“Authoritative and comprehensive—provides an up-to-date description of the tool box of methods for inventorying and monitoring the diverse spectrum of reptiles. All biodiversity scientists will want to have it during project planning and as study progresses. A must for field biologists, conservation planners, and biodiversity managers.”—Jay M. Savage, San Diego State University “Kudos to the editors and contributors to this book. From the perspective of a non-ecologist such as myself, who only occasionally needs to intensively sample a particular site or habitat, the quality and clarity of this book has been well worth the wait.”—Jack W. Sites, Jr.

One of the most important hotspots of herpetological biodiversity in the United States, California is home to many endemic amphibians and reptiles found nowhere else on earth. Many of these taxa have unique ecological and morphological specializations, and their management is an important conservation challenge. Increasing climate change impacts, human development, and extreme drought mean many of these species face an ever-greater risk of extinction. California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern provides an up-to-date synthesis of the current state of knowledge regarding the biology and conservation risks faced by 45 of California’s most sensitive amphibian and reptile species. With the goal of enhancing management based on the best available science, the authors developed a novel set of risk metrics to identify special concern species and the threats they face, including population declines, range size and restrictions, and ecological specializations and niche restrictions. In addition to detailed species accounts, this book provides a quantitative analysis of the conservation status and pressing management issues facing individual species and the state’s amphibian and reptile fauna as a whole. The volume focuses on identifying threats, concrete recommendations for management and recovery, and future research needs. The text is complemented by detailed distribution maps, color photos, and graphs. Written in nontechnical language, California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern will be a valuable resource to a broad range of users from resource managers, field biologists, and academic herpetologists to students and recreational naturalists. Published in association with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Reptiles of Costa Rica, the long-awaited companion to Amphibians of Costa Rica, is the first ever comprehensive field guide to the crocodilians, turtles, lizards, and snakes of Costa Rica. A popular destination for tourists and biologists because of its biodiversity, the country is particularly rich in reptile fauna, boasting 245 species. The sheer diversity in shapes, sizes, colors, and natural history traits of these animals is beautifully displayed in this book. Lizards range from minuscule dwarf geckos to dinosaur-like iguanids, and everything in between, while the country's snakes include tiny eyeless wormsnakes, massive boas, as well as twenty-three dangerously venomous species, which include the largest vipers in the world. Author, photographer, and conservation biologist Twan Leenders has been researching and documenting the herpetofauna of Costa Rica for nearly twenty-five years. His explorations have taken him to remote parts of Costa Rica that few people ever visit, journeys that usually find him hauling an array of photographic equipment to document his finds. In addition to including more than 1,000 photographs, detailed black and white scientific illustrations, and range maps, this book also features paintings of anole dewlaps, a key identification feature for that very complex group of lizards. This new field guide will enable the reader to identify all species, while also providing a wealth of information about natural history, predation, breeding strategies, habitat preferences, and conservation of Costa Rica's reptile fauna.

This practical handbook of reptile field ecology and conservation brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a state-of-the-art review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study reptiles. The authors describe ecological sampling techniques and how they are implemented to monitor the conservation status and population trends of snakes, lizards, tuatara, turtles, and crocodilians throughout the world. Emphasis is placed on the extent of statistical inference and the biases associated with different techniques and analyses. The chapters focus on the application of field research and data analysis for achieving an understanding of reptile life history, population dynamics, movement patterns, thermal ecology, conservation status, and the relationship between reptiles and their environment. The book emphasises the need for thorough planning, and demonstrates how a multi-dimensional approach incorporates information related to morphology, genetics, molecular biology, epidemiology, statistical modelling, animal welfare, and biosecurity. Although accentuating field sampling, sections on experimental applications in laboratories and zoos, thermal ecology, genetics, landscape ecology, disease and biosecurity, and management options are included. Much of this information is scattered in the scientific literature or not readily available, and the intention is to provide an affordable, comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers, and practising conservationists worldwide.

Reptiles demonstrate remarkable diversity across the landscape. From inland habitats of deserts and grasslands to coastal plains and oceans, the unique adaptations and life histories of reptiles have been shaped by a suite of abiotic and biotic factors. It is the interface between the organism and its environment that present biologists with the opportunity to explore how reptiles behaviorally and physiologically respond to their environments and to determine what factors govern their ecology. "Reptiles in Research: Investigations of Ecology, Physiology, and Behavior from Desert to Sea" will capture the interests of all readers with a text that is foundational for the novice herpetologist, while informative for beginning students and seasoned research scientists. This book offers its readers a glimpse into the passions of scientists who find reptiles fascinating creatures of study. You will see how reptiles serve as organismal models that continue to advance our knowledge and understanding of complex biological processes and systems. Dr. William I. Lutterschmidt (Professor of Physiological Ecology) has invited top researchers from around the world to share their personal research interests and illustrate how environment influences the ecology, physiology, and behavior of reptiles. This book will introduce a diversity of research fields and reptilian species, from how web-footed geckos move in desert sands to how sea snakes cope physiologically with high salinity. Topics include invasive species, urban ecology, mathematical simulation, sexual selection, hybridization and gene flow, chemical ecology, neurobiology, spatial ecology, conservation biology, biodiversity, immunology, and molecular biology.

Revealing the secrets of reptilian social relationships through original quantitative research, field studies, laboratory experiments, and careful analysis of the literature, The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles elevates these fascinating animals to key players in the science of behavioral ecology.

Tennessee's biotic diversity has been well documented in field guides dedicated to its wildflowers; trees, shrubs, and woody vines; mussels; fishes; amphibians; and birds. Glaringly absent from this assemblage, however, is an equivalent statewide guide to the remarkably diverse reptiles of the Volunteer State. This book fills that void by offering the first authoritative overview of all sixty native species of reptiles occurring in Tennessee. Both a field guide and a scientific reference, this definitive work will prove useful to professionals who work with reptiles for a living as well as those just curious about the various creatures living in their own backyards. The bulk of the book is devoted to individual species accounts, each of which includes a detailed range map and comprehensive information on identification, natural history, and conservation of the lizards, snakes, turtles, and alligator native to Tennessee. Also included is information on known introduced species and species whose presence in Tennessee is questionable. Vivid color photographs illustrate each species' various life stages. Introductory chapters provide an overview of reptile anatomy and life history, and of the geography, climate, and habitats in the state. Giving special attention to reptile conservation, the book highlights various threats to Tennessee's reptile species-- including the destruction of their habitats, malicious killing, the pet trade, hunting, and pollution--and describes the most common methods employed by herpetologists and wildlife biologists to safely capture and document reptiles in nature. Complete with a checklist that will help readers keep track of reptiles they discover, a glossary, and a list of recommended readings, organizations, and websites for those seeking additional information, Reptiles of Tennessee will prove an essential resource for teachers, biologists, and anyone having a stake in the conservation of biodiversity and the natural heritage of the Volunteer State and the nation.