The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas (Hardcover)

by Jay M. Savage (Author) "I AM SLOWLY walking along a trail at the La Selva Biological Station on the Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica..." (more)
Key Phrases: webbing formula, premontane slopes, nuptial thumb pads, Central America, Cordillera de Talamanca, San José (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Jay Savage provides detailed biologies for all 396 species, identification keys, and fine general introductions to each major group. Illustrated with Michael and Patricia Fogden's magnificent photographs, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica is both a major reference work and a thing of great beauty." - Adrian Barnett, New Scientist "Written for the enthusiast as well as for the field researcher, this work is an excellent reference source for each of the 396 species of amphibians and reptiles that can be found in Costa Rica. Includes complete full-color photographs of all known species in the region, as well as maps showing their distribution patterns.... A must-have book for any library with interests in this subject area." - J. Elliott, Southeastern Naturalist"

Product Description

World renowned for its biological diversity and model conservation system, Costa Rica is home to a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles, from the golden toad to the scorpion lizard and the black-headed bushmaster. Jay M. Savage has studied these fascinating creatures for more than forty years, and in The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica he provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of their biology and evolution ever produced.

Savage begins with detailed discussions of the natural and cultural history of Costa Rica, setting the stage for a detailed treatment of each of the 396 species of amphibians and reptiles that may be found there. Each species account synthesizes and analyzes everything that is known about the animal's anatomy, behavior, geographic distribution, systematics, and evolutionary history and provides keys for identifying amphibians and reptiles in the field. In addition to distribution maps and systematic and morphological illustrations, the book includes color photographs of almost every known species, many taken by the distinguished nature photographers Michael and Patricia Fogden.

Because Costa Rica has played, and continues to play, a pivotal role in the study of tropical biology as well as in the development of ecotourism and ecoprospecting, and because more than half of the amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica are also found elsewhere in Central America, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica will be an essential book for a wide audience of nature lovers, naturalists, ecotourists, field biologists, conservationists, and government planners.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 954 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226735370
• ISBN-13: 978-0226735375
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,330,955 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Between 2 continents and between 2 seas indeed, July 16, 2002

By	Timothy Paine (Marin County, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been waiting for this book for over a year and it was well worth it. With over 40 years of 'herping' Costa Rica Jay Savage needs no introduction. Neither do the photographers Michael and Patricia Fogden. Their stunning images of the tropics and its reptiles and amphibians are everywhere. Costa Rica currently has 178 amphibian species and 218 reptile species. Additionally, there are two introduced frogs and four introduced lizards. Savage covers them all. In fact the subtitle covers it moreso. Nearly everything related to herps between two continents and between two seas is covered.

Savage states he wrote this book for several audiences: the general reader with an interest in biology and the herpetofauna, the amateur or part-time naturalist with some background in biology, the tropical biology and herpetolgy student, and the professional biologist. I would say that Savage has succeeded wildly in hitting his broad mark. The book is in four parts. The first gives the layperson a general background of biology, classification, and systematics. This also serves as a good refresher for those familiar with the terms or who is new to learning them. Savage tells us how to observe, where to look, how to catch, and how to preserve as specimens or keep as study subjects the diverse herpetofauna in Costa Rica. Included is a brief political history of Costa Rica. This is just the first chapter. He then describes, in depth, Costa Rica's climate, geography, and numerous habitats and vegetation patterns. Then we learn how to use the meat of this book; the keys.

Parts two and three are the keys to all the known amphibians and reptiles, respectively, of Costa Rica. These keys, broken into appropriate chapters are incredible. We get family descriptions, species accounts, descriptions of eggs, larvae, and adults, location maps, body part nomenclature, countless figures including tadpoles, tadpole mouthparts, body patterns, and headscale counts. This may all sound arcane to the uninitiated but it is invaluable to experts in identifying individual species. Beginners could forego some of this information and focus on more broad details to identify if the snake they saw was poisonous or the frog outside their cabin was a treefrog. Conversely, if you wanted to know the difference between Sibon annulatus and Sibon longifrenis it is in here. The words and drawings are backed up by over 500 color plates detailing nearly every species mentioned. Incredible considering the rarity of some species. There are stunning plates of habitats but mostly they are smallish (6 to a page) but excellent and very descriptive images of the animals. Where else would you find such detailed images of elusive caecelians and salamanders alongside the extinct golden toad Bufo periglenes, numerous and nondescript rain frogs, all the lacertid lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodilians? Any single part of this text would prove useful. It is hard to believe that so much has been accomplished.

Part four gives us ecological and geographical distribution patterns, evolution and development of herpetofauna, and information of plate movements and land bridge formation. Savage then ends with his explanation of why there are so many species between two continents and between two seas. Included are an addendum, a 17 page glossary, a 50 page literature cited section(!), and two indices. This tome is over 900 pages. There is a ton of information here and the reader can pick and choose what they need or want to know. I haven't read this book cover to cover, yet. And, I am not an expert herpetologist. There certainly could be errors in species accounts but that would most likely be left for a few select individuals to argue over. What I can say is that this text would have easily been too big of a project for it to succeed or prove useful. Somehow, Savage manages it in such a way as to be a benchmark for herpetological texts and guides. I honestly can not say when I've been this excited about a book, although Duellman's Hylid Frogs reprint is a good second. There is much more to this book. Want to know? Buy it.

What this book is not is a field guide in the classic sense. This is a large hefty book. Not likely to be packed in the luggage of a vacationing tourist. If you will be spending some time conducting work in this beautiful country then find something else to leave behind and bring the book. If you are like me then read it before you leave and after you return. You'll know where to look for specific animals and also find it useful in identifying prized photos weeks after returning. If you are looking for a classic herping field guide then try Twan Leenders new book. It is pocket sized and has lots of useful info. Better still own them both.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best on Herps for Costa Rica, October 4, 2002

By	James M. Polisini (Thousand Oaks, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I have known the author for 30 years. He knows more about the amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica than anyone I know. The pictures are spectacular. Kudos to both authors.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it just for the color plates!, January 31, 2004

By A Customer

It's breadth of knowledge and splendorous photos will greatly increase your travel pleasure, because you really CAN see these animals just casually criss-crossing the country; you don't have to go to a special preserve.

In fact, another book I brought with me to Costa Rica last year, "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made," had a photo of a giant iguana that was taken literally 5 steps off the sand at the ultra-popular Manuel Antonio beach!

And guess what? I saw one when I was there!