Amphibians of Central and Southern Africa is the first comprehensive guide to the frogs, toads, and caecilians of the ten sub-equatorial African countries—Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The result is at once a valuable reference tool, a field guide, and a source of ideas for future research.A source of increasing interest in their own right, amphibians are also benchmark species for biodiversity, and are used as laboratory animals in many of the sciences. In the wild, amphibians, especially frogs, act as natural monitors of water quality and are invaluable in pest control. Their skins secrete a wide range of pharmacologically active substances, such as antibiotics and painkillers. Yet frog populations are declining worldwide, mainly due to human destruction of their habitats. Alan Channing synthesizes information published over the last century to provide the first natural history and a portrait of the amphibian fauna of this vast region.Key features of Amphibians of Central and Southern Africa include*detailed accounts for 205 species of frogs and toads (and 2 species of caecilian) accompanied by color illustrations, distribution maps, details of breeding and tadpole behavior, and call descriptions*illustrations and tadpole identification keys for each genus*special sections for some species with topics such as "skin toxins"*an overview of fossil frogs, a discussion of humankind and frogs in Africa, and a bibliography of African frog biology

Frogs of Southern Africa: A Complete Guide remains the most authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the frogs of the region ever produced, covering all aspects of frog and tadpole biology and behaviour. This new edition (with a slight name change) has been thoroughly updated to reflect taxonomic changes based on the most recent research and DNA studies, and includes the discovery of seven new species. All 164 southern African frog species, and their tadpole stages, are fully described, along with their conservation status, calls, habitat and habits. Identification is made easy with the aid of large, full-colour images, keys to species and summary panels on ‘Key ID points’ and ‘Distinctive characters’. Calls for most species can be accessed instantly via QR codes in the book or downloaded from a dedicated website. Spectrograms of the calls are also included in the book. Written by respected authorities in the fi eld, this timely updated edition will be of benefit to all nature lovers, amateur ‘froggers’, students and professional scientists.

Frogs of Southern Africa - a Complete Guide is an authoritative and comprehensive guide that covers all aspects of frog and toad biology and behaviour. Now updated and including recently discovered species, it has a fascinating introduction that unpacks frog biology, along with a full illustrated identification key. Stunning full-colour photographs of both frogs and tadpoles accompany distribution maps and authoritative text for each species; and QR codes link readers directly to their frog calls.

815 species of amphibian have been described on the African continent - 788 frogs, 23 caecilians and four salamanders. Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa is the first guide ever to cover all these species. It features a brief introduction with tips for handling and identifying amphibians and a useful illustrated guide to each family group serves as a first step towards species ID. Species accounts describe physical features, distribution, habitat, biology, advertisement calls and conservation status, and are supported by colour photographs and up-to-date distribution maps. This guide will prove invaluable to nature lovers, tour guides, students and scientists.

This beautiful and authoritative book is the most comprehensive treatment of frogs of the region ever produced and covers frog and tadpole biology and behaviour. All 160 frog species (with their tadpole stages) are fully described, giving conservation status, habitat and habits. To aid identification, there are large, full-colour images of each species, detailed keys and clear summary panels showing 'Distinctive characters' and 'Key ID Points'. Spectrograms are provided, offering the surest method of identifying these secretive and often cryptic creatures. For all nature lovers, amateur 'froggers' students, as well as professional scientists, this is an inspiring and significant guide.