Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History

9780813010496

0813010497

"A definitive synopsis of West Indian herpetofauna providing the novice of experienced biologist with a concise introduction into the natural history and natural history literature of every species of amphibian and reptile…. Biologists doing fieldwork in the West Indies will find themselves constantly referring to this synopsis whether they are in the field or at home in their research lab." George R. Zug, curator-in-charge, division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution"The most authoritative and complete work on this important herpetofauna, well organized in a readable and interesting text." Henry S. Fitch, retired, University of KansasThis meticulous book summarizes all available information on West Indian herpetofauna. Using data from more than 6,000 pages of field notes and 1,000 literature sources, Schwartz and Henderson present a detailed account of every known reptile and amphibian species existing on the numerous islands of the West Indies. For each (almost 600), they offer a complete synopsis, including description, holotype, source of illustrations, and range map.A section on natural history summarizes what is known about the habitat, microhabitat, economic bearing, food habits, and reproduction of each animal, and in some cases it shows how these traits change from island to island. In opening remarks, the authors plead eloquently for awareness of the rampant environmental degradation taking place on the islands.For every herpetologist, biologist, ecologist, or biogeographer with an interest in the Antillean biota, Amphibians and Reptiles will become the source from which all future research proceeds.