"Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia" looks like a cross between a field guide and a coffee table book: splashy color, waves of information.

New from The University of Georgia Press, the nearly 600-page book
catalogs in detailed, readable fashion Georgia's some 170 species of
frogs, snakes, salamanders, lizards, crocodilians and turtles. Included
are nearly 500 color photographs, range maps showing distribution by
counties and species accounts done by 54 experts.

"We designed the book to have a wider appeal," said John Jensen, lead editor and a senior wildlife biologist with the Wildlife Resources
Division's Nongame Conservation Section. "We tried not to use
scientific jargon where a commonly understood synonym could be used just as effectively."

Jensen and fellow editors Carlos Camp of Piedmont College, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory herpetology specialist Whit Gibbons and Nongame Conservation program manager Matt Elliott spent years compiling the authoritative reference, which trailed an atlas of the state's herpetofauna but dug deeper - into museum records and field trips - to fill a need for scientists and laymen.

"Georgia is one of the few states that didn't already have a book ...
and Georgia has some of the highest diversity of reptiles and
amphibians in the country," Jensen said.

That variety, topped only by Texas, is threatened by habitat loss.
Amphibians and reptiles are particularly vulnerable because they are less mobile.

Elliott hopes the book "educates people on what we have out there. ...
And makes them want to conserve what's left."

Order or learn more about "Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia" ($39.95) at www.ugapress.uga.edu/.