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This meticulous book summarizes all available information on West Indian herpetofauna. Using data from more than 6,000 pages of field notes and 1,000 literature sources, Schwartz and Henderson present a detailed account of every known reptile and amphibian species existing on the numerous islands of the West Indies. For each (almost 600), they offer a complete synopsis, including description, holotype, source of illustrations, and range map.
A section on natural history summarizes what is known about the habitat, microhabitat, economic bearing, food habits, and reproduction of each animal, and in some cases it shows how these traits change from island to island. In opening remarks, the authors plead eloquently for awareness of the rampant environmental degradation taking place on the islands. For every herpetologist, biologist, ecologist, or biogeographer with an interest in the Antillean biota, Amphibians and Reptiles will become the source from which all future research proceeds.

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CHOICE Review

Schwartz and Henderson, recognized herpetologists and West Indies faunal specialists, have added another fine publication to their scientific accomplishments, a monumental attempt to include "as much information as possible about West Indian amphibians and reptiles." Natural history and distribution information, summarized from world literature and the authors' field notes, are included for nearly 600 species of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Individual species accounts, arranged alphabetically within taxonomic groupings, include sections on type-locality; holotype; description; illustrations; distribution; subspecies; and natural history with ecology, physiology, parasitology, and behavior, plus maps showing collection localities. Little taxonomy; no identification keys. It complements Schwartz and Henderson's earlier A Guide to the Identification of the Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies (Exclusive of Hispaniola) (CH, Jan'86); and West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles: A Check-list (1988). Extensive literature cited; a bibliography of publications not cited; and a systematic index. A superb, scholarly work, invaluable to faunal specialists concerned with the West Indies. Not for general readers. Recommended for university libraries.-E. D. Keiser, University of Mississippi

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Albert Schwartz is professor emieritus of biology at Miami-Dade Community College and the author of The Butterflies of Hispaniola (University of Florida Press, 1989). Robert W. Henderson is curator of herpetology at the Milaukee Public Museum. They are coauthors of Guide to the Identification of the Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies Exclusive of Hispaniola and West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles: A Check-List.

From the envoi: "our adventures have equaled or exceeded boyhood dreams of exotic lands and peoples. We have searched in rain forests, on mountaintops, and in desert oases for frogs, lizards, and snakes that no scientist has ever seen before and learned things about these animals that no one else has ever before recorded.... We would be remiss, therefore, if we did not address the persistent issues of threats to the West Indian herpetofauna and the opportunities for its conservation."