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With species ranging from the legendary, fear-inspiring western diamond-backed rattlesnake to the tiny threadsnake, Texas has a greater diversity of snakes than any other state in the country. This fully illustrated field guide to Texas snakes, written by two of the state's most respected herpetologists and updated by their student and later colleague, gives you the most current and complete information to identify and understand all 111 species and subspecies. Texas Snakes: A Field Guide has all the resources you need to identify snakes in the wild and in your own backyard:• 113 full-color, close-up photos that show every snake, as well as, 39 detailed line drawings• 113 range maps• Up-to-date species accounts that describe each snake's appearance, look-alikes, size, and habitats• A checklist of all Texas snakes with a key to the species• Reliable information on venomous snakes and prevention of or initial treatment for snakebite• Concise discussion of conservation, classification, and identification approachesDrawn from the lead authors'monumental, definitive Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History, this field guide is your must-have source for identifying any snakes you see in Texas.

This groundbreaking work of both theoretical and experiential thought by two leading ecological philosophers and animal liberation scientists ventures into a new frontier of applied ethical anthrozoological studies. Through lean and elegant text, readers will learn that human interconnections with other species and ecosystems are severely endangered precisely because we lack - by our evolutionary self-confidence - the very coherence that is everywhere around us abundantly demonstrated. What our species has deemed to be superior is, according to Tobias and Morrison, the cumulative result of a tragically tenuous argument predicated on the brink of our species'self-destruction, giving rise to a most unique proposition: We either recognize the miracle of other sentient intelligence, sophistication, and genius, or risk enshrining the shortest lived epitaph of any known vertebrate in earth's 4.1 billion years of life.Tobias and Morrison drawon 45 years of research in fields ranging from ecological anthropology, animal protection and comparative ethics to literature and spirituality - and beyond. They deploy research in animal and plant behavior, biocultural heritage contexts from every continent and they bring to bear a deeply metaphysical array of perspectives that set this book apart from any other. The book departs from most work in such fields as animal rights, ecological aesthetics, comparative ethology or traditional animal and plant behaviorist work, and yet it speaks to readers with an interest in those fields. A deeply provocative book of philosophical premises and hypotheses from two of the world's most influential ecological philosophers, this text is likely to stir uneasiness and debate for many decades to come.

Providing thorough descriptions of almost 200 species, this guide presents thousands of facts and figures that will help you identify, understand, and appreciate these important and remarkable animals. Each species and subspecies account includes the latest findings on abundance, size, reproductive habits, prey, habitat, behavior and venomous/nonvenomous status.

Amphibians and reptiles are the most numerous, diverse, and frequently encountered animals on the Caribbean islands. This book provides a variety of perspectives on this amazing group of organisms. Caribbean Amphibians and Reptiles, compiled by an international team of zoologists, takes a fresh and detailed look at the complex biological puzzle of the Caribbean. The first true overview of the islands, it includes a historical examination of the people who have studied the Caribbean amphibians and reptiles. The book reviews the ecology, evolutionary history, and biogeographic explanations for the origins and diversity of the region's fauna with island-by-island coverage. It puts the Caribbean in perspective by comparing the islands to Central America and its amphibian reptile diversity. Additionally, the book includes figures, tables, and color plates which bring to life some of the region's most spectacular creatures.Key Features• Presents the first complete review of amphibians and reptiles in the Caribbean• Includes color plates and island maps• Contributors are recognized authorities in the field