Reptiles and Amphibians of the Amazon: An Ecotourist's Guide

Though travel to the Amazon Basin once was accessible only to the most intrepid explorer, today the region is a popular destination for scores of ecotourists, visitors who are likely to observe 50 species of reptiles and amphibians in just a week-long trip. Until publication of this illustrated field guide, no book has been available to help identify these delightful, stunning, and sometimes venomous creatures. This handbook offers a colorful, easy-to-use guide to more than 250 of the snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and salamanders common to the Amazonian regions of Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Colombia. From brightly colored frogs so small they fit on a thumbnail to large poisonous snakes camouflaged by green and brown patterned skin, it features all the more frequently seen species as well as types that are less common, and it also provides basic natural history information. Clear close-up photos accompany text that describes appearance, range, size, and color and lists similar species. For many years the authors have led tours to the rainforest. They travel remote rivers on small boats, bunk in tents pitched on sleeping platforms, and walk seldom-trodden trails, usually finding a herpetologic species new to them on each trip. At times, they were hard-pressed to identify the species they photographed; their fellow travelers have found the task even more difficult. This new field guide will open up the beautiful and mysterious world of herpetofauna for those who want to attach names and information to their natural surroundings. In addition, students of rainforest ecology will find useful information about the infinite variety of rainforest adaptations, and hobbyists will appreciatehard-to-find information about imported specimens.