Snakes : ecology and conservation / edited by Stephen J. Mullin, Richard A. Seigel.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Mullin, Stephen J., 1967-

Seigel, Richard A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Snakes--Ecology.

Snakes.

Snakes--Conservation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (383 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca : Comstock Pub. Associates/Cornell University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl, pollution, and deforestation has caused population declines or even extinction of many of the world's approximately 2,600 snake species. Furthermore, misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals, despite the fact that less than a quarter of all species are venomous and most species are beneficial because they control rodent pests. It has become increasingly urgent, therefore, to develop viable conservation strategies for snakes and to investigate their importance as monitors of ecosystem health and indicators of habitat sustainability. In the first book on snakes written with a focus on conservation, editors Stephen J. Mullin and Richard A. Seigel bring together leading herpetologists to review and synthesize the ecology, conservation, and management of snakes worldwide. These experts report on advances in current research and summarize the primary literature, presenting the most important concepts and techniques in snake ecology and conservation. The common thread of conservation unites the twelve chapters, each of which addresses a major subdiscipline within snake ecology. Applied topics such as methods and modeling and strategies such as captive rearing and translocation are also covered. Each chapter provides an essential framework and indicates specific directions for future research, making this a critical reference for anyone interested in vertebrate conservation generally or for anyone implementing conservation and management policies concerning snake populations.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface / Mullin, Stephen J. / Seigel, Richard A.

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Introduction / Mullin, Stephen J. / Seigel, Richard A.

1. Innovative Methods for Studies of Snake Ecology and Conservation / Dorcas, Michael E. / Willson, John D.

2. Molecular Phylogeography of Snakes / Burbrink, Frank T. / Castoe, Todd A.

3. Population and Conservation Genetics / King, Richard B.

4. Modeling Snake Distribution and Habitat / Jenkins, Christopher L. / Peterson, Charles R. / Kingsbury, Bruce A.

5. Linking Behavioral Ecology to Conservation Objectives / Weatherhead, Patrick J. / Madsen, Thomas

6. Reproductive Biology, Population Viability, and Options for Field Management / Shine, Richard / Bonnet, Xavier

7. Conservation Strategies / Kingsbury, Bruce A. / Attum, Omar

8. Habitat Manipulation as a Viable Conservation Strategy / Shoemaker, Kevin T. / Johnson, Glenn / Prior, Kent A.

9. Snakes as Indicators and Monitors of Ecosystem Properties / Beaupre, Steven J. / Douglas, Lara E.

10. Combating Ophiophobia / Burghardt, Gordon M. / Murphy, James B. / Chiszar, David / Hutchins, Michael

11. Snake Conservation, Present and Future / Seigel, Richard A. / Mullin, Stephen J.

References

Taxonomic Index

Subject Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

0-8014-5785-8

0-8014-5909-5

OCLC:

726824336