biology

An entertaining and informative book that not only enhances our understanding of a unique group of animals, but also provides genuine insight into the mind and character of a research scientist. Whit Gibbons possesses the rare talent of conveying the challenge and excitement of scientific inquiry. A research ecologist who specializes in the study of reptiles and amphibians, he gives accounts of work in the field that are as readable as good short stories. From the dangers of being chased by an angry rattlesnake to the exhilaration of discovering a previously undescribed species, Gibbons brings to life the everyday experiences of the herpetologist as he chases down lizards, turtles, snakes, alligators, salamanders, and frogs in their natural habitats. With essays like “Turtles may be slow but they’re 200 million years ahead of us” and “How to catch an alligator in one uneasy lesson,” this book both entertains and informs. This thirtieth anniversary edition of features a new prologue and epilogue, additions that address changes in the taxonomy and study of reptiles and amphibians that have occurred since the publication of the original edition and offer suggestions for further reading that highlight the explosion of interest in the topic.

This title is not held in stock but we are happy to supply on special order. Please contact us. Amphibians and reptiles have assumed a central role in research due to the diversity of ecological, physiological, morphological, behavioural, and evolutionary patterns they exhibit. This fourth edition covers the basic biology of these fascinating animals with updates in nearly every conceptual area. Herpetology not only serves as a solid foundation for modern herpetology courses, but is also relevant to courses in ecology, behaviour, evolution, systematics, and morphology. Examples taken from amphibians and reptiles throughout the world make this book useful as a herpetology textbook in several countries. Naturalists, amateur herpetologists, herpetoculturists, zoo professionals, and many others will find this book readable and full of relevant natural history and distributional information. Much research in the past few years has been done in squamates (lizards and snakes), particularly with regard to their taxonomy. This fully revised edition brings the latest research to the reader and keeps current with a quickly moving field, including the addition of many new photographs from the authors’ own massive image library. It is heavily revised and updated with fully updated discussion of squamate taxonomy and new content reflected in current literature. It has more focus on conservation biology in herpetology while retaining solid content on organismal biology of reptiles and amphibians. It presents new photographs that are included from the authors’ extensive library.