This guide displays each species of reptile and amphibian found to occur in Nebraska. It also includes a short list of species of possible occurrence – perhaps due to pets being released – but these species may not have breeding populations in Nebraska.
Herpetologist and photographer Dan Fogell not only provides multiple photographs of each species but a plethora of other information is at our fingertips. Each double page section contains one species and includes information about the species, including the habitat in which its found, its natural history and distribution in Nebraska, on the left side. The species descriptions are here as well, de rigueur for a field guide I suppose. The right side is filled with photographs and a map of their distribution in Nebraska. This guide also includes an easy to follow species identification key, and a species checklist. All of these parts are well presented making for a very good-looking field guide. The downside may be that you will be wary of taking this guide into the field (gasp) because it looks so good.
This guide will be useful for anyone out in the prairies of Nebraska from field ecologist to casual roamers. Knowing more about the environment you’re roaming through makes any trip more worthwhile. Future herpetologist, of course, need to get this book immediately, if they haven’t already grabbed it.
Mr. Fogell should consider a version of this guide the size of a coffee table book to allow for a larger display format for these terrific photographs.
Go pick up this guide.
A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska. Published in 2010 by the Conservation and Survey Division, School of Natural Resources, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska.