Other editions of book Lizards of the World

Human interest in lizards is not new. These reptiles have been the subject of superstition and speculation for thousands of years, and their remarkably diverse forms, colors, and behavior continue to fascinate us today. We know comparatively little aboutlizards, however, and the data produced by increasing scientific study is often impenetrable or inaccessible to the interested general reader. Written as an introduction to the natural history of lizards, this book helps to answer the many questions thatboth amateur and professional naturalists ask about these animals. The first seven chapters cover the origins, form, function and color, environment, feeding, defense, reproduction, movement, and distribution of lizards -- from tiny tropical geckos to the huge Komodo dragon. The author also discusses lizards in captivity and their relationship to humans and describes the entire range of the lizard families. The book concludes with a chapter on the curious group of burrowing "worm lizards," the amphisbaenians. The highly readable and informative text is beautifully illustrated with line drawings and superb black-and-white color photographs of the spectacularly varied lizard families.

Reptiles have been the subjects of superstition and speculation for thousands of years, and their remarkably diverse forms, colors, and behavior continue to fascinate human beings today. Filling the need for an accessible overview of what is known about these intriguing creatures, Lizards of the World presents a wealth of information in a readable and interesting format. Written as an introduction to the natural history of lizards, this book helps to answer the many questions that both amateur and professional naturalists ask about these animals. It examines the origins, form, function, color, environment, feeding, defense, reproduction, movement, and distribution of lizards, from the tiny, tropical geckos to the huge Komodo dragon. The author also discusses lizards in captivity and their relationship with humans, and describes the entire range of the lizard families. Beautifully illustrated with superb black-and-white and full-color photographs, as well as with crisp line illustrations, this valuable resource clearly presents the spectacularly varied lizard families.