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.

This book covers the major aspects of phylogeny and reproductive biology of frogs in chapters written by major authorities. Topics treated are: anuran phylogeny, classification and reproductive modes; gross anatomy of the reproductive system; oogenesis; endocrinology of reproduction; spermatogenesis and the mature spermatozoon; breeding glands; int

Now reissued in paperback with an updated preface by the authors, Biology of Amphibians remains the standard work in its field.

The fourth edition of the textbook Herpetology covers the basic biology of amphibians and reptiles, with updates in nearly every conceptual area. Not only does it serve as a solid foundation for modern herpetology courses, but it is also relevant to courses in ecology, behavior, evolution, systematics, and morphology. Examples taken from amphibians and reptiles throughout the world make this book a useful herpetology textbook in several countries. Naturalists, amateur herpetologists, herpetoculturists, zoo professionals, and many others will find this book readable and full of relevant natural history and distributional information. Amphibians and reptiles have assumed a central role in research because of the diversity of ecological, physiological, morphological, behavioral, and evolutionary patterns they exhibit. This fully revised edition brings the latest research to the reader, ranging over topics in evolution, reproduction, behavior and more, allowing students and professionals to keep current with a quickly moving field. - Heavily revised and updated with discussion of squamate (lizard and snake) taxonomy and new content reflected in current literature - Includes increased focus on conservation biology in herpetology while retaining solid content on organismal biology of reptiles and amphibians - Presents new photos included from authors' extensive library

This exceptional tome should find its way into the libraries of serious herpetologists, tropical biologists, and developmental biologists. Included in this book are- A molecular phylogeny of the family Hemiphractidae- A thorough osteological analysis- A review of external morphological features- An overview of the evolution of reproductive modes- A biogeographic synthesis- Keys to genera and species- Diagnosis and thorough description of each species of marsupial frog- Colored physiographic maps depicting species distributions

Sweet, University of California, Santa Barbara; Michael J. Tyler, University of Adelaide, Australia; Zhao Er-Mi, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Peoples Republic of China