The Frogs And Toads Of North America: A Comprehensive Guide To Their Identification, Behavior, And Calls Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Shows the species of frogs and toads in the United States and Canada, accompanied by a seventy minute CD which includes the calls of nearly every species.
Paperback: 344 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (March 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0618663991
ISBN-13: 978-0618663996
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #350,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #68 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians #2215 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna #12414 in Books > Sports & Outdoors
This is a remarkable book.It covers every species in the United States, with several photos apiece, succinct explanatory text, and, to boot, a CD containing each type of vocalization of each and every species (a couple don't vocalize). The paper stock is heavy; the printers did a great job with the photo reproduction and presentation; and it is 343 pages long.First, the photographs in the book are stunning. Most were taken by Elliott. The authors used their very best shots of each of the species in the book, and then drew on the very best of others' work where others had perhaps even better photos. It is somewhat difficult to convey in words the quality of the photography here. It represents technique and artistry of the highest level, and many years of the best and the brightest biologists traveling throughout the country, late at night, searching out and then photographing amphibians, several of them incredibly rare.The authors, particularly Elliott of course, are also known as preeminent natural sound recordists. The compact disc has 99 tracks, and each track succinctly represents each different call of each species. The tracks are tightly edited. When you hear an amphibian, you will easily be able to identify it using the disc. And by listening in one sitting, as I am doing as I write this review, you will be able to hear the wonderful diversity of amphibian vocalization that the authors, and certain guest recordists, have captured through many years of travel, and research, and slogging through stinky mud to capture the highest quality audio recordings in existence of these organisms. The vocalizations of the anurans are among nature's most wonderful and aesthetic inventions. This book is the definitive reference. It represents several lifetimes of work and dedication, all packed into something delicious for the rest of us to consume and ponder.There is helpful, explanatory text on life histories, habits, maps about ranges, and discussion of conservation biology issues. What more could want?The price? There must be some mistake. All this is selling for $13.87!! At this price every school and library in the United States should clearly have this work. As should every lover of nature and the sounds of the night.George L. Paul
This is to my knowledge the eighth audio guide to the frogs and toads of the North American continent - and with its magnificent and voluminous photographs and informative, easy to read text - it becomes as both written and recorded guide - the definitive creation on the subject.The book is heavy - at 344 pages. The photos are amazingly intimate. Each of the 101 species (Continental North America - Canada and USA) is described in terms of coloration and design, habitat and range, mating and egg laying habits, as well as word clusters to describe each individual sound to aid in memorization.Lang Elliott has given us approximately 20 cds, primarily with bird song but recently including a disc on insects. Most of these accompanied books (especially the Stackpole series) with color photographs and descriptions, although a handful were purely soundscapes. His last four productions (THE MUSIC OF THE BIRDS; SONGS OF WILD BIRDS; THE SONGS OF INSECTS; THE FROGS AND TOADS OF NORTH AMERICA) have accompanied large format thick books with extraordinary color photographs and increasingly generous text (128, 128, 228, 344 pages respectively).Lang's gentle tenor voice is friendly and warm and relays the excitement and fascination he feels about the sounds of nature. He is the able inheritor of Dr. Arthur A. Allen's laid back narrative style, which graced so many of Cornell's nature sound recordings in the 1940s through early 1960s.For the record the other recordings devoted to frog and toad calls which span sixty years include to the best of my knowledge the following: VOICES OF THE NIGHT [1948](Cornell- six ten inch 78 rpm records- 26 Eastern species); VOICES OF THE NIGHT [reissue][1953] (Cornell - one twelve inch lp record - 34 Eastern species); SOUNDS OF NORTH AMERICAN FROGS [1958](Smithsonian - one twelve inch lp/now cd - 57 Eastern species); VOICES OF THE NIGHT [second reissue][1982] (Cornell - Cassette tape/later cd - 36 Eastern species); THE CALLS OF FROGS AND TOADS [1994] (Elliott/Stackpole book and cd - 42 Eastern species); FROG AND TOAD CALLS OF THE PACIFIC COAST [1995] (Cornell - Cassette tape/later cd - 25 Western species); FROG AND TOAD CALLS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS [1996] (Cornell - Cassette tape/later cd - 38 Western species); THE FROGS AND TOADS OF NORTH AMERICA [2009] (Elliott - book and cd - 101 species).This is a superb volume and a great gift idea for the nature enthusiast along with all of Lang's creations. You can't go wrong when you purchase a Lang Elliott production. I heartily recommend not only this but all of Elliott's Natursound productions.
George Paul's review is an absolutely accurate a description of this book. The quality of the images are unbelievable. This is not surprising because if you see Lang Elliott's name on the book you can be sure that the photography and the recordings are superb.
The reviews are correct. The photos are wonderful. Just about everything you would want to know about frogs in North America are there. My regret is that it is very difficult to identify a mystery frog you happen to see in your garden. There is no way for you to find an answer to the question what is a reddish frog about one inch long found in the Pacific Northwest unless you wander through page after page of photographs and maps. A table would be very helpful. I bought the wrong book for me but believe it is the right book for those more knowledgable about the subject.
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