Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes: Herpetologists' Tales from the Field

by Martha L. Crump (Editor)

Overview

Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes reveals the thrills and travails that herpetologists experience when working with amphibians and reptiles in the wild. With essays from fifty field biologists, this volume, edited by Martha L. Crump, presents a multifaceted yet intimate look at life in pursuit of knowledge about the natural world.

From the beaches of Peru to the mountains of China, the stories in this collection place readers in the boots of field biologists as they watch, count, experiment, and survey. Some recall mishaps and misadventures—contending with leeches, dangling off a precipice while in a truck. Others tell of once-in-a-lifetime encounters—discovering a new frog species, spotting a rare snake. Together, these stories offer an understanding of what field biology is, what field biologists do, and how they go about doing it.

Written with candor, warmth, and a dash of humor, the stories in Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes will encourage readers to appreciate the value of engaging with nature and of the amphibians and reptiles so critical to the vitality of our planet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501774485
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2024
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Martha L. Crump is Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Biology at Utah State University and Northern Arizona University. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, most recently Women in Field Biology.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. The Thrill of Discovery
2. Adventure and Exploration
3. Fascination and Love for the Animals
4. Mishaps and Misadventures
5. Dealing with the Unexpected
6. The People We Meet, the Friendships We Forge, the Students WeInfluence
Parting Thoughts

What People are Saying About This

Harry Greene

Entertaining, thought-provoking, and at times mystical in deeply satisfying ways. Anyone who loves nature—whether an amateur biologist or a veteran of the field—will savor this book.

Marion Preest

Written by some hard-core field herpetologists, Lost Frogs and Hot Snakes will have you questioning why you aren't a field biologist yourself—or maybe just appreciating the comfort and safety of not being one!

Editorial Reviews

Finally, although I share with Crump the hope that these essays might inspire scientists to engage in fieldwork and bet-ter appreciate the animals we hold dear, I also have to say that they are exceedingly entertaining. Those of us who live for fieldwork and, in many cases, became herpetologists as a result of experiences such as those that animate the stories in this volume, recognize in almost every essay at least one inci-dent that parallels a comparable event in our own maturation as field biologists who are 'living our dreams.'

Reptiles and Amphibians