This volume invites readers to join a seasoned researcher as he 
"goes herping." After nearly twenty years of traveling around the 
globe searching for toads, frogs, salamanders, snakes, lizards, and 
turtles, herpetologist Paul Freed pauses to tell stories of his 
adventures finding and collecting reptiles and amphibians from the 
tropics of Costa Rica to the deserts of Namibia.

    Whether confronting scorpions, beefworms, army ants, or 
venomous snakes, Freed conveys a contagious enthusiasm for the 
outdoors and all that lives in it. With humor and gratitude, he 
embraces both the hardships and the rewards of being in the field. 
His tales of discovery are also travel stories, and by sharing the 
experiences of his trips across the globe—"the successful ones and 
those not so successful"—Freed encourages the adventurer in all of 
us.

    As he ponders on a writhing knot of golden toads—a species 
that may now be extinct—or the twitching blue tail broken from a 
girdled lizard, Freed introduces conservation issues particular to 
specific locales and those shared across the global village. Through 
his experiences, readers learn a variety of exotic wildlife collection 
techniques, some of which represent ingenious improvising under 
hazardous conditions and some of which are downright humorous. 
Readers share the excitement of scientific discoveries, the thrill of 
international travel to remote and fascinating regions, and the 
opportunity to encounter both rare and abundant wildlife in its 
natural habitats.

    Armchair naturalists, amateur herpers, and people interested in 
exotic travel, ecotourism, and scientific adventure will find this 
book just as appealing and informative as will professional and 
academic herpetologists.

_________________________________________________________

PAUL FREED is a field associate at the Carnegie Museum of 
Natural History. He is the author or coauthor of more than sixty 
articles in scientific and popular journals, and his photographs are 
widely published in a variety of books, textbooks, calendars, and 
magazines, including National Geographic Explorer. He lives in 
Oregon.


Number Thirty-four: Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment 
Series


What people are saying about this book

"Paul's book combines the spirit of adventure with natural history
and science. Readers are lured by exotic travel and his story-
telling skills and ultimately come away with a better understanding
of wildlife, research, and the plight of amphibian and reptile
conservation in a compelling and interesting manner."—Russell A.
Mittermeier