Volume 5 offers an all-inclusive and complete update of the four previously published volumes.--

Volume 5 offers an all-inclusive and complete update of the four previously published volumes.--

Alabama Wildlife, Volume 5 offers a comprehensive update and provides a wealth of new information concerning changes and developments relative to the conservation status of wild animal populations of the state that have occurred in the decade since publication of the previous four volumes in 2004. Enhancements include the addition of any new or rediscovered taxon, species priority status changes, and taxonomic changes, plus the addition of the crayfishes, which were left out previously because so little was known about these understudied taxa. A complete taxonomic checklist is included, which lists each imperiled taxon along with its priority designation followed by detailed species accounts. The eighty-four crayfish species accounts are comprised of a physical description (including a photograph, when available), distribution map, habitat summary, key life history, ecological information, basis for its status classification, and specific conservation and management recommendations. This revised expansion of the Alabama Wildlife set will be helpful to those seeking to broaden their knowledge of Alabama's vast wildlife resources and will greatly influence future studies in the conservation of many of the imperiled species. The University of Alabama Press originally released a set of four volumes titled Alabama Wildlife in 2004. The series consisted of A Checklist of Vertebrates and Selected Invertebrates (Volume 1), Imperiled Aquatic Mollusks and Fishes (Volume 2), Imperiled Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals (Volume 3), and Conservation and Management Recommendations for Imperiled Wildlife (Volume 4). However, Alabama Wildlife, Volume 5 offers an all-inclusive and complete update of these four previously published volumes, making it the single resource required for all those working with or interested in Alabama's wild animals.

Field guide to all vertebrates and many important invertebrates found within the state Alabama, with its many aquatic and terrestrial habitats, boasts great biodiversity. This first volume of a four-volume series is an illustrated, annotated checklist of freshwater mussels and snails (mollusks); fishes; frogs, toads, and salamanders (amphibians); crocodilians, lizards, snakes, and turtles (reptiles; birds; and mammals. Along with 169 full-color photographic illustrations, entries include common name, scientific classification, occurrence, geographical distribution, habitat, and level of conservation concern for 1,306 species within the state.

Volume 5 offers an all-inclusive and complete update of the four previously published volumes.--

Volume 5 offers an all-inclusive and complete update of the four previously published volumes.--

"This book represents the most in-depth treatment of crayfishes for the state of Alabama to date. Alabama is currently known to host 99 species of crayfishes. The findings in this book are based on more than 9,000 records gathered from across the entire state. The authors collected specimens and data from all of Alabama's major and minor waterways and lakes, as well as specialized habitats such as burrows, roadside ditches, marshes, swamps, and temporary autumnal ponds. They visited all the major museums with holdings of crayfish specimens from Alabama, yielding a list of historical records including 4,259 specimen lots from approximately 2,200 unique locations. These records were used to build a database containing all available specimen metadata, including, but not limited to: species identification, number of individuals collected, location, date of collection, names of collectors, who identified the specimens, and the museum in which they are stored. Field work was conducted over a 14-year period during which a total of 4,487 specimen lots were collected and added to the database from approximately 2,600 unique locations sampled across Alabama. Prior to this book, no single comprehensive book or reference has ever been published on the crayfishes of Alabama. This book compiles 166 years of crayfish distributional and biological data for the 99 known Alabama species. It begins with chapters on the physiography and waterways of Alabama. One chapter discusses the general distributional patterns and habitat associations of Alabama crayfishes. Subsequent chapters discuss crayfish biology, ecology, conservation, and anatomy. Detailed species accounts include descriptions of morphological characters, life color, maximum size, comparative species, distribution and habitat, biology, crayfish associates, and conservation status. Color photographs, morphological plates, and dot maps showing distributions are included for each species; for many species, multiple color photos demonstrate the known color variations within each species. An illustrated key is provided to guide the identification of all 99 species. As the most up-to-date and comprehensive source of information on Alabama crayfishes to date, "Crayfishes of Alabama" provides a new perspective on Alabama's unique place as a biodiversity hotspot. It will be of lasting value to aquatic biologists and ecologists throughout the Southeast and crayfish biologists around the world, as well as of interest to natural resource managers, aquaculture farmers, and naturalists"--