Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards

Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards
Author: Daniel David Beck
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780520243576

"This is the first comprehensive treatment of the biology of the Monstersauria in nearly 50 years, during which time our knowledge has increased dramatically. It gives the reader an unprecedented opportunity to understand the evolution, ecology, and behavior of gila monsters and beaded lizards, as well as insights into folklore, venom, and threats to the existence of these fabled animals."--William Cooper, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne "Beck is the foremost authority on these animals and has published extensively on them. He provides a highly readable and fascinating summary of their biology."--Jonathan Campbell, author of Venomous Reptiles of Latin America

Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards

Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards
Author: Daniel D. Beck
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2005-07-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780520931602

No two lizard species have spawned as much folklore, wonder, and myth as the Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum, and the Beaded Lizard, H. horridum—the sole survivors of an ancient group of predacious lizards called the Monstersauria. More like snakes on legs, monstersaurs are a walking contradiction: they are venomous yet don't appear to use their venom for subduing prey; their mottled patterns mingle with the broken shadows and textures of their desert and tropical dry forest habitats, yet their bright open mouths hiss a bold warning that a nasty bite awaits those who advance further. And while Gila Monster venom produces excruciating pain, it also contains a peptide that has become a promising new drug for treating type-2 diabetes. Perhaps the ultimate paradox is that monstersaurs are among the most famous of lizards, yet until quite recently they have remained among the least studied. With numerous illustrations, stunning color photographs, and an up-to-date synthesis of their biology, this book explains why the Monstersauria seems poised to change the way we think about lizards. Daniel D. Beck—who has been investigating Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards for over 22 years—teams up here with award-winning wildlife photographer Tom Wiewandt to produce a comprehensive summary of this small but remarkable family of lizards.

Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards

Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards
Author: Daniel D. Beck
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2009-06-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780520259874

"This is the first comprehensive treatment of the biology of the Monstersauria in nearly 50 years, during which time our knowledge has increased dramatically. It gives the reader an unprecedented opportunity to understand the evolution, ecology, and behavior of gila monsters and beaded lizards, as well as insights into folklore, venom, and threats to the existence of these fabled animals."--William Cooper, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne "Beck is the foremost authority on these animals and has published extensively on them. He provides a highly readable and fascinating summary of their biology."--Jonathan Campbell, author of "Venomous Reptiles of Latin America"

Varanoid Lizards of the World

Varanoid Lizards of the World
Author: Erick Pianka
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 654
Release: 2004-09-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780253343666

Monitor lizards (genus Varanus) have attracted a great deal of interest--these large and impressive lizards are often the centerpiece of reptile house exhibits. Monitors tend to be fairly wary and difficult to observe--therefore they are not particularly tractable research subjects, but they have nevertheless received an extraordinary amount of attention from devoted students.Varanoid Lizards of the World is a comprehensive account of virtually everything important that is known about monitor lizards, beginning with detailed species accounts and proceeding to various modern comparative analyses. Where possible, people who have had detailed field experience with a particular species have assembled species accounts. In the process of reporting what is known, we also identify what remains to be learned about these lizards. We hope to establish a prototype showing how such a diverse monophyletic group can be exploited both to identify and to understand the actual course of evolution. As such, this effort becomes a protocol for future workers to follow for other groups of closely-related species.

Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins

Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins
Author: Bryan Fry
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 576
Release: 2015-05-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0190297581

Venom research and technology has advanced greatly, rapidly transforming our knowledge of reptile venoms. Research advances, like the development of molecular systematics, provide the framework necessary to reconstruct the evolutionary history of glands and fangs. Such research developments have expanded our understanding of venom's evolution and its usefulness in therapeutic development. The results of this punctuated toxin molecular evolutionary expansion include protein neofunctionalization. While these changes may impact antivenom efficacy, this molecular diversity also facilitates their usefulness in the development of novel drug therapies. Venomous Reptiles And Their Toxins brings together the world's leading toxinologists in this comprehensive study of the entire scope of reptile venoms, from clinical effects to evolution to drug design and development. The book contains detailed applied chapters on clinical care of the envenomed patient, ineffective traditional or modern remedies, occupational considerations involved in the maintenance of institutional venomous reptile collections, veterinary care for venomous reptiles and research methods used in venom research. This book also devotes a chapter to each toxin class found in reptile venoms, detailing the full trajectory of research on the peptide or protein in question. These chapters discuss each toxin's respective role in the envenomation process through to how each has been explored for their biomedical potential. This book is a unique resource for anyone working with venomous reptiles.

Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico

Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico
Author: Carl H. Ernst
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2011
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0801898765

The first volume contains species accounts of the venomous lizards and elapid and viperid snakes found north of Mexico's twenty-fifth parallel. Volume two covers the twenty-one species of rattlesnakes found in the United States, Canada, and northern Mexico.

The Photo Ark

The Photo Ark
Author: Joel Sartore
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2017
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1426217773

This book of photography represents National Geographic's Photo Ark, a major cross-platform initiative and lifelong project by photographer Joel Sartore to make portraits of the world's animals -- especially those that are endangered. His message: to know these animals is to save them. Sartore intends to photograph every animal in captivity in the world. He is circling the globe, visiting zoos and wildlife rescue centers to create studio portraits of 12,000 species, with an emphasis on those facing extinction. He has photographed more than 6,000 already and now, thanks to a multi-year partnership with National Geographic, he may reach his goal. This book showcases his animal portraits: from tiny to mammoth, from the Florida grasshopper sparrow to the greater one-horned rhinoceros. Paired with the prose of veteran wildlife writer Douglas Chadwick, this book presents an argument for saving all the species of our planet.

Living Dragons

Living Dragons
Author: Rodney Steel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 1996
Genre: Lizards
ISBN: 9780713726121