| Summary: | "One of the most important hotspots of herpetological biodiversity in the United States, California is home to many endemic amphibians and reptiles found nowhere else on earth. Many of these taxa have unique ecological and morphological specializations, and their management is an important conservation challenge. Increasing climate change impacts, human development, and extreme drought mean many of these species face an ever-greater risk of extinction. California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern provides an up-to-date synthesis of the current state of knowledge regarding the biology and conservation risks faced by 45 of California's most sensitive amphibian and reptile species. With the goal of enhancing management based on the best available science, the authors develop a novel set of risk metrics to identify both special concern species and their threats, including population declines, range size and restrictions, and ecological specializations and niche restrictions. In addition to detailed species accounts, the book provides a quantitative analysis of the conservation status and pressing management issues facing individual species and the state's reptile and amphibian fauna as a whole. The volume focuses on identifying threats, concrete recommendations for management and recovery, and future research needs. The text is complemented by detailed distribution maps, color photos, and graphs. Written in nontechnical language, California Amphibians and Reptile Species of Special Concern will be a valuable resource to a broad range of users from resource managers, field biologists, and academic herpetologists to students and recreational naturalists"--Provided by publisher.
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