Maine Amphibians and Reptiles: Third Edition

The third edition of Maine Amphibians and Reptiles explores the lives of 38 fascinating species—from tiny newts to rarely seen sea turtles—found across Maine and the Northeast. Built on 25 years of research, with expanded photos, regional studies, and engaging writing, it’s perfect for scientists and curious readers alike. University of Maine Press. Paperback; 

Turtles and snakes, salamanders and newts, frogs and toads . . . these are some of the most captivating members of Maine’s fauna, not ingredients for a witches’ brew. Some species are extraordinarily abundant, forming mighty, resounding choruses, and numbering in the thousands per acre; other species are rarely seen ocean wanderers. Some are so small a dozen would easily fit in the palm of your hand; one is so large it rivals the size of a moose. This book welcomes readers into the lives of Maine’s 38 species of amphibians and reptiles, and covers almost all of the species in northeastern North America from eastern New York to Newfoundland.

This third edition of Maine Amphibians and Reptiles has been 25 years in the making, built on an ever-expanding foundation of over 20,000 distribution records, collected by over 3,000 observers from all corners of the state. Scientific knowledge about these species has also grown enormously in recent decades and is reflected here in over 600 new references, most of them from research conducted in Maine and the region. Synthesizing all this has been a team of 27 authors, most of them new to this edition, but with deep knowledge of these species. The most conspicuous feature of this new edition is a diverse array of color photos, four-fold more than in the second edition, and striking contributions from five artists. Edited by Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr., Trevor B. Persons, Aram J. K. Calhoun, Phillip G. deMaynadier, and Derek T. Yorks. Paperback; 448 pages in full color with many illustrations.