Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California [Paperback]

Ron H. McPeak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000 | ISBN-10: 0930118286 | ISBN-13: 978-0930118280 | Edition: 1

This is the first and only color field guide to the frogs, toads, salamanders,snakes and lizards that are found on the Baja peninsula and the islands in the Sea of Cortez and off the outer coast of Bja California. The narrative for each species includes: identification,range and habitat, and natural history. each species is illustrated with at least one color photo.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...book reviews the diversity of amphibians and nonavian reptiles, providing photographs for about 80% of the species. -- Copeia, 2001, No. 2

...may rid you of your fears...open a new world of interest and fascination for Baja's amphibians and reptiles. -- Baja Life - Issue Ten 2000

...photographs are exquisite and capture the essential characteristics for easy species identification. -- Newsletter of Lindblad Expeditions

...worth its selling price because there are no competing publicaions. -- The Quarterly Review

Excellent color photos...narrative detail included with each photo is easy to read and succinct. -- E-Streams - An Electronic Magazine

About the Author

Ron McPeak has had an interest in herpetology since chilhood. He began exploring Baja California in the 1960s and has traveled throughout the Bja California Peninsula and visited many Gulf and Pacificside islands. Ron received a B.S. degree in Zoology from California State University at Long Beach and an M.S. degree in Biology from the University of Southern California. Ron owns Global Biological Consultants, a consulting firm that has projects in many parts of the world.

His interests range from marine ecology and taxonomy to entomology and herpetology. Ron has published popular and scientific articles on invertebrate taxonomy, marine ecology, and herpetology; and co-authored a book entitled The Amber Forest. It is Ron's hope that this book allows the reader to identify the amphibians and reptiles of Baja California, Mexico and excites an interest in herpetology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Sea Challengers; 1 edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930118286
• ISBN-13: 978-0930118280
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pictures are great but Information lacking, June 29, 2000

By 

Jerrold J. Feldner (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California (Paperback)

I disagree with the above rating as that of a consumer. I do not believe Midwest Book Review can be considered a consumer. I am a consumer and I have this book. Although some of the pics are the work of one of the best photogs in herp photography (i.e., John Tashjian), many of the other, unattributed photos could have been sharper. For some species of lizards, both dorsal and ventral views were shown. I feel that many more species should have had ventral views and comparisons between male and female animals. This is a picture book, make no mistake. If you are looking for natural history information or range maps, this may not be the book for you. But, since it is the only recent book out with color pictures, it can be a valuable addition to a herp library. Another slight criticism is the observation that no subspecific designations are used. The way things change in Baja, that may be a good idea, but then, down there, species also change fairly frequently. I do not think it would have hurt to put in presently recognized subspecies. For instance, there are three subspecies of zebratail lizards (genus Callisaurus) in Baja. Two are very similar to each other but the third, Callisaurus d. crinitus of the Vizcaíno Peninsula, has some very unique adaptations and should have been noted and depicted. There should have at least been a table of former names with the relationship to the name used in this book. Many of the names used are proposed names and have not yet been accepted, Chances are the names will be approved but still, the former names are quite familiar while the new ones are going to take some getting used to. The Baja California Peninsula is a land of mystery and new discoveries. This book fills a void that has existed for years. I hope that more informational books are forthcoming in the near future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great basic field guide for Baja!, November 28, 2009

By 

Randy J. Mercurio (Morrisville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California (Paperback)

I agree with the review of Steven Mlodinow. The book introduction covers the following in a very basic way: Geography, Geology and Diversity in Baja California, Finding Reptiles and Amphibians, Venomous Reptiles, Conservation, Organization & how to use this guide. There is also a section called "Spanish names for amphibians and reptiles" followed by a brief glossary. Then follows the mainsection of the book "Classification and Species Accounts". There is also a "Selected References" section as well as a nice table of the amphibians and reptiles of Baja California, Mexico which is a taxonomic listing that also includes common names. I found this guide useful during my 2 excursions in Baja to quickly identify the amphibians and reptiles I came across.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Field Guide, February 14, 2009

By 

Steven Mlodinow (Everett, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California (Paperback)

How one rates this book is dependent on one's expectations. If you want an in-depth natural history of the reptiles and amphibians of Baja California, well this is not the book for you. If you want a book that will help you identify what you are seeing, this would be an excellent choice. And this is not to say that the book is devoid of natural history information, as the basics are included The photos vary from good to superb, with most in the latter category. I agree with a previous reviewer that more attention to subspecific variation (or labeling such) would be nice, but this is somewhat compensated for by giving the date and location of each photograph. Also, this volume is lightweight and easy to take on a trip to Baja, especially given how much information IS included; and the book is relatively inexpensive. I would consider McPeak's tome a must for those interested in identifying what they are seeing.