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.
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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. .
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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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