Product Description

In this revised edition of Herpetology, the authors provide the only treatment of amphibians and reptiles that integrates information about evolutionary relationships with ecology, behavior, and physiology and provide up-to-date references to the primary literature. KEY TOPICS The book is broken down into four parts and explores these specific questions: what are amphibians and reptiles; how do they work; what do they do; and what are their prospects for survival. MARKET This book is ideal for professionals such as zoo and aquarium curators, animal keepers, reptile and amphibian hobbyists, wildlife managers and conservationists who are looking for an integrated approach to the ecology, behavior, morphology, and physiology of amphibians and reptiles, presented in a phylogenetic and organismal context.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #432566 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-20
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 736 pages

Book Info
Presents the biology of amphibians and reptiles as the product of phylogenetic history and environmental influences acting in both ecological and evolutionary time. Emphasizes how amphibians and reptiles function in the broadest sense. DLC: Herpetology.

From the Back Cover
Key Benefit:Containing over 300 illustrations, this engaging study integrates information about the ecology, behavior, morphology, and physiology of amphibians and reptiles, presenting topics in a phylogenetic and organismal context. An insightful collaboration between authors whose work has been instrumental in the development of such diverse specialties as molecular evolution, environmental physiology, and behavioral ecology, it shows amphibians and reptiles as vital organisms that represent a distinct and successful approach to studying terrestrial vertebrate life.Key Topics: Begins with an overview of amphibians and reptiles as organisms, explaining their roles in modern ecosystems, and progressively builds an appreciation of these animals as diverse and successful organisms, emphasizing the common challenges the face and the diversity of responses they have evolved. Considers the phylogenetic relationships of amphibians, examines gametogenesis and reproductive cycles, discusses their communication methods, and talks about the impact we have had on them through environmental pollution, commercial exploitation, and more. Market: For those in the fields biology, zoology, natural resources, wildlife, and conservation biology.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Amphibians and reptiles are successful organisms, and their ectothermal approach to terrestrial vertebrate life is quite different from the endothermal lifestyle of birds and mammals. The internal processes of ectotherms differ in many respects from the corresponding processes in endotherms, and amphibians and reptiles function differently from birds and mammals in communities and ecosystems. Understanding how and why amphibians and reptiles differ from birds and mammals enriches a biological education, and the study of herpetology is a great deal more than just the study of amphibians and reptiles.

In our view, understanding amphibians and reptiles as organisms requires a perspective that integrates their morphology, physiology, behavior, and ecology and places that information in a phylogenetic context. This book does that—it presents the biology of amphibians and reptiles as the product of phylogenetic history and environmental influences acting in both ecological and evolutionary time. We emphasize how amphibians and reptiles function in the broadest sense. For example, ectothermal temperature regulation is reflected in nearly every aspect of the biology of amphibians and reptiles, from their body shapes (extremely small body size and elongate body shape are feasible only for ectotherms) to their role in ecosystems (low-energy flow and high-conversion efficiency are the result of ectothermy).

We have emphasized the integration of information from different biological specialties to produce a picture of amphibians and reptiles as animals that do remarkable things and play important roles in modern ecosystems. Evolution provides the context in which the distinctive characteristics of amphibians and reptiles must be evaluated, and both ancestral and derived features are central to understanding their biology. Throughout the book we have emphasized the use of phylogenetic information to understand the evolution of ecological, behavioral, and physiological characters. This edition of Herpetology reflects both the rate of new developments in the discipline and the continuing contributions of colleagues who have suggested ways to expand and strengthen our treatment of the biology of amphibians and reptiles. The increasing use of cladistic techniques and the incorporation of more kinds of data in phylogenetic analyses have substantially changed our understanding of the history and content of some groups. Those changes are conspicuous in the chapters covering systematics and in the integration of phylogenetic information with studies of natural history. The addition of color photographs of many species provides a far better impression of the appearance of the animals and enhances the presentation of phenomena such as aposematic coloration and mimicry that lose much of their impact in blackand-white photographs.

In response to suggestions from colleagues and students, we have added a chapter on biogeography to illustrate the important contributions that studies of amphibians and reptiles have made to this area and the insights about the ecology and evolution of extant species that only a biogeographic perspective can provide. Splitting the treatment of reproduction and life history into separate chapters—devoted to amphibians and to reptiles—has allowed us to respond to requests that we increase the amount of information about these important topics, and emphasize the major differences between the groups. And the expanded treatment of conservation in this edition reflects the importance this topic is assuming in many herpetology courses as habitat destruction, pollution, and disease exact an ever-increasing toll on the diversity of amphibians and reptiles. Collaboration by the six authors—whose research specializations include autecology, synecology, systematics, evolution, morphology, physiology, and behavior—has produced a treatment that interweaves these areas. We find the interrelationships among different levels of biological organization fascinating and have tried to build students' understanding of these relationships from chapter to chapter. In the case of lizards, for example, one or more aspects of the intricate correlations among phylogeny, foraging mode, diet, morphology, exercise physiology, predator avoidance, social system, and reproductive mode is discussed in nearly every chapter. We have used this technique of building topics in the hope that students will find the complex relationships that emerge intellectually stimulating. Above all, this book is the product of the lifelong fascination each of us has felt for the animals we study. We hope we will succeed in conveying this sense of excitement to our readers.

Customer Reviews

Excellent conceptually
It's certainly not complete or perfect, and as a reviewer notes, contains some omissions and errors. However, while a textbook should strive to be as good as possible in those areas, it's no substitute for the primary literature in peer-reviewed journals and shouldn't be viewed as such, and instead should be seen as more of a conceptual introduction, in which I feel it does well. It avoids the tempting parade-of-taxa style, and instead focuses on the important concepts uniting reptiles and to an extent all animals, such as osmoregulation, feeding, locomotion, reproductive strategies, etc.

The section dealing with my primary focus, locomotion, is rather sparse, and contains some outdated information, but nothing that can't be corrected with a quick read through the literature. With any luck, my own work will be in the next edition.

Anurans and Squamates and Crocodylia! Oh, my!
This is easily the best herpetology text book out there. It is informative, yet not full of the boringness (if that's a word...) of many textbooks. You might say that it's...fun to read.

Herp Textbook
I have just finished an undergradute course which used this book as the main text. I agree with the previous reviewer that there is considerable overlap and occasional contradiction. The early chapters tend to use a lot of technical jargon, and seem to be written for people who already understand the material. I was not so impressed with phylogenic descriptions which frequently failed to discuss unifying characteristics within families. Later sections, including locomotion, water balance, and mate selection are well written. This book would benefit from a glossary, more relevant tables and figures, and a more inclusive index. Overall, editing is rather sketchy.