In these essays that survey the burgeoning field of tropical herpetology, former students and associates pay tribute to Jay Savage's four decades of mentoring. The result is a book unlike any other available in tropical herpetology. Covering a wide array of subjects, Ecology and Evolution in the Tropics is the first book in more than two decades to broadly review research on tropical amphibians and reptiles. A tribute to Savage and an invaluable addition to the herpetological literature, this work will be cited for years to come.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword by Luis D. Gómez Preface
Part I: Evolution and Biogeography
1. Taxonomy in Theory and Practice, with Arguments for a New Phylogenetic System of Taxonomy
Arnold G. Kluge
2. Biogeography and Molecular Phylogeny of Certain New World Caecilians
Marvalee H. Wake, Gabriela Parra-Olea, and Judy P.-Y. Sheen
3. Diversity of Costa Rican Salamanders
David B. Wake
4. On the Enigmatic Distribution of the Honduran Endemic Leptodactylus silvanimbus (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae)
W. Ronald Heyer, Rafael O. de Sá, and Sarah Muller
5. Chromosomal Variation in the rhodopis Group of the Southern Central American Eleutherodactyline Frogs (Leptodactylidae: Eleutherodactylus)
Shyh-Hwang Chen
6. The Physiological Basis of Sexual Dimorphism: Theoretical Implications for Evolutionary Patterns of Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Tropical Frogs
Sharon B. Emerson
7. Higher-Level Snake Phylogeny as Inferred from 28S Ribosomal DNA and Morphology
Mary E. White, Maria Kelly-Smith, and Brian I. Crother
8. Elapid Relationships
Joseph B. Slowinski and Robin Lawson
9. Wallace and Savage: Heroes, Theories, and Venomous Snake Mimicry
Harry W. Greene and Roy W. McDiarmid

Part II: Ecology, Biogeography, and Faunal Studies
10. Quantification of Selection and Male Reproductive Success in Hyla calypsa, a Neotropical Treefrog
Karen R. Lips
11. Patterns of Co-occurrence of Hylid Frogs at a Temporary Wetland in Costa Rica
Craig Guyer and Maureen A. Donnelly
12. It's a Frog-Eat-Frog World in the Paraguayan Chaco: Food Habits, Anatomy, and Behavior of the Frog-Eating Anurans
Norman J. Scott Jr. and A. Luz Aquino
13. Long-Term Frog Monitoring by Local People in Papua New Guinea and the 1997-98 El Niño Southern Oscillation
David P. Bickford
14. Historical Biogeographic Relationships within the Tropical Lizard Genus Norops
Kirsten E. Nicholson
15. Hypotheses on the Historical Biogeography of Bothropoid Pitvipers and Related Genera of the Neotropics
Steven D. Werman
16. The Herpetofauna of the Rincón Area, Península de Osa, Costa Rica, a Central American Lowland Evergreen Forest Site
Roy W. McDiarmid and Jay M. Savage
17. The Iwokrama Herpetofauna: An Exploration of Diversity in a Guyanan Rainforest
Maureen A. Donnelly, Megan H. Chen, and Graham G. Watkins
18. The Herpetofauna of the Guayana Highlands: Amphibians and Reptiles of the Lost World
Roy W. McDiarmid and Maureen A. Donnelly

"To those who have carried out research at La Selva, as well as for the serious layperson or even a first-time ecotourist, this book will be a delight. Many of these species will be seen along forest trails or in clearings nearly every day. The beauty of this splendid guide is its concise but authoritative coverage. Guyer and Donnelly have been carrying out research at La Selva for more than 25 years and have contributed much new information on the lives of these animals. A great strength is the series of keys based primarily on live coloration for rapid and accurate identification in the field. The added value is that the book covers 90% of the amphibians and reptiles found in the Caribbean lowlands from northeastern Honduras to and including Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. In sum, my words for this book are: 'Mighty Fine'! "--Jay M. Savage, author of The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica

"A 40-year intensive look, precisely what we all wished we had had when we first stepped into the Neotropical rainforest. Cleanly written, in a language easily accessible to the citizen naturalist . . . . and coupled with the essential many good color photos, this book is THE herpetological starting point for any naturalist, biodiversity manager, and scientist exploring lowland Central American rainforest. It superbly complements Savage's country-wide coverage."--Daniel H. Janzen, editor of Costa Rican Natural History

"This book is an important contribution to our understanding of the herpetofauna of one of the world's foremost tropical field stations. It represents an essential step toward easy field identification of an important group of tropical vertebrates. It will serve as a stimulus and set the standard, not only for herpetologists, but for students of other groups interested in producing easily used, attractive guides to local faunas and floras."--Don E. Wilson, Senior Scientist, Smithsonian Institution, and Chairman of the Board, Organization for Tropical Studies

DESCRIPTION

This field guide at last provides an authoritative and handy source for identifying amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica's renowned Atlantic lowland tropical forests. Colorful frogs, lizards that can run across water, snapping turtles, spotted geckos, boa constrictors, crocodiles, and many other fascinating yet secretive species of amphibians and reptiles flourish in the region's myriad microhabitats. The La Selva Biological Station, a protected reserve, boasts a rich biota, making it and the surrounding area one of the most visited tropical forest sites in the world.

For travelers, ecotourists, and biologists, this comprehensive guide, written by two distinguished experts on the area's amphibians and reptiles, will be an essential resource while visiting La Selva and the surrounding tropical forests of Costa Rica. In addition to providing reliable field identification, it will help visitors to this area better understand the overall role of Central American amphibians and reptiles in the natural world as well as conservation efforts now being undertaken to ensure the survival of these intriguing creatures.