Frogs of the United States and Canada, 2-vol. set

Preface

Australia’s tropical rainforest, finding rare frogs in the Seychelles under a starry sky with fruit bats squawking in the trees, finding Scutiger tadpoles at 5,000 m in Tibet and foam-nesting Rhacophorus in Taiwan, and seeing my first dart-poison frogs in Costa Rica. I still get a thrill seeing a Barking Treefrog or hearing the soft chirping of Eleutherodactylus planirostris around our front porch in Florida. Frogs are truly gentle beings and, as the New Zealanders say, “fact: the survival of the Earth depends on frogs.” Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with many creative, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable friends, colleagues, and students. Although they may not have contributed directly to this book, it could not have been written without their guidance and friendship at least at some point over the past 30 years. I specifically thank Butch Brodie, my major advisor at Clemson University so many decades ago. There is nothing to stimulate interest and excitement better than someone who is interested and excited about their work. Ronn Altig secured my first teaching position, Hobart Smith provided encouragement when I needed it, Jim Williams got me a job in conservation, Ernie Liner talked books and made great food, Bob Shoop and Carol Ruckdeschel offered perspective and wine, and Dick Franz got me started again in research after an eight-year administrative stint. Thanks to you all. I thank the following persons, in particular, for providing help with literature and information used in this volume: Kraig Adler, Ronn Altig, Kim Babbitt, Jamie Barichivich, Breck Bartholomew, Aaron Bauer, James Bettaso, Jeff Briggler, Robin Jung Brown, Charles Bursey, Bruce Bury, Brian Butterfield, Christine Campbell, Celia Chen, Michael Conlon, Steve Corn, Christopher Distel, Nathan Engbrecht, Edward Ervin, Gary Fellers, There are two reasons I became a biologist. First, nature fascinates me. I have always been astonished at the diversity of life and how the sum total of its parts, from basic chemistry through physiology and genetics all the way to immense ecosystems, still cannot explain the essence and “why” of life. Through herpetology, I have tried to make sense of how even a small portion of nature works, and I have never understood people who have no interest in what makes them and our world what they are. There is nothing more fascinating than the organization and evolution of life. The second reason for becoming a biologist was the dread of working in an office building. I wanted to be outdoors, not anchored to a desk; if there were canyons and forests and wild animals “out there,” why be inside? I was not always successful at avoiding the tedium of paperwork and administration—but then I was able to take to the woods, creeks, deserts, and mountains. Many people are drawn to the beauty of nature, but I was drawn also to its silence. I am never happier than when I am in some wild beautiful quiet place. I cannot say when I saw my first frog, but I must have been very young. Growing up in mostly rural northern Virginia in the late 1950s and 1960s provided a wealth of habitats to explore. I remember the singing American Toads and catching leopard frogs along the creek near my house in places that no longer exist. That started me on a long journey that has taken me to six continents, fifty states, three Canadian provinces, and many Caribbean islands. At every turn I found frogs, and each place left its own special memories: listening to Bird-voiced Treefrogs in a Mississippi swamp, trying to photograph a large ranid in Kenya and suddenly realizing I was laying on an ant mound (do the dance!), searching unsuccessfully for gastric-brooding frogs in Preface x PREFACE Joe Mitchell, Martin Morton, Gary Nafis, Robert Newman, Justin Oguni, Charles Painter, Cindy Paszkowski, David Patrick, Seth Patterson, Joe Pechmann, Ryan Peck, Maria Pereyra, Jeff Petersen, Todd Pierson, David Pilliod, Brian Pittman , Jesse Poulos, Jim Rorabough, Francis Rose, Kevin Rose, Mark Roth, Paddy Ryan, Rob Schell, Sara Schuster, Cecil Schwalbe, Betsy Scott, Richard Seigel, Brad Shaffer, Nathan Shepard, Brent Sigafus, Bill Stagnaro, David Steen, Cameron Stevens, Dirk Stevenson, Jim Stuart, Dennis Suhre, Cynthia Tate, Robert A. Thomas, Stan Trauth, John Tupy, Michael van Hattem, Sara Viernum, Laurie Vitt, Kenny Wray, and Bob Zappalorti. Lee Brumbaugh of the Nevada Historical Society, Kraig Adler, and Mark Jennings were helpful in obtaining photos of Lithobates fisheri habitat in the Las Vegas Valley; Stephanie Munson...