"To those who have carried out research at La Selva, as well as for the serious layperson or even a first-time ecotourist, this book will be a delight. Many of these species will be seen along forest trails or in clearings nearly every day. The beauty of this splendid guide is its concise but authoritative coverage. Guyer and Donnelly have been carrying out research at La Selva for more than 25 years and have contributed much new information on the lives of these animals. A great strength is the series of keys based primarily on live coloration for rapid and accurate identification in the field. The added value is that the book covers 90% of the amphibians and reptiles found in the Caribbean lowlands from northeastern Honduras to and including Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. In sum, my words for this book are: 'Mighty Fine'! "--Jay M. Savage, author of "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica

"A 40-year intensive look, precisely what we all wished we had had when we first stepped into the Neotropical rainforest. Cleanly written, in a language easily accessible to the citizen naturalist . . . . and coupled with the essential many good color photos, this book is THE herpetological starting point for any naturalist, biodiversity manager, and scientist exploring lowland Central American rainforest. It superbly complements Savage's country-wide coverage."--Daniel H. Janzen, editor of "Costa Rican Natural History

"This book is an important contribution to our understanding of the herpetofauna of one of the world's foremost tropical field stations. It represents an essential step toward easy field identification of an important group of tropical vertebrates. It will serve as a stimulusand set the standard, not only for herpetologists, but for students of other groups interested in producing easily used, attractive guides to local faunas and floras."--Don E. Wilson, Senior Scientist, Smithsonian Institution, and Chairman of the Board, Organization for Tropical Studies

From tiny, burrowing lizards to rainforest canopy-dwellers and giant crocodiles, reptile populations everywhere are changing. Yet government and conservation groups are often forced to make important decisions about reptile conservation and management based on inadequate or incomplete data. With contributions from nearly seventy specialists, this volume offers a comprehensive guide to the best methods for carrying out standardized quantitative and qualitative surveys of reptiles, while maximizing comparability of data between sites, across habitats and taxa, and over time. The contributors discuss each method, provide detailed protocols for its implementation, and suggest ways to analyze the data, making this volume an essential resource for monitoring and inventorying reptile abundance, population status, and biodiversity.
"Reptile Biodiversity "covers topics including:
- terrestrial, marine, and aquatic reptiles
- equipment recommendations and limitations
- ethics of monitoring and inventory activities
- statistical procedures
- designing sampling programs
- using PDAs in the field

An up-to-date and comprehensive herpetological guide to Alabama. Lizards and Snakes of Alabama is the most comprehensive taxonomy gathered since Robert H. Mount's seminal 1975 volume on the reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. This richly illustrated guide provides an up-to-date summary of the taxonomy and life history of lizards and snakes native to, or introduced to, the state. Alabama possesses one of the most species-rich biotas in north temperate areas and this richness is reflected in some groups of lizards, such as skinks, and especially in snakes. The authors examine all known species within the state and describe important regional variations in each species, including changes in species across the many habitats that comprise the state. Significant field studies, especially of Alabama's threatened and endangered species, have been performed and are used to inform discussion of each account. The life-history entry for each species is comprised of scientific and common names, full-color photographs, a morphological description, discussion of habits and life cycle, and a distribution map depicting the species range throughout the state, as well as notes on conservation and management practices. The illustrated taxonomic keys provided for families, genera, species, and subspecies are of particular value to herpetologists. This extensive guide will serve as a single resource for understanding the rich natural history of Alabama by shedding light on an important component of that biodiversity. Accessible to all, this volume is valuable to both the professional herpetologist and the general reader interested in snakes and lizards.