Product Description
This is the first guide yet produced to the amphibians and reptiles of New York State, a large and heavily populated state that hosts a surprisingly diverse and interesting community of amphibians and reptiles. This much needed guide to the identification, distribution, natural history and conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of New York State fill a long-empty niche.

The book is the first comprehensive presentation of the distributional data gathered for the New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas project.With more than 60,000 records compiled from 1990-1999, this extraordinary and up-to-date database provides a rich foundation for the book. This volume provides detailed narratives on the 69 species native to New York State. With a heavy emphasis on conservation biology, the book also includes chapters on threats, legal protections, habitat conservation guidelines, and conservation case studies.

Also included are 67 distribution maps and 62 pages of color photographs contributed by more than 30 photographers. As a field guide or a desk reference, The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State is indispensable for anyone interested in the vertebrate animals of the Northeast, as well as students, field researchers and natural resource professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Very detailed information
This book is loaded with solid information, lots to read & excellent photos.

Excellent regional guide!
I love this book! The writing is excellent. The natural history information is thorough, and provides details specific to New York geography. The only criticism I have is that, like many guidebooks, the color photographs are in a plate section, instead of with the species accounts. But the book more than makes up for that with its detail and clarity. And the plate section does have text summarizing the key identification features. The book ends with conservation strategies and case studies of their implementation. I highly recommend this book to families interested in finding out what critters might be living under logs or in ponds at their local parks and throughout our state.

Awsome
This book is so amazing.the detail of the work done by the authors can really be seen when reading and using this book.

Great on many levels
I really like this book. It has all the usual field guide info, such as descriptions, habits and habitats, status and distributions. The color photo section in the middle pictures each NY herp. There is a black and white range map for each animal as well. But what I like best is the clear and engaging style in which the book is written. Though this is a totally professional book, they take the trouble to answer such burning questions on the mind of the average reader as: are there really alligators in NYC sewers? (No, but there are snapping turtles.) Other "boxes" (sort of like 'asides') cover subjects such as mysterious mudpuppy die-offs, changes in spotted salamander spotting patterns due to environmental toxins, milk snake myths (they do NOT seek nutrition from farmers' cows), and the unfortunate confusion between cottonmouths (which do not even occur in NYS) and watersnakes, which leads to many watersnake killings.
The species descriptions include the meaning and origin for the scientific name of each animal, a big plus for a logophile like me. And did you know that the term for a group of salamanders is a "congress"?
Here and there among the species accounts are "Other Intriguing Facts" sections, when relevant, on a wide variety of topics. Two examples are: how hypoxia triggers the hatching of A. opacum eggs, and the communal nests of Hemidactylium scutatum.
The book has 422 pages, of which the salamander section comprises 57, frogs and toads 46, turtles 56, and lizards and snakes 56. The book concludes with several chapters that deal with issues relevant to the herpetofauna of New York in general: threats, legal protections, conservation, and even some New York amphibian and reptile folklore.
I think this is a wonderful book. As a fan of caudates, I devoured the salamander section, but as for the rest, I'm not really interested in frogs; I find their whole life cycle too complex and disturbing, and their extensive metamorphosis is the stuff of horror movies. To me, turtles are in the same class as human children: poop machines with cute faces and I don't want any. Although for that matter, hedgehogs and rabbits can be described this way as well, but turtles won't chew your baseboards. But I digress. My point is that this book is such a pleasurable read that despite my anurophobia, I perused much of the frog, and turtle sections as well. The reptile section required no prodding as I have snakes and a lizard.

And isn't that a wonderful picture on the cover!

An excellent guide
Its strategic location on the outskirts of formerly glaciated areas, but with the moderating climatic influence of the sea along the coast, as well as vast areas of mountainous terrain cloaked in rich deciduous forests, makes the state of New York an incredible hotbed of herpetological diversity, including some very rare and unusual species. In this beautifully composed guide, each and every one of these is described in detailed accounts accompanied by absolutely stunning color photos which almost seem to come alive before your eyes. The hardcover edition is of superb quality with leather binding and sewn pages, and is rather expensive but well worth the price. The size of the book is small enough to make it useful for taking into the field, although it might be best left on the shelf to preserve its quality! Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Baseball has been an essential strand in Edmonton's social fabric. This "bush league" town was also the source of considerable major-league talent in the early decades of this century. The Rajah of Renfrew surveys the arrival and development of baseball in western Canada, and John Ducey's role in bringing professional ball to the prairies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Baseball History
I came across this book and had to buy it. Most people think Canada's sport is hockey but baseball was also popular. In fact, many major leaguers played triple a in Canada. Excellent book, good look at baseball from a new angle, highly recommended ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by National Catholic Reporter on April 29, 2005. The length of the article is 843 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cardinal Law's papal Mass.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
Author: Ann Zoll
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 29, 2005
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter
Volume: 41Issue: 26Page: 20(1)

Article Type: Letter to the Editor

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more