniques handbook.

Brimming with color photographs and reflecting the latest scientific research, this book is the definitive guide to the rich diversity of frogs and salamanders found throughout Tennessee. Featuring detailed accounts of all eighty of the state's species of amphibians, it will delight and inform the professional scientist and amateur naturalist alike. The species accounts form the core of the book. Each account includes the scientific and common name of the species (with etymology of the scientific name); information on size, physical appearance, and coloration of adults, juveniles, and larvae; an up-to-date GIS range map showing both county records and potential ranges; and details on similar species, habitat, natural history, conservation status, and more. High-quality photographs illustrate the life stages of the various species. Among the book's other valuable features are detailed drawings and taxonomic keys to assist with identification, as well as introductory chapters that encompass amphibian biology and conservation and the geology and habitats of Tennessee. Sprinkled throughout the book are lively personal accounts, called “Field Notes,” which describe successful amphibian hunts. The only complete work of its kind for the Volunteer State and generously supported by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, The Amphibians of Tennessee fills a long-standing need for both a popular identification guide and an authoritative reference.

Documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species.