Additional Reading

about Reptiles and Amphibians

In addition to the recommended print resources listed below, you may find the resources listed on our References and Links page helpful.

Amphibians

Altig, R. and R.W. McDiarmid. 2015. Handbook of larval amphibians of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. 345 pp.
An excellent and comprehensive guide to amphibian larvae.

Bishop, S.C. 1941 (June). The Salamanders of New York. New York State Museum Bulletin No. 324. University of the State of New York, Albany, New York. 365 pp.
This book is currently out of print, but contains excellent information on Vermont’s salamanders.

Bishop, S.C. 1994. Handbook of Salamanders: The salamanders of the United States, of Canada, and of lower California. Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 555 pp.
A reprint of an old classic. It does not contain as much information on each species as The Salamanders of New York.

Dickerson, M.C. 1969. The Frog Book: North American toads and frogs, with a study of the habits and life histories of those of the northeastern states. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 253 pp.
A reprint of an old classic. Still excellent information but some of it is outdated.

Dodd, C.K. 2023. Frogs of the United States and Canada, Second Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 954 pp.
This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source for frogs in North America.

Epple, A.O. 1983. The Amphibians of New England. Down East Books, Camden, Maine. 138 pp.
A good book for the beginner but without plates or photos.

Lannoo, M. (ed.) 2005. Amphibian Declines: the conservation status of United States species. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. 926 pp.
Contains the most up-to-date conservation information on all North American amphibians.

McDiarmid, R.W. and R. Altig (eds.) 1999. Tadpoles: the biology of anuran larvae. University of Chicago Press, Ltd. London. 348 pp.
All you ever wanted to know about tadpoles.

Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 587 pp.
The most current source for detailed information on salamanders.

Pfingsten, R.A. and F.L. Downs. 1989. Salamanders of Ohio. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey Vol. 7, No. 2. College of Biological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 315 pp, 29 plates.
This contains detailed information on the many species of salamander that we share with Ohio.

Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1995. Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada. Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 640 pp.
A reprint of an old classic that still contains useful information but beware of taxonomic changes.

Reptiles

Carr, A. 1995. Handbook of Turtles: the turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California. Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 542 pp.
A reprint of an old classic.

Ernst, C.H., and E. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 668 pp.
The latest and most complete source for snakes.

Ernst, C.H. and J.E. Lovich. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada, Second Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press. 827 pp.
The best current source for detailed information on North American turtles.

Gibbons, W. 2017. Snakes of the eastern United States. The University of Georgia Press. 416 pp.
An excellent new guide to eastern snakes.

Klauber, L.M. 1982. Rattlesnakes: their habits, life histories, & influence on mankind, abridged edition. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. 350 pp.
An edited reprint of an old classic.

Klemens, M. (ed.) 2000. Turtle Conservation. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC. 334 pp.
A current discussion of conservation challenges.

Mitchell, J.C. 1994. The Reptiles of Virginia. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 352 pp.
This book provides excellent information on the species of reptile that we share with Virginia; most of our species are found in this book.

Smith, H.M. 1995. Handbook of Lizards: lizards of the United States and Canada. Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 557 pp.
A reprint of an old classic.

Tennant, A. 2003. Snakes of North America: eastern and central regions. Lone Star Books, Lanham, Maryland. 605 pp.
An excellent snake resource.

Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1994. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada, volumes 1 and 2. Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 1105 pp.
A reprint of an old classic.

Texts, Dictionaries, Methods & Habitat Conservation

Calhoun, A.J.K. and P. G. deMaynadier (eds.). 2008. Science and conservation of vernal pools in northeastern North America. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. 363 pp.

Coburn, E.A. 2004. Vernal pools: natural history and conservation. The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia and Granville, Ohio. 426 pp.

Duellman, W.E. and L. Trueb. 1994. Biology of Amphibians. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 670 pp.
A standard text for amphibians.

Graeter, G.J., K.A. Buhlmann, L.R. Wilkinson, and J.W. Gibbons (Eds.). 2013. Inventory and monitoring: recommended techniques for reptiles and amphibians with application to the United States and Canada. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation technical publication IM-1, Birmingham, Alabama, 321 pp.

Heyer, W.R., M.A. Donnelly, R.W. McDiarmid, L-A. C. Hayek, and M.S. Foster. 1994. Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: standard methods for amphibians. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 364 pp.
Useful information for researchers.

Lilywhite, H.B. 2008. A dictionary of herpetology. Krieger Publishing Company. Malabar, Florida. 376 pp.
A useful resource for herpetologists.

Mitchell, J.C. 2000. Amphibian Monitoring Methods and Field Guide. Smithsonian National Zoological Park’s Conservation & Research Center, Front Royal, Virginia. 56 pp.
Very accessible, designed for citizen scientists.

Pough, F.H., R.M. Andrews, M.L. Crump, A.H. Savitzky, K.D. wells, and M.C. Brandley. 2016. Herpetology, fourth edition. Sinauer Associates. Sunderland, Massachusetts. 719 pp.
A new and up-to-date standard text.

Stebbins, R.C. and N.W. Cohen. 1995. A Natural History of Amphibians. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 316 pp.
Lots of interesting information in an accessible and easy-to-read format.

West, L. and W.P. Leonard. 1997. How to Photograph Reptiles and Amphibians. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 118 pp.

Zug, G.R., L. J. Vitt., and J.P. Caldwell. 2001. Herpetology: an introductory biology of amphibians and reptiles, second edition. Academic Press, San Diego, California. 630 pp.
A standard text.

Novels

Phillips, K. 1994. Tracking the Vanishing Frogs: an ecological mystery. St. Martin’s Press, New York. 244 pp.
A good background read on amphibian decline.

Herp Atlas Publications

James S. Andrews and Erin Talmage “Phenological Differences in Wood Frog and Spotted Salamander Egg-Mass Onset and Peak Accumulation,” Northeastern Naturalist 28(4), 456-461, (17 November 2021). https://doi.org/10.1656/045.028.0404

Willey, L.L., M.T. Jones, P.R. Sievert, T. S.B. Akre, M. Marchand, P. deMaynadier, D. Yorks, J. Mays, J. Dragon, L. Erb, B. Zarate, J.D. Kleopfer, K.D. Gipe, S. Parren, J. Andrews, H.P. Roberts, J.W. Tamplin, C. Raithel, L. Johnson, A.M. Ross, A. Breisch, G. Johnson, S. Angus, J. Drasher, and B. Wicklow. 2022. Distribution models combined with standardized surveys reveal widespread habitat loss in a threatened turtle species. Biological Conservation Volume 266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109437. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721004894)

Other Regional Atlases

Bider, J.R. and S. Matte. 1996. The Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Quebec. St. Lawrence Valley Natural History Society and Ministere de l’Environnement et de la Faune du Quebec, Direction de la faune et des habitats, Quebec. 106 pp.

Taylor, J. 1993. The Amphibians and Reptiles of New Hampshire with keys to larval, immature and adult forms. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Concord, New Hampshire. 71 pp.
Contains some simple and useful keys.