Craig Stanford is professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California. He is chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group and has conducted field studies of tortoises, turtles, and primates in South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, China, and Mexico. Stanford is the author of twenty books, including Planet Without Apes (2014) and The Last Tortoise: A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime (2010).

Cold-Blooded Murder examines some of the world’s most endangered reptiles and amphibians, revealing the forces driving them toward extinction. Stanford translates complex scientific issues into engaging narratives for any audience.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I. Lizards1. House of Dragons2. Resurrection Island3. The Disappearing Quick-Change Artists4. Tropical Paradise, Extinction Hell5. Beautifully Beaded Monsters6. Caribbean Dinosaurs7. Iguanid Glories of the GalápagosPart II. Snakes8. Back from the Caribbean Dead9. Tree Boas Lost and Found10. The Rarest Rattlers11. Bay Area Beauty12. Cockpit Country ConstrictorPart III. Turtles13. Rolls Royce in a Shell14. On the Brink15. Four Swamps and One Very Rare Turtle16. Turtles in the Time of Climate Change17. Restoring the Glories of the Galápagos18. Jewels of the Fynbos19. The Tourists and the TurtlePart IV. Crocodilians20. The King Croc of Siam21. In Fidel’s SwampsPart V. Frogs and Toads22. Threatened Treasure of the Sierra Nevada23. Leopard Spots24. A Warty Treasure in John Muir’s Paradise25. Poisoned by Their Own AppealPart VI. Salamanders26. Aztec Walking Fish27. Mountain GiantsConcluding ThoughtsFurther ReadingIndex

Craig Stanford is professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California. He is chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group and has conducted field studies of tortoises, turtles, and primates in South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, China, and Mexico. Stanford is the author of twenty books, including Planet Without Apes (2014) and The Last Tortoise: A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime (2010).

Cold-Blooded Murder examines some of the world’s most endangered reptiles and amphibians, revealing the forces driving them toward extinction. Stanford translates complex scientific issues into engaging narratives for any audience.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I. Lizards1. House of Dragons2. Resurrection Island3. The Disappearing Quick-Change Artists4. Tropical Paradise, Extinction Hell5. Beautifully Beaded Monsters6. Caribbean Dinosaurs7. Iguanid Glories of the GalápagosPart II. Snakes8. Back from the Caribbean Dead9. Tree Boas Lost and Found10. The Rarest Rattlers11. Bay Area Beauty12. Cockpit Country ConstrictorPart III. Turtles13. Rolls Royce in a Shell14. On the Brink15. Four Swamps and One Very Rare Turtle16. Turtles in the Time of Climate Change17. Restoring the Glories of the Galápagos18. Jewels of the Fynbos19. The Tourists and the TurtlePart IV. Crocodilians20. The King Croc of Siam21. In Fidel’s SwampsPart V. Frogs and Toads22. Threatened Treasure of the Sierra Nevada23. Leopard Spots24. A Warty Treasure in John Muir’s Paradise25. Poisoned by Their Own AppealPart VI. Salamanders26. Aztec Walking Fish27. Mountain GiantsConcluding ThoughtsFurther ReadingIndex