Islands and Snakes - Isolation and Adaptive Evolution

Oxford 2019, geb., 343 Seiten durchgehend Farbfotos. Islands and Snakes contains 13 chapters describing ecological systems with foci on snakes and their ecological roles on islands around the world. Each chapter is written by one or more authors who is an authority on that particular system. Summaries of research on the various islands are written in a narrative manner that includes science as well as personal insights in easily understood language. These varied vignettes of science feature islands around the world, and in all cases, fantastic species of snakes and their roles in the community of insular organisms in which they occur. Both challenges and opportunities associated with island life are discussed, as well as the unique attributes of snakes and their conservation as unique and important parts of nature. Chapters include colourful photographs and illustrations, and collectively they convey information on topics that include ecology, behaviour, biogeography, physiology, adaptation, and evolutionary biology. An introductory chapter presents a review and perspective on the historical importance of island ecology and how snakes have contributed to our understanding of evolution and adaptation. The other chapters focus on snakes inhabiting islands associated with Asia, Australia, South America, North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The final chapter features the unique "table top islands" or tepuis of South America as examples of ecological islands where elements of biota have become isolated by geographic features of landscape similarly to oceanic islands. How Sea Kraits Spread to Far, Terrestrial habitats influence the spatial distribution and abundance of amphibious sea implication for conservation, Physiological Ecology of Sea Kraits inhabiting Orchid Island, Taiwan, The Queimada Grande Island and its Biological Treasure - the Golden Lancehead, Insular Tiger Snakes and Seabirds in Australia, Watching Treeboas on the Grenada Bank, The ecology and conservation of the Milos viper, Macrovipera schweizeri, The Unique Insular Population of Cottonmouth Snakes at Seahorse Key, Biology and conservation of the rattlesnake, Crotalus catalinensis, from Santa Catalina Island, Mexico, Decline and Recovery of the Lake Erie Watersnake, Snakes Compete for Hatchling Sea Turtles, Snakes on South American Tepuis.