Amphibians: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #670

by T.S. Kemp

Very Short Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringFrom frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders, to the lesser-known caecilians, there are over 8,000 species of amphibians alive today. Characterised by their moist, naked skin and the tadpole phase of their lives, they are uniquely adapted to occupy the interphase habitat between freshwater and land.This Very Short Introduction explores amphibians' evolution, adaptations, and biology, from the first emergence of tetrapods onto land 370 million years ago, to how their permeable skin enables them to thrive in their habitat today. T. S. Kemp describes how different amphibians go about their lives, looking in particular at their complex courtship behaviour and their extraordinary means of providing care for their eggs and larvae. Finally, he considers amphibians' relationship tohumans, and the ways in which they have been exploited as food, folk medicine, and pets, as well as used in many areas of scientific research. Today amphibians face a serious threat, with almost half of species judged to be at risk of extinction. As the causes include habitat destruction, pollution, and disease,mostly resulting from human activity, T. S. Kemp shows that the conservation of amphibians is very much in our hands.ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Biology, Nonfiction, Science, Animals

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Jelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I love Kemp's very short introductions. Mammals, Reptiles and now Amphibians. I, for one, can't wait to read the next instalment on extant vertebrate classes should it arrive.

What to expect? Like any very short introduction, this booklet skims over all relevant topics pertaining to its subject matter, from basic biology, evolution and behaviour to interaction with humans throughout the ages. It's not enough to make you an expert, not even close, but it certainly gives a new appreciation for the slimy critters inhabiting our neighbourhoods. Be sure to have your phone closeby whilst reading, so that you can look up the amphibian species that are mentioned without an illustrative figure, because the book's format is too small for all of them and lacks colour for the photographs that did make it.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decently interesting and informative read. It gives a sort of dignity to amphibians that is often lacking, as they tend to be presented as primitive holdovers, tetrapods that failed to evolve as much as the "more advanced" mammals, birds, or even reptiles. This work shows otherwise, and provides interesting information about all aspects of amphibian biology and behavior as well.

A few things that I found disappointing: not enough information about caecilians which are weird, interesting, and cryptic, and also one of the three main orders of extant amphibians. Also, the second chapter, "The evolution of amphibians" had a number of issues. For one, the various illustrations of ancient species do not match references in the text-- often a different creature is depicted (made clear in the caption) than is referenced in the text. Also, the cladograms are a bit messy; the text claims that genetic evidence argues for the monophyly of the three extant Orders of amphibians, but this in somewhat contradicted by the diagrams purporting to show evolutionary relationships.

[Sam Odell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Wow I took a long time to read through it but I kept stopping at the salamanders, newts, and cacileans because I really did not care at all. This is such a great, interesting read about how frogs and toads work scientifically and how they interact with the human world. So many interesting species are talked about in this book and, for someone who typically has a blasé attitude towards climate change, it really makes you understand the impact of it all and pushed my urgency of climate change. I will say this book is very opinionated with how they name the species among other facts (no lining up with my other sources) I think this may be one of the greatest sources for general knowledge about frogs I have come across.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good audiobook listen! I was much more engrossed by the first third or so of the book than the rest of it, but that could be down to all kinds of factors including just personal interest in the subjects.

[Travis Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin.

[Nick Bianco · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is what it says it is. a short intro. it was interesting and had some nice black and white pictures. not too tough to read

[Claire Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frogs are my favorite animal, and this book introduced me to several types of frogs I had never even heard of or seen in other books or documentaries.