Overview

"With 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 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 toward 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."

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9780226893341

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Reviews

More than a quarter-century in the making, and weightier than a doorstop...the definitive one-volume work on the world''s amphibians. --Steve Grant, The Hartford Courant --Steve Grant The Hartford Courant (11/28/2007)

Wells, a much-published amphibian specialist, has produced a monumental work on salamander, frog, and caecilian ecology, physiology, and behavior. . . . As a single source reference on amphibians, this book has no competitors. It can easily be read and assimilated by amateur naturalists, and it will be an invaluable encyclopedic source for conservationists, field biologists, and amphibian specialists for years to come. An outstanding resource for museum, municipal, college, and university libraries. Essential. -Choice

-Kentwood D. Wells is probably the only person in the world with such a breadth of knowledge and grasp of the literature in amphibian biology to even attempt such a monumental book. Indeed, I consider The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians to be a masterpiece in the field. I have been awaiting this book for the last fifteen years and, after reading it, I am not only satisfied with it but am amazed by the clarity of writing and the wealth of information presented. This is a magnificent book.- --Robert Jaeger

Author Information

Kentwood D. Wells is professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut.

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