Excerpt from The Herpetology of Cuba No previous attempt has been made to produce a complete list of the amphibians and reptiles of Cuba with descriptions of the species. It should be expressly understood that the senior author is responsible for the actual writ ing of this paper, for the nomenclature, and taxonomic descriptions, and the junior author has contributed many details of distribution and notes upon habits and habitats; his work has been chie y in the Guantanamo Basin; and of this region he has the intimate knowledge which only long residence can give. The senior author besides having been privileged to collect with his associate upon Monte Libano, and elsewhere about Guantanamo, has visited various chosen localities in all of the other provinces, usually several times. Thus one or other of the writers has himself collected, with a few exceptions, every defi nitely known Cuban reptile or amphibian. In 1880 Gundlach published his classic Erpetologia Cubana in Havana and in the natural course of events many changes have taken place since that time which have affected the nomenclature and status of the species treated, while new forms have been discovered. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

Amphibians and reptiles are the most numerous, diverse, and frequently encountered animals on the Caribbean islands. This book provides a variety of perspectives on this amazing group of organisms. Caribbean Amphibians and Reptiles, compiled by an international team of zoologists, takes a fresh and detailed look at the complex biological puzzle of the Caribbean. The first true overview of the islands, it includes a historical examination of the people who have studied the Caribbean amphibians and reptiles. The book reviews the ecology, evolutionary history, and biogeographic explanations for the origins and diversity of the region's fauna with island-by-island coverage. It puts the Caribbean in perspective by comparing the islands to Central America and its amphibian reptile diversity. Additionally, the book includes figures, tables, and color plates which bring to life some of the region's most spectacular creatures.Key Features* Presents the first complete review of amphibians and reptiles in the Caribbean* Includes color plates and island maps* Contributors are recognized authorities in the field

Since Columbus arrived in 1492 and called Cuba “the most beautiful country that human eyes have ever seen,” few places on earth have evoked such passion. The thirty-one writers in Cuba in Mind offer ample proof of the fascinations that have lured generations of travelers. In this richly varied anthology of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, we hear from such famous visitors as Anthony Trollope, Langston Hughes, Ernest Hemingway, and Graham Greene. Poets and journalists offer their responses, from Allen Ginsberg and Jayne Cortez to Alma Guillermoprieto and Robert Stone; and novelists weigh in with such fictional portrayals as Elmore Leonard’s Cuba Libre and Pico Iyer’s Cuba and the Night. Cuban exiles, immigrants, and their offspring provide their unique perspective, from Cristina García’s essay “Simple Life” to excerpts from Oscar Hijuelos’s novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and from Carlos Eire’s memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana. Embracing salsa and santeria, politics and baseball, the island’s sparkling beaches and the teeming Havana streets, Cuba in Mind captures the vibrancy, the contradictions, the heat and the humor of Cuba as shown by some of the best writers in the English language. Contributors: Thomas Barbour • José Barreiro • Ruth Behar • William Cullen Bryant • Jayne Cortez • Stephen Crane • Andrei Codrescu • Eleanor Early • Carlos Eire • Kimi Eisele • Cristina García • Allen Ginsberg • Graham Greene • Alma Guillermoprieto • Elizabeth Hanly • Ernest Hemingway • Consuelo Hermer • Oscar Hijuelos • Langston Hughes • Pico Iyer • Elmore Leonard • Rosa Lowinger • Marjorie May • Tom Miller • Holly Morris • Ricardo Pau-Llosa • Robert Stone • Jim Shepard • Isadora Tattlin • Anthony Trollope • Walter D. Wilcox

An expansive and detailed review of the biology of Caribbean amphibians, considering their threats, conservation and outlook in a changing world. Amphibians are the group of vertebrates undergoing the fastest rate of extinction; it is urgent that we understand the causes of this and find means of protecting them. This landmark illustrated volume brings together the leading experts in the field. As well as offering an overview of the region as a whole, individual chapters are devoted to each island or island-group and the measures used to protect their amphibians through legislation or nature reserves. The biological background of insular biogeography, including its methods, analysis and results, is reviewed and applied specifically to the problems of Caribbean amphibians – this includes a re-examination of patterns and general ideas about the status of amphibians in the Anthropocene. The Conservation and Biogeography of Amphibians in the Caribbean offers an important baseline against which future amphibian conservation can be measured in the face of climate change, rising sea level and a burgeoning human population. Covers over 300 species.