Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake species. Furthermore, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals, despite the fact that less than a quarter of all species are venomous and most species are beneficial because they control rodent pests. It has become increasingly urgent, therefore, to develop viable conservation strategies for snakes and to investigate their importance as monitors of ecosystem health and indicators of habitat sustainability. In the first book on snakes written with a focus on conservation, editors Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel bring together leading herpetologists to review and synthesize the ecology, conservation, and management of snakes worldwide. These experts report on advances in current research and summarize the primary literature, presenting the most important concepts and techniques in snake ecology and conservation. The common thread of conservation unites the twelve chapters, each of which addresses a major subdiscipline within snake ecology. Applied topics such as methods and modeling and strategies such as captive rearing and translocation are also covered. Each chapter provides an essential framework and indicates specific directions for future research, making this a critical reference for anyone interested in vertebrate conservation generally or for anyone implementing conservation and management policies concerning snake populations. Contributors: Omar Attum, Indiana University Southeast; Steven J. Beaupre, University of Arkansas; Xavier Bonnet, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Frank T. Burbrink, College of Staten Island-The City University of New York; Gordon M. Burghardt, University of Tennessee; Todd A. Castoe, University of Colorado; David Chiszar, University of Colorado; Michael E. Dorcas, Davidson College; Lara E. Douglas, University of Arkansas; Christopher L. Jenkins, Project Orianne, Ltd.; Glenn Johnson, State University of New York at Potsdam; Michael Hutchins, The Wildlife Society; Richard B. King, Northern Illinois University; Bruce A. Kingsbury, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; Thomas Madsen, University of Wollongong; Stephen J. Mullin, Eastern Illinois University; James B. Murphy, National Zoological Park; Charles R. Peterson, Idaho State University; Kent A. Prior, Parks Canada; Richard A. Seigel, Towson University; Richard Shine, University of Sydney; Kevin T. Shoemaker, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York; Patrick J. Weatherhead, University of Illinois; John D. Willson, University of Georgia
Beautifully illustrated and clearly presented, The Butterflies of Canada is an indispensable guide to all aspects of butterfly study. Butterfly collecting has long been a popular summer activity, and as the growing popularity of butterfly watching and conservatories in Ontario and British Columbia shows, butterflies are a continuing source of delight and interest to Canadians. The Butterflies of Canada is the first comprehensive guide to all the butterflies found in Canada. Based on the national butterfly collection maintained by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, it contains descriptive individual accounts for the close to three hundred butterfly species recorded in Canada, including descriptions of early stages, subspecies, and key features that help distinguish similar species. Each species of butterfly has an individual distribution map, generated from a database of more than 90,000 location records. More than just a field guide to identifying Canadian butterflies, however, The Butterflies of Canada includes chapters on Canadian geography and butterfly distribution, conservation, gardening, photography, and the history of butterfly study in Canada. It also contains new and unpublished information on the classification of butterflies, their ranges, larval food plants, abundance, flight seasons, and noteworthy habits. Thirty two colour plates provide diagnostic details for each species, and also feature butterflies in their natural habitats. There is an extensive bibliography.
Excerpt from Reproductive Cycles of Lizards and Snakes Partly from published literature information has been compiled for many species, but for most Of them available data are few. Most detailed life history studies that include intensive investigation Of reproductive cycles have been made in the United States, Europe, and Japan, with little information from elsewhere, including the tropics where most species of reptiles occur. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Written by outstanding authorities in the field, this Northwest guide tells in interesting and readable fashion how to find and identify the various salamanders, frogs, turtles, lizards, and snakes that inhabit Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.