Caribherp - West Indian amphibians and reptiles

<h1>Caribherp - West Indian amphibians and reptiles</h1> <p>Sorry, your browser does not handle frames. Click <a href="http://evo.bio.psu.edu/caribherp_site">here</a> to visit the Caribherp site.</p> <p><em>Caribherp</em> contains information on amphibians and reptiles of the Caribbean Islands (West Indies). It serves as a checklist of what occurs in the region as well as a quick identification guide to the species. Approximately 2000 images and maps, and selected frog calls (sounds), are presented along with an integrated open-access journal, <em>Caribbean Herpetology</em>. The journal accepts color images and video and currently publishes brief communications on individual species—later volumes will include full research articles. The journal, which accepts color images and video, is designed for publication of short, new observations on individual species. The species accounts can be sorted in many ways. Maps of the Caribbean, both current and historical, can be found on a separate site, <em>Caribmap</em>. Multimedia essays related to conservation issues on Caribbean islands are on a third site, <em>Caribnature</em>.</p> <p>About 750 species are recognized from the region and covered here. Because of new species discoveries the number will surpass 800 species in a year or two and 1000 species probably within a decade. By comparison, 690 species are recognized from the entire continent of North America (U.S. and Canada), which is a much better-studied region and hence a species number not likely to rise dramatically. Also, the number of West Indian species of amphibians and reptiles is even slightly more than the number recognized from Madagascar, another biodiversity hotspot. It is 5% of the roughly 15,450 species of amphibians and reptiles in the world; 3% of the 6,700 amphibian species and 6% of the 8,750 reptile species.</p> <p>Features soon to be added include a more detailed geographic subdivision, to individual islands and islets (e.g., Little Cayman, Nassau, St. Thomas, etc.). Also the web-based identification system of earlier versions, WebKey, is being updated and the remaining frog calls (sounds) will be added. The database is complementary to a field guide in progress. The guide will have more and larger images, line drawings, keys, larger maps, and full accounts of each species.</p> <p>Caribherp is intended for personal, academic, or other educational purposes. This site and all graphical items (animal images, maps, etc.) and sound files are copyrighted. Duplication or distribution, through commercial use or otherwise, of any content is strictly prohibited. Amphibian sound files are presented to assist identification of species; any other use, such as in creation of audio spectrograms, is strictly prohibited. Although use of the information in research is encouraged, contact the author for permission before undertaking any broad, comprehensive analyses of these data.</p> <p>Some keywords contained in this website include: www.caribherp.org, www.caribherp.com, www.caribherp.net, evo.bio.psu.edu/caribherp, caribherp, west indian, amphibian, reptile, guide, toad, treefrog, eleuth, slider, amphisbaena, galliwasp, gecko, sphaero, anole, skink, ameiva, curlytail, night lizard, boa, colubrid, threadsnake, tropes, blindsnake, cuba, jamaica, hispaniola puerto rican bank, lesser antilles, bahamas, cayman islands, anurans, aromobatidae, bufonidae, hylidae, eleutherodactylidae, leptodactylidae, microhylidae, ranidae, strabomantidae, lizards, anguidae, gekkonidae, gymnophthalmidae, iguanidae, scincidae, teiidae, xantusiidae, amphisbaenians, amphisbaenidae, cadeidae, snakes, boidae, colubridae, dipsadidae, leptotyphlopidae, natricidae, tropidophiidae, typhlopidae, viperidae, turtles, emydidae, pelomedusidae, testudinidae, crocodilians, alligatoridae, crocodylidae</p>