Amphibians And Reptiles Of Costa Rica: A Pocket Guide (Zona Tropical Publications) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Costa Rica is a remarkable place for amphibians and reptiles. Known for its biological diversity, conservation priorities, and extensive protected lands, this small country contains 418 herpetological species including the dangerous Fer-de-Lance and Black-headed Bushmaster, the beloved sea turtles, and numerous dink, foam, glass, and rain frogs. Additional species are thought to be nearing extinction while others have been introduced only recently. Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica is the perfect introductory guide to this diverse herpetofauna in a format that makes it easy to carry into the field. The focus is on identification with entries for all species in the country, including scientific and English common names, as well as the older names for the many species that have been recently reclassified. Key ID marks are noted as well as adult sizes. Range maps identify the region(s) where species are known to be present. Color photographs and drawings are provided for over 80 percent of the species, representing those that are most likely to be encountered. Designed with ease of use in mind, this guide will be a great aid to the observer in identifying the specimen at hand.
Series: Zona Tropical Publications
Paperback: 186 pages
Publisher: Comstock Publishing Associates; 1 edition (July 9, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801478693
ISBN-13: 978-0801478697
Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 4.8 x 6.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #528,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #70 in Books > Travel > Central America > Costa Rica #126 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians #184 in Books > Travel > Central America > General
If you are going to Costa Rica and have interest in these animals you should take this book. It has many good photos and your chances of making an ID with this guide are better than with any other book on the subject I have seen. It's very light and you wont even know you have it until you need it. But keep in mind that it does not cover everything in every color phase that you will see--most of the time you are lucky just to get pretty close to an ID. Many species are so visually similar that a locally experienced herpetologist will not be able to make an on sight identification. (Based on many trips to Costa Rica.)
I like this guide, but there are a few issues.The map is broken down into several areas, so it only show you the general area of the country where you can find each species.The pictures aren't the best and some are too dark to see identifying features, although it does list the identifying marks.
It's an OK guide--good size for a pocket and a lot of animals for the size. Some of the pictures are not very helpful. I understand that photographing little lizards and snakes is not easy, but they are not always the best photos for identification. But it's worked well for most critters I've actually been able to observe. I wish that the book included some spanish names. I understand that there are lots of regional names, but sometimes it really helps to have a couple common names in the local language. The biggest problem of this book is a fatal flaw: the shiny coating on the pages is a deadly combination with water. I've been careful with my book, but it got slightly wet in our hotel room from a drip on the roof. The book is pretty much ruined now. The pages are literally glued together. All my other field guides get wet occasionally (we're in rainy tropical jungles, after all), and they are fine when they dry out. All the pictures in my book are delaminating when I try to peel the pages apart. It's quite saddening that a book designed for this climate can't handle a little weather.
An excellent book. It is small enough to carry in the field, and allowed me to identify nearly all the reptiles and amphibians that I encountered on my recent trip to Costa Rica. In many cases it contains photos of male, female, and juveniles to aid in identification which is quite helpful. I have no complaints about this book, and highly recommend it.
This field guide is great for taking into the field. It is small and very portable. The only draw back is that the species do not all have images and the writen information is only about appearance. The range map is appreciated, but notes on habits and habitat would be appreciated.
We got this book as a supplement for some other books just to make certain we could adequately identify every creature we came across.Appears the publisher didn't check for quality before putting on the market and we normally love Zona Tropical.
Here's the perfect companion for eco-touring Costa Rica's dense rain forests, mountain and coastal habitats. I've been planning my eco-tour for some time and have been looking for a guidebook to help us locate and identify the many amphibians and reptiles to be found in Costa Rica. This pocket size guide will be the first item I pack. This is so exciting! The guide is very rugged and is packed with vibrant photographs of most of the beautiful amphibians and reptiles. I especially appreciate that every animal family described is located on the map with a description of where and when they can best be found. Armed with this book, I can now plan my hikes to include not only what to look for but where and especially when to look. Start with a quick overview of the intro maps and legends. The guide is then organized into amphibians, reptiles, lizards, snakes and crocodilians. Simply flip to the target species and you will find a treasure of concise and well organized information. Over 15% of the snakes in Costa Rica are venomous and should a member of your party get bitten, this guide will be invaluable for getting proper immediate treatment. Finally, when communicating with the guides and locals about these creatures, the bi-lingual entries will keep everyone "on the same page".
This field guide is the perfect size to be carried in your pocket. The photos are great, the description are short and sweet. I'm looking forward to using it on my next Costa Rica Herping Adventure Trip 19. Starting Nov 2, 2013. I hope to find a few new species which this guide can help me identify.Jim
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