Sea Turtles to Sidewinders

An entertainingly written, beautifully photographed guide to the reptiles and amphibians of the western United States.

The western half of the United States is home to a huge array of reptiles and amphibians—from the rare and curious to those that can be found in parks and backyards. You just have to know where to look for them. Sea Turtles to Sidewinders is here to help. This user-friendly guide contains lucid descriptions and dazzling photographs—all taken in the wild—of the most interesting and likely-to-be-encountered lizards, snakes, turtles, and amphibians native to Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, plus the western parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. This book starts with helpful introductory material offering information on conservation, how to find and identify reptiles and amphibians, and how to spot species safely. The species profiles make up the bulk of the book, sharing details like size, food, color photographs, and fun facts. 

Whether you are a dedicated herper or simply have a keen interest in wildlife and natural history, Sea Turtles to Sidewinders will help you appreciate and celebrate the amazing diversity represented by reptiles and amphibians of the west.

About the Author

Charles Hood grew up in Atwater beside the Los Angeles River. He has been a bird guide in Africa, a translator in New Guinea, and a National Science Foundation Artist-in-Residence in Antarctica. He is the author of many books and essays; three of his books have won national poetry awards. He also curates art exhibitions and is a Research Fellow with the Center for Art + Environment at the Nevada Museum of Art. A reformed birder, he stopped counting at 5,000 species, but he admits he's recently started a world mammal list.Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, biologist Erin Westeen has been fascinated with herps since first spotting western fence lizards in her childhood backyard. She has done extensive fieldwork across western North America and the Neotropics and is currently a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley, where she studies spiny lizards. When not in the field, you can find her in one of the many natural history museums where she has been lucky enough to work.José Gabriel Martínez-Fonseca is a Nicaraguan biologist and wildlife photographer who has been working with amphibians, reptiles, and mammals for over 12 years. Fascinated by snakes long before he caught his first at the age of 11, he later co-authored a Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nicaragua. He is currently a PhD student at Northern Arizona University, where he studies habitat fragmentation in the Neotropics and enjoys photographing as many species of amphibians and reptiles as possible.