1st Edition
by Gordon Grigg (Author), David Kirshner (Author), Richard Shine (Foreword)
Crocodiles, alligators, caimans,
and gharials―the Crocodylia, known collectively as crocodylians―are the
world’s largest living reptiles. The largest of them, probably the
estuarine or saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, can grow to almost
twenty feet and weigh more than two thousand pounds. Crocodylians are
creatures of great contrast. They can remain patiently still for ages,
yet can also move like lightning to snap up a meal. They are formidably
strong, active predators, with jaws that can tear apart large prey
items, yet a mother or a father can gently assist hatchlings out of the
eggs, and carry them to the water between their teeth. Because large
crocodylians can (and do) eat people, they invite fear and loathing, but
they also inspire curiosity and admiration.
Biology and Evolution of Crocdylians
is a comprehensive review of current knowledge about the world’s
largest and most famous living reptiles. Gordon Grigg’s authoritative
and accessible text and David Kirshner’s stunning artwork and color
photographs combine expertly in this contemporary celebration of
crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials. This book showcases the
skills and capabilities that allow crocodylians to live how and where
they do. It covers the biology and ecology of the extant species,
conservation issues, crocodilian-human interaction, and the evolutionary
history of the group.
Richly illustrated with more than five
hundred color photographs and black-and-white illustrations, this book
will be a benchmark reference work for crocodylian biologists,
herpetologists, and vertebrate biologists for years to come.
