Publisher's Synopsis
Host to more than 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, the Savannah River Site, a 780-square-kilometer tract in South Carolina, is one of the most intensely studied areas of herpetological ecology in the world. This guide is a summary of basic information on the site's richly varied herpetofauna, from their taxonomy and distribution to their behaviour and habitats. Keys to identify the adult and larval forms of the site's known species comprise the core of the guide. These keys are supplemented by maps, graphs and illustrations as well as by information on habitats - population characteristics and distribution: behaviour related to movement, feeding and reproduction: morphology; and techniques for collecting speciments. The guide also includes information about special identification and study problems involving unresolved sighting reports; subspeciation; and venomous, edible, endangered and introduced species. Finally, a bibliography gives not only the sources referred to in the guide but virtually all studies and reports based on herpetological research conducted at the Savannah River Site. The site-related publications are listed by author but can also be found through an index to the subjects they cover.
