University of South Carolina Press The Reptiles of South Carolina: Foreword by J. Whitfield Gibbons

From the lowcountry coastal tidelands to the upstate Blue Ridge Mountains and everywhere in between, South Carolina's varied landscapes and habitats are home to a fascinating and mysterious assortment of alligators, turtles, lizards, and snakes. The Reptiles of South Carolina, a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the Palmetto State, includes seventy-five native species of reptiles as well as introduced forms. Jeffrey D. Camper's accessible descriptions and intriguing details are designed to enlighten readers about this misunderstood and often-maligned group of secretive and ecologically important animals.Camper begins with a discussion of the state's mild climate and wide variety of natural habitats, including forests, plains, sandhills, wetlands, and barrier islands. The entry for each species provides a color picture, detailed descriptions of external appearance, variations in size and color, taxonomic keys, comparisons to similar species to aid in identification, and natural history. Camper also assesses the conservation status of each species and offers a detailed range map of where that species is known to occur in the state and another map showing its entire geographic range in the continental United States.The Reptiles of South Carolina includes 92 color and 79 black-and-white illustrations, a checklist by reptile family, a helpful glossary, and a short history of herpetology in the Palmetto State. This authoritative reference will prove invaluable to students, professional herpetologists, conservationists, ecologists, biologists, land managers, and amateur naturalists alike.A foreword is provided by J. Whitfield Gibbons, professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Georgia and former head of the environmental outreach and education program at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Review The Reptiles of South Carolina is a long-awaited resource--a must-have for naturalists, conservation biologists, residents, and students--who strive to understand and appreciate South Carolina's natural heritage! Conservation practitioners, in particular, will find the museum and historical records-based distribution maps invaluable to efforts to protect these species.--Kurt A. Buhlmann, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of GeorgiaJeffrey Camper's The Reptiles of South Carolina is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to become familiar with the habitats of South Carolina and the reptiles that inhabit them. It fulfills a long-standing need and will prove an invaluable asset to audiences at all levels of interest.--Tracey D. Tuberville, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of GeorgiaThis authoritative reference will prove invaluable to students, professional herpetologists, conservationists, ecologists, biologists, land managers, and amateur naturalists alike.-- "Southeastern Naturalist"This superb book provides a first-ever comprehensive treatise on the reptiles of South Carolina, a highly diverse and important fauna that is also greatly misunderstood and threatened. Containing a thorough account on the identification, taxonomy, geographic distribution, natural history, and conservation status for each of South Carolina's native and introduced species of reptile, Camper's book is a must-have for any enthusiast of the herpetology and natural heritage of the southeastern United States.--Bryan L. Stuart, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences About the Author Jeffrey D. Camper is a professor of biology at Francis Marion University, where he teaches evolution, genetics, herpetology, and comparative anatomy. He has been studying South Carolina reptiles and amphibians for more than twenty-five years.