Javier Rodriguez-Robles
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520238183
- eISBN:
- 9780520930001
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520238183.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading center of herpetological research in the United States. This book offers a brief ...
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The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading center of herpetological research in the United States. This book offers a brief account of the principal figures associated with the collection and of the most important events in the history of herpetology in the MVZ during its first 93 years, and lists all type specimens of recent amphibians and nonavian reptiles in the collection. Although the MVZ has existed since 1908, until 1945 there was no formal curator for the collection of amphibians and nonavian reptiles. Since that time Robert C. Stebbins, David B. Wake, Harry W. Greene, Javier A. Rodrìguez-Robles (in an interim capacity), and Craig Moritz have served in that position. The herpetological collection of the MVZ was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and, as of December 31, 2001, contained 232,254 specimens. Taxonomically, the collection is strongest in salamanders, accounting for 99,176 specimens, followed by “lizards” (squamate reptiles other than snakes and amphisbaenians, 63,439), frogs (40,563), snakes (24,937), turtles (2,643), caecilians (979), amphisbaenians (451), crocodilians (63), and tuataras (3). Whereas the collection's emphasis historically has been on the western United States, and on California in particular, representatives of taxa from many other parts of the world are present. The 1,765 type specimens in the MVZ comprise 120 holotypes, three neotypes, three syntypes, and 1,639 paratopotypes and paratypes; 83 of the holotypes were originally described as full species. Of the 196 amphibian and nonavian reptilian taxa represented by type material, most were collected in México (63) and California, USA (54).Less
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading center of herpetological research in the United States. This book offers a brief account of the principal figures associated with the collection and of the most important events in the history of herpetology in the MVZ during its first 93 years, and lists all type specimens of recent amphibians and nonavian reptiles in the collection. Although the MVZ has existed since 1908, until 1945 there was no formal curator for the collection of amphibians and nonavian reptiles. Since that time Robert C. Stebbins, David B. Wake, Harry W. Greene, Javier A. Rodrìguez-Robles (in an interim capacity), and Craig Moritz have served in that position. The herpetological collection of the MVZ was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and, as of December 31, 2001, contained 232,254 specimens. Taxonomically, the collection is strongest in salamanders, accounting for 99,176 specimens, followed by “lizards” (squamate reptiles other than snakes and amphisbaenians, 63,439), frogs (40,563), snakes (24,937), turtles (2,643), caecilians (979), amphisbaenians (451), crocodilians (63), and tuataras (3). Whereas the collection's emphasis historically has been on the western United States, and on California in particular, representatives of taxa from many other parts of the world are present. The 1,765 type specimens in the MVZ comprise 120 holotypes, three neotypes, three syntypes, and 1,639 paratopotypes and paratypes; 83 of the holotypes were originally described as full species. Of the 196 amphibian and nonavian reptilian taxa represented by type material, most were collected in México (63) and California, USA (54).
Ian P. Howard and Brian J. Rogers
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195367607
- eISBN:
- 9780199867264
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367607.003.0014
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter discusses depth vision in animals other than cats and primates. These include invertebrates, fish, amphibian, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
This chapter discusses depth vision in animals other than cats and primates. These include invertebrates, fish, amphibian, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
D. Dudley Williams
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198528128
- eISBN:
- 9780191713538
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528128.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Aquatic Biology
This chapter presents summaries of each taxonomic group inhabiting temporary waters, providing examples of habitat-specific requirements and adaptations throughout. Insects and crustaceans are the ...
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This chapter presents summaries of each taxonomic group inhabiting temporary waters, providing examples of habitat-specific requirements and adaptations throughout. Insects and crustaceans are the dominant community members and, consequently, the best studied groups. However, information is also provided on lesser known groups, such as the prokaryotes, fungi, nematodes, tardigrades, and rotifers. Higher plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are discussed. Detailed case histories are given of the biotas from common habitat types. Global and regional comparisons of temporary water communities are made and commonality is demonstrated.Less
This chapter presents summaries of each taxonomic group inhabiting temporary waters, providing examples of habitat-specific requirements and adaptations throughout. Insects and crustaceans are the dominant community members and, consequently, the best studied groups. However, information is also provided on lesser known groups, such as the prokaryotes, fungi, nematodes, tardigrades, and rotifers. Higher plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are discussed. Detailed case histories are given of the biotas from common habitat types. Global and regional comparisons of temporary water communities are made and commonality is demonstrated.
Zachary M. Weil and David Crews
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195335903
- eISBN:
- 9780199775446
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335903.003.0016
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
This chapter provides a broad overview of photoperiodic regulation of reproductive and nonreproductive responses in amphibians and reptiles. It focuses mostly on laboratory investigations of ...
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This chapter provides a broad overview of photoperiodic regulation of reproductive and nonreproductive responses in amphibians and reptiles. It focuses mostly on laboratory investigations of photoperiodic and seasonal phenomena where environmental factors can be precisely controlled, and the respective contributions of day length and environmental temperature elucidated.Less
This chapter provides a broad overview of photoperiodic regulation of reproductive and nonreproductive responses in amphibians and reptiles. It focuses mostly on laboratory investigations of photoperiodic and seasonal phenomena where environmental factors can be precisely controlled, and the respective contributions of day length and environmental temperature elucidated.
Ian P. Howard and Brian J. Rogers
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195084764
- eISBN:
- 9780199871049
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195084764.003.0016
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Stereoscopic vision is particularly well developed in mammals with foveas, frontal vision, hemidecussatting visual pathways, and vergence eye movements, such as felines and primates. This chapter ...
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Stereoscopic vision is particularly well developed in mammals with foveas, frontal vision, hemidecussatting visual pathways, and vergence eye movements, such as felines and primates. This chapter discusses stereoscopic vision in other animals. These include insects and spiders, crustacea, fish, amphibia, reptiles, and birds.Less
Stereoscopic vision is particularly well developed in mammals with foveas, frontal vision, hemidecussatting visual pathways, and vergence eye movements, such as felines and primates. This chapter discusses stereoscopic vision in other animals. These include insects and spiders, crustacea, fish, amphibia, reptiles, and birds.
Richard P. Hilton
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520233157
- eISBN:
- 9780520928459
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520233157.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This book explores the Mesozoic reptile fossil discoveries made in California. It describes the fossils and what they tell about the animals that they were a part of, and it chronicles the efforts of ...
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This book explores the Mesozoic reptile fossil discoveries made in California. It describes the fossils and what they tell about the animals that they were a part of, and it chronicles the efforts of those who made the discoveries. It first describes every Mesozoic reptile that has been found and identified in California and then explores the history of their discovery. It concludes with astonishing discoveries made in southern California and Baja California.Less
This book explores the Mesozoic reptile fossil discoveries made in California. It describes the fossils and what they tell about the animals that they were a part of, and it chronicles the efforts of those who made the discoveries. It first describes every Mesozoic reptile that has been found and identified in California and then explores the history of their discovery. It concludes with astonishing discoveries made in southern California and Baja California.
Wade Sherbrooke
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520228252
- eISBN:
- 9780520926752
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520228252.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
This book features detailed species accounts; gives information on horned lizard biology, ecology, and evolution; and describes the role of these reptiles in mythology, culture, and art. It covers ...
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This book features detailed species accounts; gives information on horned lizard biology, ecology, and evolution; and describes the role of these reptiles in mythology, culture, and art. It covers the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and includes all species of horned lizards.Less
This book features detailed species accounts; gives information on horned lizard biology, ecology, and evolution; and describes the role of these reptiles in mythology, culture, and art. It covers the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and includes all species of horned lizards.
Whit Gibbons
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520235922
- eISBN:
- 9780520929432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520235922.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
Disease, pollution, invasive species, overcollecting, global changes, and other causes have been documented or proposed to be responsible for particular or widespread amphibian population declines. ...
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Disease, pollution, invasive species, overcollecting, global changes, and other causes have been documented or proposed to be responsible for particular or widespread amphibian population declines. Yet, finding solutions for any of these causes will not matter for most species in the long term if the basic components of their natural habitats are degraded or eliminated by human use of natural resources. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) is an initiative designed to find solutions to the loss of habitat and other problems faced by herpetofauna. Groups or individuals with an agenda involving beleaguered amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) are encouraged to become involved with PARC. PARC differs from many other conservation groups. PARC recognizes that reptiles are more globally threatened than are amphibians, and, hence, these two major classes of vertebrates are coupled in conservation efforts. PARC has been organized to involve not only the person or group with a concern for amphibians and their habitats, but also any person or group whose actions and attitudes are perceived by some as detrimental to the well-being of amphibians.Less
Disease, pollution, invasive species, overcollecting, global changes, and other causes have been documented or proposed to be responsible for particular or widespread amphibian population declines. Yet, finding solutions for any of these causes will not matter for most species in the long term if the basic components of their natural habitats are degraded or eliminated by human use of natural resources. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) is an initiative designed to find solutions to the loss of habitat and other problems faced by herpetofauna. Groups or individuals with an agenda involving beleaguered amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and caecilians) are encouraged to become involved with PARC. PARC differs from many other conservation groups. PARC recognizes that reptiles are more globally threatened than are amphibians, and, hence, these two major classes of vertebrates are coupled in conservation efforts. PARC has been organized to involve not only the person or group with a concern for amphibians and their habitats, but also any person or group whose actions and attitudes are perceived by some as detrimental to the well-being of amphibians.
Frank H. T. Rhodes
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781501702440
- eISBN:
- 9781501706233
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501702440.003.0009
- Subject:
- Earth Sciences and Geography, Cultural and Historical Geography
This chapter examines reptiles and the rise and fall of their early dominion over the planet through the land, sky, and sea. The secret of the reptiles' success has been the development of the ...
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This chapter examines reptiles and the rise and fall of their early dominion over the planet through the land, sky, and sea. The secret of the reptiles' success has been the development of the amniotic egg, and from here the chapter traces the origins of the early reptiles and their proliferation throughout the ages, culminating in the Mesozoic Era—the great era of “Middle Life”—which was above all else the Age of the Dinosaurs: the “kings” of the Ruling Reptiles. Dinosaurs appeared, as did the mammals, in Triassic times, about 230 million years ago, and for some 140 million years they dominated life on the land.Less
This chapter examines reptiles and the rise and fall of their early dominion over the planet through the land, sky, and sea. The secret of the reptiles' success has been the development of the amniotic egg, and from here the chapter traces the origins of the early reptiles and their proliferation throughout the ages, culminating in the Mesozoic Era—the great era of “Middle Life”—which was above all else the Age of the Dinosaurs: the “kings” of the Ruling Reptiles. Dinosaurs appeared, as did the mammals, in Triassic times, about 230 million years ago, and for some 140 million years they dominated life on the land.
Timothy J. Bradley
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198569961
- eISBN:
- 9780191728273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198569961.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
Many organisms living in the oceans or in salt lakes are hyporegulators, meaning that they maintain their body fluids hypo-osmotically to the external medium. Marine fish hyporegulate by drinking the ...
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Many organisms living in the oceans or in salt lakes are hyporegulators, meaning that they maintain their body fluids hypo-osmotically to the external medium. Marine fish hyporegulate by drinking the external medium and transporting sodium and chloride ions outward across the gills. Marine reptiles and birds use salt glands in the head to transport hyperosmotic fluids outward. Marine mammals are able to produce hyperosmotic urine in the kidneys. Insects use portions of the hindgut to actively transport ions out of their hemolymph. Brine shrimp are the champion hyporegulators of the animal kingdom. They use salt glands to rid their bodies of the salts accumulated in waters many times more concentrated than the oceans.Less
Many organisms living in the oceans or in salt lakes are hyporegulators, meaning that they maintain their body fluids hypo-osmotically to the external medium. Marine fish hyporegulate by drinking the external medium and transporting sodium and chloride ions outward across the gills. Marine reptiles and birds use salt glands in the head to transport hyperosmotic fluids outward. Marine mammals are able to produce hyperosmotic urine in the kidneys. Insects use portions of the hindgut to actively transport ions out of their hemolymph. Brine shrimp are the champion hyporegulators of the animal kingdom. They use salt glands to rid their bodies of the salts accumulated in waters many times more concentrated than the oceans.
Laura A. Ogden
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816670260
- eISBN:
- 9781452947372
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816670260.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Little in North America is wilder than the Florida Everglades—a landscape of frightening reptiles, exotic plants in profusion, swarms of mosquitoes, and unforgiving heat. And yet, even from the early ...
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Little in North America is wilder than the Florida Everglades—a landscape of frightening reptiles, exotic plants in profusion, swarms of mosquitoes, and unforgiving heat. And yet, even from the early days of taming the wilderness with clearing and drainage, the Everglades has been considered fragile, unique, and in need of restorative interventions. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork with hunters in the Everglades, this book explores the lives and labors of people, animals, and plants in this most delicate and tenacious ecosystem. Today, the many visions of the Everglades—protectionist, ecological, commercial, historical—have become a tangled web of contradictory practices and politics for conservation and for development. Yet within this entanglement, the place of people remains highly ambivalent. It is the role of people in the Everglades that this book focuses on, as it seeks to reclaim the landscape’s long history as a place of human activity and, in doing so, discover what it means to be human through changing relations with other animals and plant life. This book tells this story through the lives of poor rural whites, gladesmen, epitomized in tales of the Everglades’ most famous outlaws, the Ashley Gang.Less
Little in North America is wilder than the Florida Everglades—a landscape of frightening reptiles, exotic plants in profusion, swarms of mosquitoes, and unforgiving heat. And yet, even from the early days of taming the wilderness with clearing and drainage, the Everglades has been considered fragile, unique, and in need of restorative interventions. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork with hunters in the Everglades, this book explores the lives and labors of people, animals, and plants in this most delicate and tenacious ecosystem. Today, the many visions of the Everglades—protectionist, ecological, commercial, historical—have become a tangled web of contradictory practices and politics for conservation and for development. Yet within this entanglement, the place of people remains highly ambivalent. It is the role of people in the Everglades that this book focuses on, as it seeks to reclaim the landscape’s long history as a place of human activity and, in doing so, discover what it means to be human through changing relations with other animals and plant life. This book tells this story through the lives of poor rural whites, gladesmen, epitomized in tales of the Everglades’ most famous outlaws, the Ashley Gang.
C. Kenneth Dodd (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- June 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198726135
- eISBN:
- 9780191825934
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198726135.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology, Animal Biology
This book is a practical manual of reptile field ecology and conservation and it brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a review of the many new and ...
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This book is a practical manual of reptile field ecology and conservation and it brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study reptiles and to track their conservation status and population trends. The book is split into six parts which, following an introduction to reptiles, focus on: the study of individuals; sampling techniques; reptiles in the community; experimental applications, physiological ecology, and genetics; and trends analysis and conservation options. Separate chapters emphasize the application of field and laboratory techniques for achieving an understanding of reptile ecology, behaviour, physiology, and conservation. The book demonstrates how these subjects can be complemented by information related to morphology, population genetics, molecular techniques, veterinary medicine, statistical/modelling approaches, welfare issues, and the utility of reptiles as study animals.Less
This book is a practical manual of reptile field ecology and conservation and it brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study reptiles and to track their conservation status and population trends. The book is split into six parts which, following an introduction to reptiles, focus on: the study of individuals; sampling techniques; reptiles in the community; experimental applications, physiological ecology, and genetics; and trends analysis and conservation options. Separate chapters emphasize the application of field and laboratory techniques for achieving an understanding of reptile ecology, behaviour, physiology, and conservation. The book demonstrates how these subjects can be complemented by information related to morphology, population genetics, molecular techniques, veterinary medicine, statistical/modelling approaches, welfare issues, and the utility of reptiles as study animals.
Javier A. Rodríguez-Robles, David A. Good, and David B. Wake
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520238183
- eISBN:
- 9780520930001
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520238183.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
The herpetological gathering of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and contained 232,254 specimens ...
More
The herpetological gathering of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and contained 232,254 specimens as of December 31, 2001. The collection is strongest in salamanders, accounting for 99,176 specimens, followed by “lizards” (squamate reptiles other than snakes and amphisbaenians, 63,439), frogs (40,563), snakes (27,937), turtles (2,643), caecilians (979), amphisbaenians (451), crocodilians (63), and tuataras (63). Every institution in which name-bearing specimens are deposited should publish a catalog of the type specimens in its care (Recommendation 72F.4, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). Accounts are arranged alphabetically in the list of species by clade (Anura, Caudata, Gymnophia, Squamata, Serpentes, Testudines), family, and species in that order. All types of localities, the geographic place of capture of holotypes, neotypes, syntypes, and paratopotypes, are given in quotation marks as they appear in the original description.Less
The herpetological gathering of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and contained 232,254 specimens as of December 31, 2001. The collection is strongest in salamanders, accounting for 99,176 specimens, followed by “lizards” (squamate reptiles other than snakes and amphisbaenians, 63,439), frogs (40,563), snakes (27,937), turtles (2,643), caecilians (979), amphisbaenians (451), crocodilians (63), and tuataras (63). Every institution in which name-bearing specimens are deposited should publish a catalog of the type specimens in its care (Recommendation 72F.4, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). Accounts are arranged alphabetically in the list of species by clade (Anura, Caudata, Gymnophia, Squamata, Serpentes, Testudines), family, and species in that order. All types of localities, the geographic place of capture of holotypes, neotypes, syntypes, and paratopotypes, are given in quotation marks as they appear in the original description.
Edda Bresciani
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774248580
- eISBN:
- 9781936190010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774248580.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
The primeval power of Sobek is already acknowledged in a hymn from the Pyramid Texts (PT 317), where the dead pharaoh identifies himself with the god, who here appears as son of the Great ...
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The primeval power of Sobek is already acknowledged in a hymn from the Pyramid Texts (PT 317), where the dead pharaoh identifies himself with the god, who here appears as son of the Great Neith-Meher-Weret, the celestial cow of the inundation: “Sobek, green of feathers, alert-looking, broad-chested, sparkling, coming out from the legs and the tail of the Great One, who is in splendour.” This very ancient description of the divine reptile, who in the same “Pyramid Texts” bears also the epithet of Shedite (“that of Shedet,” the capital town of the swampy region of the Fayum lake), incorporates his basic characteristics. The deification and the cult of the crocodile belong to the religious phenomenon of the ancient Egyptian animal cult. The animal specimen which embodied the god was always unique, as a new one took the place of the dead one, who was mummified and buried with solemn rituals.Less
The primeval power of Sobek is already acknowledged in a hymn from the Pyramid Texts (PT 317), where the dead pharaoh identifies himself with the god, who here appears as son of the Great Neith-Meher-Weret, the celestial cow of the inundation: “Sobek, green of feathers, alert-looking, broad-chested, sparkling, coming out from the legs and the tail of the Great One, who is in splendour.” This very ancient description of the divine reptile, who in the same “Pyramid Texts” bears also the epithet of Shedite (“that of Shedet,” the capital town of the swampy region of the Fayum lake), incorporates his basic characteristics. The deification and the cult of the crocodile belong to the religious phenomenon of the ancient Egyptian animal cult. The animal specimen which embodied the god was always unique, as a new one took the place of the dead one, who was mummified and buried with solemn rituals.
L. Grismer
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520224179
- eISBN:
- 9780520925205
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520224179.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true ...
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The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true biological frontiers of North America. This book is a guide to the amphibians and reptiles of a fascinating and remote region. The culmination of a quarter century of fieldwork on the Baja peninsula and an exploration of more than one hundred of its islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, this book gives information on the identification, distribution, natural history, and taxonomy of each species of amphibian and reptile found there. Preliminary accounts of the life history of many of the salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes are reported here for the first time, and several species that were almost unknown to science are illustrated. The book also contains new data on species distribution and on the effect of the isolated landscape of the peninsula and its islands on the evolutionary process.Less
The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true biological frontiers of North America. This book is a guide to the amphibians and reptiles of a fascinating and remote region. The culmination of a quarter century of fieldwork on the Baja peninsula and an exploration of more than one hundred of its islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, this book gives information on the identification, distribution, natural history, and taxonomy of each species of amphibian and reptile found there. Preliminary accounts of the life history of many of the salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, lizards, and snakes are reported here for the first time, and several species that were almost unknown to science are illustrated. The book also contains new data on species distribution and on the effect of the isolated landscape of the peninsula and its islands on the evolutionary process.
Mahmood Sasa and Federico Bolaños
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520223097
- eISBN:
- 9780520937772
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520223097.003.0014
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The herpetofauna of Mesoamerica is one of the richest and complex vertebrate faunas, involving more than 210 genera, comprising approximately 693 species of reptiles and 598 species of amphibians. ...
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The herpetofauna of Mesoamerica is one of the richest and complex vertebrate faunas, involving more than 210 genera, comprising approximately 693 species of reptiles and 598 species of amphibians. This chapter examines the biodiversity and biogeographical aspects of reptiles and amphibians in the dry-forest environments of Mesoamerica. It discusses their resource and microhabitat use, feeding ecology, reproduction, and adaptations to the changing seasonal climate. Finally, it discusses some of the recommendations for the conservation of herpetofauna of Mesoamerican dry forests.Less
The herpetofauna of Mesoamerica is one of the richest and complex vertebrate faunas, involving more than 210 genera, comprising approximately 693 species of reptiles and 598 species of amphibians. This chapter examines the biodiversity and biogeographical aspects of reptiles and amphibians in the dry-forest environments of Mesoamerica. It discusses their resource and microhabitat use, feeding ecology, reproduction, and adaptations to the changing seasonal climate. Finally, it discusses some of the recommendations for the conservation of herpetofauna of Mesoamerican dry forests.
Brian Mcnair
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748634460
- eISBN:
- 9780748670925
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748634460.003.0009
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter describes the representation of journalists in cinema as best, lovable rogues and as worst, loathsome reptiles. Runaway Bride stars Richard Gere in the lovable rogue role, opposite Julia ...
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This chapter describes the representation of journalists in cinema as best, lovable rogues and as worst, loathsome reptiles. Runaway Bride stars Richard Gere in the lovable rogue role, opposite Julia Roberts as a woman, Maggie Carpenter, who repeated leaves her fiancés at the altar. The representation of the journalist-as-reptile may be viewed both as a warning to the public in a democracy that their media are at worst akin to predators running wild, and that they bear some responsibility for putting them back in their cage. The Ace in the Hole, Mad City, To Die For and Natural Born Killers are four films which illustrate the journalist-as-reptile sub-type. The bad girl trio depicted in Rag Tale were as bad as it got in that decade and in the film these women were only doing what they had to do to get by in a working environment of brutish male hacks.Less
This chapter describes the representation of journalists in cinema as best, lovable rogues and as worst, loathsome reptiles. Runaway Bride stars Richard Gere in the lovable rogue role, opposite Julia Roberts as a woman, Maggie Carpenter, who repeated leaves her fiancés at the altar. The representation of the journalist-as-reptile may be viewed both as a warning to the public in a democracy that their media are at worst akin to predators running wild, and that they bear some responsibility for putting them back in their cage. The Ace in the Hole, Mad City, To Die For and Natural Born Killers are four films which illustrate the journalist-as-reptile sub-type. The bad girl trio depicted in Rag Tale were as bad as it got in that decade and in the film these women were only doing what they had to do to get by in a working environment of brutish male hacks.
K. Henle
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520235922
- eISBN:
- 9780520929432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520235922.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
Amphibians and reptiles are coming to be regarded in Europe as indicator groups for a general decline in species diversity. The decline of these groups has been well documented in Europe and on other ...
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Amphibians and reptiles are coming to be regarded in Europe as indicator groups for a general decline in species diversity. The decline of these groups has been well documented in Europe and on other continents as a result of numerous population surveys. A scientifically based analysis of causal relations is essential to effective conservation efforts since it leads to the prediction of appropriate countermeasures. The most important type of database for the documentation of the declines of amphibians and reptiles and their potential causes results from regular surveys of a specific geographic area. This chapter describes the available methods of causal analysis, as well as their limitations, by applying the methods in the analysis of a long-term surveying project for amphibian population declines. It also presents remarks on the optimization of surveying projects that will facilitate subsequent causal analyses. In addition, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of three experimental approaches for evaluating causal relations in ecology: laboratory experiments, field experiments, and unplanned or natural experiments.Less
Amphibians and reptiles are coming to be regarded in Europe as indicator groups for a general decline in species diversity. The decline of these groups has been well documented in Europe and on other continents as a result of numerous population surveys. A scientifically based analysis of causal relations is essential to effective conservation efforts since it leads to the prediction of appropriate countermeasures. The most important type of database for the documentation of the declines of amphibians and reptiles and their potential causes results from regular surveys of a specific geographic area. This chapter describes the available methods of causal analysis, as well as their limitations, by applying the methods in the analysis of a long-term surveying project for amphibian population declines. It also presents remarks on the optimization of surveying projects that will facilitate subsequent causal analyses. In addition, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of three experimental approaches for evaluating causal relations in ecology: laboratory experiments, field experiments, and unplanned or natural experiments.
Anthony B. Wilson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520235922
- eISBN:
- 9780520929432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520235922.003.0022
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
The international and interstate trade in amphibians is enormous and legally complex. The U.S. Federal Animal Welfare Act of 1966 regulates the use of animals for research and exhibition, as well as ...
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The international and interstate trade in amphibians is enormous and legally complex. The U.S. Federal Animal Welfare Act of 1966 regulates the use of animals for research and exhibition, as well as for the pet trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora, which became law in 1973, prohibits the importing, exporting, or reexporting of wildlife or plants (or their parts or derivatives of certain species) unless permitted to do so by both the importing and exporting country. The CITES treaty, signed by 145 member nations, is a step in the right direction, but it has not stopped the smuggling and illegal trade in amphibians and reptiles. The commercial interest in amphibians and reptiles has grown rapidly, driven in part by the general interest in amphibian population declines and the popularity of amphibians and reptiles in the entertainment and advertisement industries. The solution to the problem of commercial exploitation of amphibians and reptiles in general, and amphibians in particular, lies in communication, education, legislation, and enforcement.Less
The international and interstate trade in amphibians is enormous and legally complex. The U.S. Federal Animal Welfare Act of 1966 regulates the use of animals for research and exhibition, as well as for the pet trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora, which became law in 1973, prohibits the importing, exporting, or reexporting of wildlife or plants (or their parts or derivatives of certain species) unless permitted to do so by both the importing and exporting country. The CITES treaty, signed by 145 member nations, is a step in the right direction, but it has not stopped the smuggling and illegal trade in amphibians and reptiles. The commercial interest in amphibians and reptiles has grown rapidly, driven in part by the general interest in amphibian population declines and the popularity of amphibians and reptiles in the entertainment and advertisement industries. The solution to the problem of commercial exploitation of amphibians and reptiles in general, and amphibians in particular, lies in communication, education, legislation, and enforcement.
Thomas K. Pauley
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520235922
- eISBN:
- 9780520929432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520235922.003.0040
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
The author began his fieldwork with amphibians in West Virginia in 1963 at the age of twenty-three, and he has spent most of his time (when not teaching) walking the mountains of West Virginia ...
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The author began his fieldwork with amphibians in West Virginia in 1963 at the age of twenty-three, and he has spent most of his time (when not teaching) walking the mountains of West Virginia searching for amphibians and reptiles. His major study sites include the New River Gorge National River, the Bluestone National Scenic River, the Gauley River National Recreational Area, and the high Alleghenies. Animals of particular interest include Cheat Mountain salamanders (Plethodon nettingi) and Cow Knob salamanders (P. punctatus). In this chapter, he draws from these years of experience to reflect on amphibian conservation. In particular, he discusses how habitat disturbances can create amphibian habitats, focusing on West Virginia coal mines and logging roads. He also comments on habitat restoration, the role of subtle forest fragmentation in amphibian population declines, and the possible synergistic effects of multiple sublethal stressors.Less
The author began his fieldwork with amphibians in West Virginia in 1963 at the age of twenty-three, and he has spent most of his time (when not teaching) walking the mountains of West Virginia searching for amphibians and reptiles. His major study sites include the New River Gorge National River, the Bluestone National Scenic River, the Gauley River National Recreational Area, and the high Alleghenies. Animals of particular interest include Cheat Mountain salamanders (Plethodon nettingi) and Cow Knob salamanders (P. punctatus). In this chapter, he draws from these years of experience to reflect on amphibian conservation. In particular, he discusses how habitat disturbances can create amphibian habitats, focusing on West Virginia coal mines and logging roads. He also comments on habitat restoration, the role of subtle forest fragmentation in amphibian population declines, and the possible synergistic effects of multiple sublethal stressors.
