The entire reptile fauna of the former Soviet Union is explored with contents including a brief geographical review, zoogeographical division of the region and 161 species sketches.

This handbook is the first complete guide to the herpetofauna of northeast Africa, covering seven countries – Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The seven countries of north-east Africa – Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia – share a remarkably diverse landscape, and the region is home to a vast array of herpetofauna, from the Variable Green Toad to the Congo Hinged Terrapin, the Nubian Pigmy Gecko and the Pasteur's Desert Racer. This handbook is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference to all 114 species of amphibian and 458 species of reptile known from the region, including caecilians, frogs, turtles and tortoises, lizards, crocodiles and snakes. Featuring more than 950 photos, Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of North-east Africa includes information on identification, habitat and distribution, behaviour, and best locations to see species, as well as up-to-date species maps. Supporting chapters cover the region's habitats, conservation, and safety when observing and handling amphibians and reptiles. This is an essential resource for anyone interested in the unique and extraordinarily diverse herpetofauna of north-east Africa.

This book summarizes all available knowledge about the species composition and spatial distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the city of Plovdiv, in South Bulgaria. It also traces the dynamics of their populations and communities, along the urban-to-rural gradient, in order to determine their frequency of occurrence in time and the Important Herpetological Areas in the city. The book also provides additional ecological, zoogeographical and conservational data to further its points. It is the first comprehensive study on the urban ecology of amphibians and reptiles in the city of Plovdiv.

For many people, thoughts of the United Arab Emirates conjure images of ultramodern skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes. However, the Emirates are a rich mosaic of ecosystems and habitats that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms, and there is growing awareness of the importance of these previously underappreciated natural assets. A Natural History of the Emirates provides a comprehensive overview of the unusual environmental setting of this young nation, and surveys the major ecosystems and the marine and terrestrial organisms occurring across the nation. From freshwater streams in the hyperarid Hajar Mountains to the world’s most temperature-tolerant coral reefs, the UAE is home to an astounding variety of uniquely adapted organisms that are providing insights into climate change and how organisms cope with and respond to extreme environmental conditions. The book closes with a section on human interactions with this unique environment, and proposes initiatives to ensure the protection of these unique natural assets into the future. This is an open access book.