Book Description

Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut updates the species distribution maps contained in Amphibians and Reptiles of Connecticut and Adjacent Regions written by Michael W. Klemens, PhD and published by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Geological and Natural History Survey in 1993. Together these two volumes contain some of the most comprehensive long-term data on amphibian and reptile distribution, expansion, and decline documented from any region in the United States. This new volume also contains distribution maps for three reptile species not native to Connecticut that have recently established successful breeding populations within the State. This book delves deeply into the conservation challenges facing these native species, specifically why these expansions and declines are occurring. These lessons learned have applicability far beyond Connecticut, creating a new paradigm to achieve better conservation outcomes by identifying groups (guilds) of species that share stressors driving their vulnerability. Why certain groups of species are far more vulnerable to these synergistic stressors becomes apparent through these analyses. Proposed herein are proactive strategies to develop conservation programs that focus not solely on conserving a single species, but suites (guilds) of species that have shared vulnerabilities. Amphibians and reptiles worldwide are disproportionately imperiled because of their life history constraints. This book reinforces the need for urgent action, and provides a blueprint to get there, using a much broader multi-species landscape-scale approach to conservation. The strategies described add value to ongoing efforts targeted at single species, and set a new standard for herpetological conservation.