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by David W. Lazaroff, Philip C. Rosen, and Charles H. Lowe |
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| This book presents annotated and
illustrated descriptions of the amphibians and reptiles found at Sabino
Canyon and an overview of their natural environment. Representing a study
spanning nearly twenty-five years, it documents their present and past
distribution and examines environmental and herpetofaunal change due to
physical, biological, and human impact on species and habitats. In this
first publication to describe Sabino Canyon’s biota in scientific detail,
three expert authors pool their knowledge to provide a detailed discussion
of ecological change — especially as a consequence of drought flooding,
the introduction of exotic species, and direct human impact. Suburbia has
arrived on the canyon’s doorstep, and human visitation has soared, inalterably
affecting the area. Of particular concern, breeding habitats for amphibians
were profoundly altered by flash flooding in Sabino’s streams following
the 2003 Aspen Fire, which ravaged large parts of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The book contains richly detailed accounts of the 57 species found at Sabino
— 25 snakes, 17 lizards, 8 toads and frogs, 6 turtles, and 1 salamander
— emphasizing their local ecology and the behavior likely to be witnessed
by visitors. Physical descriptions and numerous photographs — many in color
— facilitate identification. Up-to-date distribution maps provide an essential
baseline against which future researchers can measure change.
Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon is essential for anyone who seeks to understand this desert oasis, how it has changed, and how it may change in the future. Written with minimal technical jargon to make it as useful to students and visitors as it will be to scientists and resource managers, it makes a vital contribution to our understanding of creatures underfoot whose habitat we seek to share. . |
Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon by David W. Lazaroff, Philip C. Rosen, and Charles H. Lowe University of Arizona Press, 2006 Order a copy |
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