Amphibians: The World of Frogs, Toads, Salamanders and Newts
This book is an interesting hybrid: on the one hand, it is an introductory textbook to the biology of the amphibians, and on the other, it is a coffee-table book of beautiful photographs of amphibians. A collection of essays by 37 European scientists,Amphibiansis an encyclopedic resource. The book is divided into five broad categories, of which the first three are the meat of the text. The first section covers evolution, systematics, and biogeography and answers the questions of what distinguishes amphibians from other animals and why they live where they do. The two largest sections follow, dealing with biology, physiology, ecology, and ethology. The final sections concern amphibians' relations with humans, both as cultural icons and as flagship victims of the general degradation of the environment. Along with photographs, the book is well illustrated with numerous color maps, diagrams, and drawings that greatly illuminate the sometimes technical nature of the text. Despite its European inclinations, this extremely well-illustrated introductory textbook will be useful in all libraries.Nancy BentCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved