A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica [Paperback]

Twan Leenders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

This is a comprehensive field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica. It presents detailed descriptions and colour photographs for the majority of the country's species, along with descriptions of orders and families. Information is provided on members of all orders of the Costa Rican herpetofauna: caecilians, salamanders, frogs and toads, crocodilians, turtles, lizards and snakes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Twan Leenders, a naturalist, biologist, and nature photographer, graduated from the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, before embarking of many years of field investigation and research in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

Product Details

• Paperback: 305 pages
• Publisher: Zona Tropical Publications (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970567804
• ISBN-13: 978-0970567802
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Costa Rica

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Reps & Amps Bible, April 16, 2002

By 

Chris Freimuth (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica (Paperback)

Twan Leenders has used his extraordinary knowledge and cool wit to create what is truly a revised Bible for the herpetological world. I recently ventured to Costa Rica on a field expedition in attempts to create an inventory of species in a certain area of rainforest, and had Twan's book with me 24/7. Not only is the information detailed and well-thought out; it is interesting to read and inspiring to the naturalist. I have had the pleasure of meeting Twan Leenders and can say with all honesty that he is one of the most respectable and knowledgable herpetologists in the field. Thank you Twan for your talent and depth of character, and for understanding and promoting the integrity of our living resources.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will probably be the standard field guide to Costa Rican herps for years to come, April 25, 2006

By 

Christopher J. Sharpe "Chris Sharpe" (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica (Paperback)

This is far and away the best field guide to Costa Rican amphibians and reptiles. At 305 pages long it provides photographs, line drawings and description for most of the country's 400+ species strong herpetofauna. Most of the species not covered are those that require laboratory conditions (e.g. dissection) for unequivocal identification. For those wanting a complete treatment, Jay Savage's "Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica" (available on Amazon, ISBN: 0226735370) is marvelous but not meant for the field. So, when all's said and done, this is the handy guide that all naturalists will want to take on a trip to Costa Rica. To that end, the book is a nice size (8 x 5"), is printed on quality paper and is fairly well bound, though the covers are flimsy. Information is clearly presented and (apart from the 86 central color plates) helpful illustrations are sprinkled throughout the text. Useful introductions are provided to orders and families. Surprisingly there are no maps - they would have been an additional identification aid. Nevertheless, this is an essential field guide and well worth the price.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handy Field Guide, Readable Book., February 7, 2006

By 

Michael Clarkson "Myke" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica (Paperback)

I used this book as a field guide in costa rica and found it to be on par with what I expect of a field guide. Good pictures, decent descriptions and a fair amount of general information. With the wealth of Herpofauna in Costa Rica a book of this small size can not go indepth as I would like, but the size makes it easy to take on a trip and a good read for anyone just getting there feet wet in costa rican reptiles.

However if you want the full and complete story of these amazing animals then check out Jay Savage's book on Costa Rican reptiles. To big to take on trips, but to great to pass up.