The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians [Hardcover]

Kentwood D. Wells (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226893340 | ISBN-13: 978-0226893341 | Publication Date: November 15, 2007

Consisting of more than six thousand species, amphibians are more diverse than mammals and are found on every continent save Antarctica. Despite the abundance and diversity of these animals, many aspects of the biology of amphibians remain unstudied or misunderstood. The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians aims to fill this gap in the literature on this remarkable taxon. It is a celebration of the diversity of amphibian life and the ecological and behavioral adaptations that have made it a successful component of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Synthesizing seventy years of research on amphibian biology, Kentwood D. Wells addresses all major areas of inquiry, including phylogeny, classification, and morphology; aspects of physiological ecology such as water and temperature relations, respiration, metabolism, and energetics; movements and orientation; communication and social behavior; reproduction and parental care; ecology and behavior of amphibian larvae and ecological aspects of metamorphosis; ecological impact of predation on amphibian populations and antipredator defenses; and aspects of amphibian community ecology. With an eye towards modern concerns, The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians concludes with a chapter devoted to amphibian conservation.

An unprecedented scholarly contribution to amphibian biology, this book is eagerly anticipated among specialists.

(20071128)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"More than a quarter-century in the making, and weightier than a doorstop...the definitive one-volume work on the world''s amphibians."—Steve Grant, The Hartford Courant 

(Steve Grant The Hartford Courant )

"Wells, a much-published amphibian specialist, has produced a monumental work on salamander, frog, and caecilian ecology, physiology, and behavior. . . . As a single source reference on amphibians, this book has no competitors. It can easily be read and assimilated by amateur naturalists, and it will be an invaluable encyclopedic source for conservationists, field biologists, and amphibian specialists for years to come. An outstanding resource for museum, municipal, college, and university libraries. Essential."—Choice

(Choice )

About the Author

Kentwood D. Wells is professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1400 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (November 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226893340
• ISBN-13: 978-0226893341
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A definitive treatment of amphibian ecology, January 21, 2008

By 

David K. Skelly (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians (Hardcover)

At a moment when amphibians are undergoing declines and disappearances and being held up as indicators of environmental health, the appearance of this book could not be more timely. While there are a number of textbooks that capably treat the biology of amphibians, their coverage of behavior and ecology is usually brief and superficial.

Neither adjective fits this well organized book. I am sure some will end up using it in support of graduate and upper level undergraduate courses, however I would hesitate to call it a textbook. Instead it reads much more like a literature review, or really a set of literature reviews. Each is enormously comprehensive and all are written accessibly given their subject matter. In the areas I know best, the author has gone to great lengths to be both thorough and balanced in his presentation of competing evidence and shows shrewd judgment in his conclusions. The frequent use of figures and other graphics from primary literature is also effective.

It is increasingly uncommon for an academic to dedicate this degree of effort to a single publication. The scholarship is extraordinarily thorough and the writing invites the reader to plunge ahead. Even specialists will find it amazing how much work is being done on amphibians and in such a wide array of topics. That one person could master all of this literature is staggering. For the rest of us that have not, this book is a tremendous bootstrap to amphibian literacy.

If you are interested in the ecology and behavior of amphibians this is the book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular!, November 29, 2007

By 

S. Z. Herrick "herpsrock" (CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians (Hardcover)

Have you ever thought about why the bullfrogs in your garden pond croak all summer long but the wood frogs in the vernal pool down the road are only noisy for a week? Ever spot a salamander walking around on the bottom of an ice-covered pond and wonder how he could possibly do that? Such is the depth of the information you will find in this book. From the global scale to the details of physiology, Kentwood Wells has covered it all. With a smooth and easy-to-read writing style, excellent use of photographs to highlight and clarify concepts and clear interpretations of scientific research this book should appeal to the layperson just as much as it will appeal to academics. Truly a work that should be on the shelves of every life science academic, naturalist or backyard nature-watcher.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its value is worth more than its weight in gold (~5lbs), November 6, 2008

By 

R. Maynard (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians (Hardcover)

The author invested more than 20yrs in its making, and I would have to invest equal time to write a review that compliments this book enough! To say this book is too technical blows my mind (other reviewer). I have rarely seen a book that meshes "technical" information in such a readable fashion as Kentwood Wells has done in this monumental volume.