Reptile Ecology and Conservation A Handbook of Techniques

About this book

This practical handbook of reptile field ecology and conservation brings together a distinguished, international group of reptile researchers to provide a state-of-the-art review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study reptiles. The authors describe ecological sampling techniques and how they are implemented to monitor the conservation status and population trends of snakes, lizards, tuatara, turtles, and crocodilians throughout the world. Emphasis is placed on the extent of statistical inference and the biases associated with different techniques and analyses.

The chapters focus on the application of field research and data analysis for achieving an understanding of reptile life history, population dynamics, movement patterns, thermal ecology, conservation status, and the relationship between reptiles and their environment. Reptile Ecology and Conservation emphasises the need for thorough planning, and demonstrates how a multi-dimensional approach incorporates information related to morphology, genetics, molecular biology, epidemiology, statistical modelling, animal welfare, and biosecurity. Although accentuating field sampling, sections on experimental applications in laboratories and zoos, thermal ecology, genetics, landscape ecology, disease and biosecurity, and management options are included. Much of this information is scattered in the scientific literature or not readily available, and the intention is to provide an affordable, comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers, and practising conservationists worldwide.

Contents

Part 1. Introduction
1: Laurie Vitt: Reptile diversity and life history
2: Robert N. Fisher: Planning and setting objectives in field studies
3: Richard Seigel: Data collection and storage

Part 2. The Individual
4: John W. Ferner and Michael V. Plummer: Measuring and marking reptiles
5: Roberto Sacchi, Stefano Scali, Marco Mangiacotti, Marco Sannolo, Marco Alberto Luca Zuffi: Digital identification and analysis
6: Steve W. Gotte, Jeremy F. Jacobs, and George R. Zug: Preserving specimens for additional study
7: Gunther Köhler: Reproduction
8: Luca Luiselli and Giovanni Amori: Diet
9: Bruce Kingsbury and Nathan J. Robinson: Movement patterns and telemetry

Part 3. Sampling Reptiles
10: John D. Willson: Surface-dwelling reptiles: coverboards, drift fences and arrays
11: Robert Henderson, Robert Powell, Jose Martín, and Pilar Lopez: Arboreal and fossorial reptiles
12: Xavier Bonnet, Arne R. Rasmussen and François Brischoux: Sea snakes
13: Richard Vogt: Freshwater turtles
14: Margaretha Hofmeyr and Brian Henen: Terrestrial turtles and tortoises
15: Seth Stapleton and Karen Eckert: Sea turtles
16: Charlie Manolis and Matt Brien: Crocodilians

Part 4. Reptiles in the Community
17: Tiffany M. Doan: Plot and transect censuses
18: Indraneil Das: Rapid assessments of reptile diversity
19: Henry Mushinsky and Earl McCoy: Measuring microhabitats used by non-avian reptiles
20: Christine Bishop: Water quality and toxicology
21: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr.: Richness, diversity and similarity
22: Monika Böhm and Viorel D. Popescu: Landscape ecology, biogeography and GIS methods

Part 5. Experimental Applications, Physiological Ecology, Genetics
23: Stephen J. Mullin: Experimental applications
24: Keith Christian, Richard Tracy, and Christopher Tracy: Body temperatures and the thermal environment
25: Nancy Fitzsimmons and Joanne Sumner: Genetics in field ecology and conservation

Part 6. Trends Analysis and Conservation Options
26: Darryl MacKenzie: Occupancy models
27: Chris Sutherland and J. Andrew Royle: Estimating abundance
28: Elliott R. Jacobson: Disease, parasites, and biosecurity protocols
29: David A. Pike: Conservation management of reptiles
30: Brian Gratwicke, Matthew Neff, Lindsay Renick Mayer, Sharon Ryan, and Jennifer Sevin: Education and outreach

Customer Reviews

Biography

C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., is currently Courtesy Associate Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. He has previously held positions at Mississippi State University as Assistant Professor in 1975, Staff Herpetologist at the Office of Endangered Species in the US Fish and Wildlife Service from 1976 to 1984, and Research Zoologist at the US Geological Survey from 1984 to 2007. He has published over 210 research and popular articles, book reviews and book chapters and edited the Amphibian volume in OUP's Techniques in Ecology and Conservation Series. He is a past President of the Herpetologists' League and was Associate Editor for the Journal of Herpetology for over 8 years. His professional interests are conservation biology, population ecology and demography, monitoring vertebrate populations, sampling approaches, and history of herpetology. Ken lives in Gainesville, Florida, with his wife Marian Griffey and their 8 cats and numerous turtles.