The Iguanid Lizards of Cuba
Edited
by Lourdes Rodriguez Schettino In this impressive reference book, Lourdes Rodriguez Schettino covers nearly every aspect of the 62 currently known iguanid species living in Cuba, including the iguana, the curly-tailed lizards, giant anoles, chameleons, and other anoline lizards. Drawing on more than 20 years of herpetological fieldwork and more than 350 bibliographical sources, most of them Cuban, she fills a major void in the literature on Caribbean herpetofauna by summarizing existing knowledge of this dominant group of reptiles on the largest island in the West Indies. She arranges her study in chapters covering general taxonomy, morphology, ecology, genetics, parasitology, and biogeography. A comprehensive seventh chapter provides detailed descriptions of species and subspecies, distribution, morphological variation, natural history, and bibliographic sources. In addition, the book contains distribution maps for every species and original, full-color illustrations for males of 50 species, females of 4 species, and juveniles of 3 species. Rodriguez Schettino
also treats, for the first time, current problems of
conservation and biodiversity resulting from urban
development and a high number of species living in a
comparatively small country. Her book brings richly
detailed but difficult-to-access literature into general
scientific currency and will be welcomed by
herpetologists, biologists, hobbyists, and many
nonspecialists with an interest in natural history. Lourdes Rodriguez
Schettino
is associate researcher at Department of
Vertebrate Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Systematics,
Havana, Cuba.
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"For herpetologists in general and an indispensable source for biological scientists and naturalists interested in Caribbean fauna." -- Choice
"Goes
far beyond a standard taxonomic handbook or catalogue
treatment by covering not only information on
systematics, morphology, ecology, and biogeography, but
also on behavior, parasitology, and genetics. . . . A
tremendous resource and reference."—Kevin
de Queiroz, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution "An essential reference for anyone interested in West Indian herpetology."—Paul E. Hertz, Barnard College
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