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Author:   Robert H. Rothman (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Publisher:   RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press
Imprint:   RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press
Weight:   0.001kg
ISBN:  

9781939125897

ISBN 10:   1939125898
Pages:   200
Publication Date:   06 February 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

"Table of Contents for A Paradise for Reptiles Forewordix Prefacexi 1. THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE OF THESE ISLANDS1 1.1 Reptiles and the Discovery of the Galápagos Islands1 1.2 Early Encounters with Tortoises3 1.3 ""Turpining""5 1.4 Endangered Reptiles7 1.5 Famous Tortoises7 1.6 Reptiles and the Origin of the Galápagos Islands8 1.7 A Paradise for Reptiles10 2. A CONGENIAL HABITATION13 2.1 Reptiles and the Origin of the Galápagos Islands13 2.2 Plate Tectonics and the Formation of the Galápagos Islands16 2.3 The Age of the Galápagos Islands19 2.4 Galápagos Land Revisited21 3. GIANT TORTOISES: CHELONOIDIS27 3.1 The Last of His Kind27 3.2 A Tortoise by Any Other Name28 3.3 A Multiplicity of Species35 3.3.1 Questions of Provenance37 3.3.2 The California Academy of Sciences Expedition and Problematic Species42 3.4 Species or Subspecies?47 3.5 Domes and Saddles48 3.6 Natural History54 3.6.1 Daily Routine54 3.6.2 Diet59 3.6.3 Seed Dispersal and Climate Change62 3.6.4 Predators and Parasites63 3.7 Reproduction66 3.7.1 Mating66 3.7.2 Hormonal Cycles68 3.7.3 Nesting71 3.7.4 Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination72 3.7.5 Growth Rates, Age to Sexual Maturity, and Life Span73 3.7.6 Reproductive Biology and Mutation Rate76 3.8 Evolution and Colonization77 3.8.1 Mainland Origins77 3.8.2 Genetic Analysis79 3.8.2.1 Early Attempts at Genetic Analysis79 3.8.2.2 Modern Genetic Analysis81 3.8.2.3 Tortoises of Santa Cruz83 3.8.2.4 Tortoises of Volcán Wolf86 3.8.2.5 Tortoises of Volcán Alcedo87 3.8.2.6 Tortoises of Southern Isabela88 3.8.3 Phylogeny91 3.8.4 Patterns of Colonization95 3.8.5 Giant Tortoises and Evolutionary Hot Spots97 3.9 The Human Factor97 3.9.1 Tortoises as Commodities97 3.9.2 Feral Animals103 3.9.3 Restoration of Tortoise Populations104 3.9.3.1 The Pinzón Head-Starting Program105 3.9.3.2 The Española Captive Breeding Program108 3.9.3.3 Volcán Wolf and the Recovery of Pinta and Floreana Tortoises114 3.9.3.4 Floreana Tortoises116 3.9.4 The Rewilding of the Galápagos118 3.9.5 Continuing Threats120 Tortoise Update125 4. GECKOS: PHYLLODACTYLUS127 4.1 The Endemic Species 127 4.2 Evolutionary Relationships129 4.3 Natural History134 4.4 Introduced Geckos134 5. GALÁPAGOS RACER SNAKES: PSEUDALSOPHIS139 5.1 Recognizing Diversity139 5.2 Evolutionary Relationships146 5.3 Natural History149 6. AFTERWORD153 6.1 Early Encounters153 6.2 Changing Taxonomies153 6.3 Life Histories154 6.4 Evolution154 6.5 Colonization155 6.6 Conservation156 6.7 Concluding Remarks157 References159 Index179"

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Author Information

Robert H. Rothman, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. He has led more than thirty annual trips to the Islands as part of his course Galápagos: Evolution and Ecology for science and nonscience RIT students.

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