Arizona is not only a desert. It is one of the most topographically varied and scenic areas in North America and contains extensive forests occurring up to timberline elevations (11,000-11,400 feet) plus a bit of alpine tundra above timberline on the summit of San Francisco Mountain (to 12,670 feet).The variety and beauty of the landscapes of Arizona have been remarked upon by naturalists who have traveled to this state from many parts of the World. This introduction to the Arizona vertebrate animal check lists provides an illustrated account of these natural settings for the homes of animals and plants in the state, and a discussion of the systems employed by biologists to classify them.

Arizona's Natural Environment: Landscapes and Habitats

Science & Math

Lowe Jr., Charles H.

Earth Sciences

University of Arizona Press

Even in paradise, one needs to be mindful of what’s underfoot. The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is a desert oasis in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, a rich repository of wildlife and a favorite destination for Tucsonans and visitors for more than a century. This book presents annotated and illustrated descriptions of the amphibians and reptiles found at Sabino Canyon and an overview of their natural environment. Representing a study spanning nearly twenty-five years, it documents their present and past distribution and examines environmental and herpetofaunal change due to physical, biological, and human impact on species and habitats. In this first publication to describe Sabino Canyon’s biota in scientific detail, three expert authors pool their knowledge to provide a detailed discussion of ecological change—especially as a consequence of drought, flooding, the introduction of exotic species, and direct human impact. Suburbia has arrived on the canyon’s doorstep, and human visitation has soared, inalterably affecting the area. Of particular concern, breeding habitats for amphibians were profoundly altered by flash flooding in Sabino’s streams following the 2003 Aspen Fire, which ravaged large parts of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The book contains richly detailed accounts of the 57 species found at Sabino—25 snakes, 17 lizards, 8 toads and frogs, 6 turtles, and 1 salamander—emphasizing their local ecology and the behavior likely to be witnessed by visitors. Physical descriptions and numerous photographs—many in color—facilitate identification. Up-to-date distribution maps provide an essential baseline against which future researchers can measure change. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon is essential for anyone who seeks to understand this desert oasis, how it has changed, and how it may change in the future. Written with minimal technical jargon to make it as useful to students and visitors as it will be to scientists and resource managers, it makes a vital contribution to our understanding of creatures underfoot whose habitat we seek to share.

Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitats at Sabino Canyon (The Southwest Center Series)

Lazaroff, David Wentworth

Rosen, Philip C.

Biological Sciences

The University of Arizona Press

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Books by Lowe Jr., Charles H.