BOOK REVIEW: A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada

**tylototriton** · February 17th, 2011

A Key to Amphibians & Reptils of the Continental U.S. and Canada
Robert Powell, Joseph T. Collins and Errol D. Hooper, Jr.
131 pages
University Press of Kansas
$13.07 at Amazon

I decided to write this review for two reasons. First, this section is far too quiet. Second, this is a great book that I recommend all field herpers get.

This is a standard dichotomous key. If you've done much work in academic settings you know that keys are the primary way of identifying specimens, not field guides. I love field guides, don't get me wrong, but they often only provide cursory characters with which to identify species. Sometimes it is necessary to look at very specific characters in order to nail down an identification. What makes this key great is that it includes a lot of illustrations and is very helpful if you're not up to date on all your anatomical terms. Whether its parotid glands or metatarsal tubercles, the illustrations are clear and self explanatory. I highly recommend this book if you plan on doing any field herping. It covers all the native species, so even if you're in an unfamiliar area, you can still identify specimens with ease.

Buy it!