Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide (Zona Tropical Publications / Hellbender)

__Reptiles of Costa Rica__, the long-awaited companion to __Amphibians of Costa Rica__, is the first ever comprehensive field guide to the crocodilians, turtles, lizards, and snakes of Costa Rica. A popular destination for tourists and biologists because of its biodiversity, the country is particularly rich in reptile fauna, boasting 245 species. The sheer diversity in shapes, sizes, colors, and natural history traits of these animals is beautifully displayed in this book. Lizards range from minuscule dwarf geckos to dinosaur-like iguanids, and everything in between, while the country's snakes include tiny eyeless wormsnakes, massive boas, as well as twenty-three dangerously venomous species, which include the largest vipers in the world. Author, photographer, and conservation biologist Twan Leenders has been researching and documenting the herpetofauna of Costa Rica for nearly twenty-five years. His explorations have taken him to remote parts of Costa Rica that few people ever visit, journeys that usually find him hauling an array of photographic equipment to document his finds. In addition to including more than 1,000 photographs, detailed black and white scientific illustrations, and range maps, this book also features paintings of anole dewlaps, a key identification feature for that very complex group of lizards. This new field guide will enable the reader to identify all species, while also providing a wealth of information about natural history, predation, breeding strategies, habitat preferences, and conservation of Costa Rica's reptile fauna. Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Crocodilians Family Alligatoridae Family Crocodylidae Turtles Marine Turtles Family Cheloniidae Family Dermochelyidae Freshwater Turtles Family Chelydridae Family Emydidae Family Geoemydidae Family Kinosternidae Lizards and Snakes Lizards Infraorder Diploglossa Family Anguidae Family Diploglossidae Infraorder Gekkota Family Eublepharidae Family Gekkonidae Family Phyllodactylidae Family Sphaerodactylidae Infraorder Iguania Family Corytophanidae Family Dactyloidae Family Iguanidae Family Phrynosomatidae Family Polychrotidae Infraorder Scincomorpha Family Scincidae Family Gymnophthalmidae Family Teiidae Family Xantusiidae Snakes Family Anomalepididae Family Leptotyphlopidae Family Typhlopidae Family Boidae Family Loxocemidae Family Ungaliophiidae Family Colubridae Family Dipsadidae Family Natricidae Family Elapidae Family Viperidae Glossary Bibliography Photo Credits Index "Field guide to the crocodilians, turtles, lizards, and snakes of Costa Rica. Species accounts include photographs, range maps, key characteristics, conservation status, and information about distribution, habitats, natural history, and similar species that might cause confusion in the field"-- Provided by publisher