The Fishes of the Western North Atlantic series, which began publication in the 1940s by Yale University's Sears Foundation for Marine Research, was from its beginnings conceived to synthesize and make accessible the wealth of information in widely scattered published accounts of the fish fauna of the region for both the layman and the specialist, presenting critical reviews rather than compilations. These reference works are still considered valuable and of interest today to both general audiences and the academic community. As described in the Preface to the first volume, the series was "written on the premise that it should be useful to those in many walks of life-to those casually ... interested ..., to the sportsman ..., to the fisherman ..., as well as to the amateur ichthyologist and the professional scientist." These books remain authoritative studies of the anadromous, estuarine, and marine fishes of the waters of the western North Atlantic from Hudson Bay southward to the Amazon, ranking as primary references for both amateurs and professionals interested in fishes, and as significant working tools for students of the sea.

Amphibian Conservation is the fourth in the series of Synopses of Conservation Evidence, linked to the online resource www.ConservationEvidence.com. This synopsis is part of the Conservation Evidence project and provides a useful resource for conservationists. It forms part of a series designed to promote a more evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation. Others in the series include bee, bird, farmland and bat conservation and many others are in preparation. Approximately 32% of the 7,164+ amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction and at least 43% of species are declining. Despite this, until recently amphibians and their conservation had received little attention. Although work is now being carried out to conserve many species, often it is not adequately documented. This book brings together and summarises the available scientific evidence and experience relevant to the practical conservation of amphibians. The authors consulted an international group of amphibian experts and conservationists to produce a thorough summary of what is known, or not known, about the effectiveness of amphibian conservation actions across the world. "The book is packed with literature summaries and citations; a veritable information goldmine for graduate students and researchers. It also admirably provides decision makers with a well-researched resource of proven interventions that can be employed to stem/reverse the decline of amphibian populations." -John G Palis, Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society

Host to more than one hundred species of reptiles and amphibians, the Savannah River Site, a 780-square-kilometer tract in South Carolina, is one of the most intensely studied areas of herpetological ecology in the world. This guide is a summary of basic information on the site's richly varied herpetofauna, from their taxonomy and distribution to their behavior and habitats. Keys to identify the adult and larval forms of the site's known species comprise the core of the guide. These keys are supplemented by maps, graphs, and illustrations as well as by information on habitats; population characteristics and distribution; behavior related to movement, feeding, and reproduction; morphology; and techniques for collecting specimens. The guide also includes information about special identification and study problems involving unresolved sighting reports; subspeciation; and venomous, edible, endangered, and introduced species. Finally, a bibliography gives not only the sources referred to in the guide but virtually all studies and reports based on herpetological research conducted at the Savannah River Site. The site-related publications are listed by author but can also be found through an index to the subjects they cover. Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of the Savannah River Site is a valuable one-volume introduction to the existing information on herpetofauna at the site and to the countless research opportunities the site still presents. Because it is clearly written and designed and lists most of the reptiles and amphibians found in Georgia and South Carolina, the guide is also useful to wildlife observers--professional and amateur--in those states.

Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1: Learn How To Maintain A Beautiful Mini-Ocean Environment Within Your Tank" is Volume 1 of the original electronic book "Reef Keeping Basics - Successful Reef Management." To assist in the marketing and promotion of that original book, the author - Eric V. Van Der Hope, decided to publish a paperback version of the book. Also, because the original electonic book comprised over 700 pages & over 300 colorful images, it wasn't cost effective to produce as a single printed book. Thus, "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1" has become part 1 of an extremely informative and educational resource.About "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1""A Comprehensive Reef Keeping Resource - Written by Hobbyists - For Hobbyists "Do You Want To Maintain A Beautiful Pristine Reef Environment Successfully, While Maintaining Proper Conditions For The Health of Your Tropical Fish, Invertebrates and Corals?Learn to master what it takes to successfully maintain a mini-ocean environment within your home or office Here's just a sample of what's revealed within the pages of "Reef Aquarium Success - Volume 1": Discover what the most important aspect to consider is before even beginning the thought of maintaining your very own mini-reef environment Learn 10 critically important steps to help guarantee your chances of establishing a successful reef tank.You'll get a revealing look at some of the most common mistakes hobbyists make that result in disastrous results. This is your opportunity to make sure that you don't do the same.Learn what type of water you should use - this can ultimately be your most important decision you make to help guarantee the success of your mini-ocean environment.Learn what the most important types of testing are at setup, how often it should be done, and what the parameters should be.There are several types of lighting arrangements you must choose from. Deciding what type of lighting is suitable for your tank will have a direct link to the survival of your reef environment.Learn how important a refugium is (usually in a sump below the tank) which has fast become one of the most useful filtration methods used by hobbyists around the world.This book is for everybody - especially for 'newbies'. There is no better way to learn more efficiently than from individuals who have been through it all before. If your goal is to be successful at something - then you must imitate someone who is doing it successfully Your chances of success within this hobby will increase dramatically if you do 1 thing - follow the advice from proven methods

Boas of the West Indies is a comprehensive survey of boid snakes, commonly known as boas, found on the islands of the Lucayan Archipelago, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. Bringing together the expertise of leading herpetologists R. Graham Reynolds, Robert W. Henderson, Luis M. Diaz, Tomas Michel Rodriguez, and Alberto R. Puente-Rolon, this volume synthesizes established knowledge and new findings on the evolutionary biology, natural history, and conservation statuses of these iconic snakes. One of the most ecologically diverse snake families, boas have inhabited the West Indies for millions of years. From the Cuban boa, which in many folk legends may grow to over twice a person's height, to the Hispaniolan vineboa, discovered only in 2020 and known to measure less than a meter long, Boas of the West Indies examines the eighteen species extant on these islands along with several others now extinct. Species accounts include details such as phenotypic traits, distribution, and behavior. Introductory chapters discuss the history of human-boa interaction, differences between West Indian and neotropical mainland boids, current conservation efforts, and more. Illustrated with over a hundred color photographs and range maps, Boas of the West Indies is a benchmark reference for herpetologists, conservationists, and snake hobbyists that expands our knowledge of-and celebrates-these fascinating creatures so integral to the ecology of these islands.

"Reptiles and Amphibians of Price Edward County, Ontario" is a comprehensive look at the little-known residents of a well-known corner of rural Ontario. Complete with descriptions and illustrations, the book provides serious and amateur naturalists with a thorough compilation of recent and historic reports of the some thirty species of turtles, snakes, frogs, toads and salamanders that are -- or once were -- found in this unique part of the province. The text acquaints readers with the likelihood of encountering these fascinating creatures in the area while maps of all known records illustrate where these animals have been uncovered in the past. Discussions of changes in species abundance offer a sense of the shifts that have taken place in reptile and amphibian communities in the area over time.

Despite their abundance in many parts of North America, salamanders have generally been neglected by all but a few specialists. In this book-first published in 1943-Sherman C. Bishop discusses in a lively but authoritative manner the 126 species and subspecies of salamanders that are known to exist in the United States, Canada, and Baja California.Group by group, Bishop describes salamanders in accounts that give the common and technical names, type of locality, range, habitat, size, anatomical characteristics, color, breeding habits, and relationships-all in a uniform arrangement that makes the handbook especially convenient for studying both living animals and laboratory specimens. His brief introduction surveys the relationships and general habits of salamanders and gives information on collecting and preserving them. In his foreword to the 1994 reprint edition, Edmund D. Brodie, Jr., a specialist on salamanders, updates the taxonomy of the group.

This edited volume explores the various views on the origins of tetrapods-amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals-views that agree or differ depending in part on how certain fossil animals are classified and which methodology is used for classification. Eighteen chapters by an international group of paleontologists and neontologists here present current hypotheses, emphasizing the kinds of data needed to answer controversial questions, as well as the variety of solutions that emerge from diferent analyses of the same data set. The book is arranged in five sections, each of which contains an overview essay that either describes the development of various schools of thought regarding the origin of the tetrapod group in question or critically summarizes the arguments presented in the section. The first section addresses the origins of tetrapods as a group, focusing on lobe-finned fishes and early tetrapods. Next is a section dealing with amphbians, followed by one on reptiles. The fourth section concerns avian origins, and the final section treats the origins and early diversification of mammals. With an overall goal of stimulating critical evaluation by the reader rather than providing unequivocal answers, this volume will be of particaular interest to vertebrate paleontologists, evolutionary morphologists, and ichthyological, herpatological, avian, and mammalian systematists.

Amphibian skin has, over the last century, proven to contain a treasure-trove of biologically active compounds. Since that time further investigation has added hundreds of such compounds to the list of active substances from amphibian skin. Peptides, proteins, bufadienolides steroids and alkaloids (tetrodotoxins, biogenic amines and lipophilic alkaloids) represent the main compounds found in the amphibian skin. This book discusses the anatomy of amphibians. It also provides topics on the ecological significant and conservation strategies of these marine animals.

In this book the authors present current research in the study of frogs. Frog's neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a classic and favourite object which have played a leading role in developing understanding of the basic mechanisms of synaptic transmission and secretion of neuromediator. The genetic diversity, neural development and ecological implications of frogs are examined throughout the book. Some of the topics the authors discuss in this compilation include poison storage and maturation in serous cutaneous glands of anurans; a mini review of the suppression of anuran metamorphosis by synthetic chemical compounds; mechanisms of suprathreshold excitation of a frog tectal neuron column by discharge of a single moving edge or darkness detector and their relation to a frog escape reactions; behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of diversity in frog colour patterns; physiological features of blood's system of frogs rana ridibuda pall; and presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels at the frog neurmuscular junction.

This profusely illustrated comprehensive key for identifying amphibians and reptiles from the continental United States and Canada incorporates a wealth of scientific findings. Since the first edition was published in 1998 and the second in 2012, the number of currently recognized species of native amphibians and reptiles in the area covered by this key has increased from 545 to 634 to 685, and the number of established non-native species has increased from 39 to 58 to 67. The increase in native taxa reflects the dynamic nature of modern systematics and the use of new (especially molecular) techniques to elucidate relationships and redefine species boundaries. The increase in non-native species reflects the porosity of the North American borders when it comes to controlling animal imports. The key is easy to use and illustrated with outstanding line drawings that show details of color patterns and structures used for identification. To accommodate the additional taxa, the number of line drawings in this third edition has increased from 257 to 279 to 295. In addition, nine maps illustrate the distributions of species that have been recognized since the publication of maps in the most recent editions of the Peterson Field Guides to the reptiles and amphibians of eastern, central, and western North America. A large number of annotations detail current taxonomic ambiguities or disagreements and the literature cited has been expanded. Collectively these features enhance opportunities to teach and learn the classification and identification of amphibians and reptiles in the continental United States and Canada.

In this book, the authors gather and present topical research from across the globe in the study of the biology, ecology and uses of frogs. Topics discussed include using frog red blood cells for exploring the ion transport pathways across cellular plasma membranes and their regulation; the significance of retinal glial cells for glutamatergic neural transmission in frog retina; a review of the intraspecific patterns and differences in life-history traits of frog populations living at different altitudes; the peripheral nervous system in the frog as a tool to examine the regulation of the transmission of neuronal information; ecological traits in the Omei treefrog in western China; taxonomic patterns of tadpole behavioural responses to alarm cues and frogs and toads used as bioindicator organisms in pollution studies.