Ernest, Carol H. and Lovich, Jeffrey E. "Turtles of the United States and Canada." The John Hopkins University Press. 2009.
Contains species account contains information on identification, genetics, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, predators, and conservation status. The book includes range maps for freshwater and terrestrial species, a glossary of scientific names, an extensive bibliography for further research, and an index to scientific and common names.
Grismer, L. Lee. "Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés." 2002.
The Baja California peninsula is home to many forms of life found nowhere else on earth. This, combined with the peninsula's rugged and inaccessible terrain, has made the area one of the last true biological frontiers of North America. L. Lee Grismer is not only the foremost authority on the amphibians and reptiles of Baja California, but also an outstanding photographer. He has produced the most comprehensive work on the herpetofauna of the peninsula and its islands ever published. With its stunning color images, detailed accounts of many little-known species, and descriptions of the region's diverse environment, this is the definitive guide to the amphibians and reptiles of a fascinating and remote region.
Jones, Lawrence and Edwards, Robert (eds). "Lizards of the American Southwest." Rio Neuvo. 2009.
This book covers all 96 species found in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Texas west of the Pecos River. Learn where to find lizards and how to identify them. Includes detailed information on habitat, natural history, taxonomy, viewing tips, plus hundreds of photos, illustrations, and maps.
Klauber, Laurence M. "Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, & Influence on Mankind." Abridged Edition. University of California Press. 1982.
This single-volume edition of Laurence M. Klauber's monumental work is a lively, engaging, comprehensive study that can be understood and enjoyed by anyone with an interest in natural history.
Klauber, Laurence M. "Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, & Influence on Mankind." University of California Press. 1997.
A lifetime of fieldwork and laboratory research is incorporated in this authoritative treatise. Yet with his impeccable technical work, the author has not overlooked the fascination these remarkable reptiles command for the lay person, and includes folklore, fieldwork anecdotes, medical horror stories, and more. The original 1500-page two-volume book received the highest critical acclaim when it was published in 1956; a continuing demand for the encyclopedic work led to a revised edition in 1972 and again in 1997.
Lannoo, Micheal (ed). "Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species." Univeristy of California Press. 2005. This benchmark volume documents in comprehensive detail a major environmental crisis: rapidly declining amphibian populations and the disturbing developmental problems that are increasingly prevalent within many amphibian species. Horror stories on this topic have been featured in the scientific and popular press over the past fifteen years, invariably asking what amphibian declines are telling us about the state of the environment.