Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Preface ix
4. INTRODUCTION 1
5. Part I THE THRILL OF DISCOVERY
6. 1 THE IRREPLACEABLE ROLE OF NATURE IN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY 7
7. 2 THE CRAWFISH FROG’S JAW 15
8. 3 JOURNEY TO THE AMAZONIAN RAINFOREST 21
9. 4 A RAINY EVENING IN THE PANTANAL 27
10. 5 TRACKING TURTLES 31
11. 6 FINDING THE FROG THAT SINGS LIKE A BIRD 36
12. 7 BORNEO’S TADPOLE HEAVEN 40
13. 8 HOW THE BOG FROG GOT ITS NAME 45
14. Part II ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION
15. 9 MY FIRST SUMMIT CAMP 49
16. 10 DOWN UNDER 57
17. 11 LESSONS FROM THE FIELD: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination 63
18. 12 FLYING SOUTHWARD THIRTY-THREE DEGREES TO CATCH MORE FROGS 69
19. 13 TRIP TO THE XINGU RIVER IN THE AMAZON FOREST OF BRAZIL 74
20. 14 WOK BILONG OL PIK 80
21. 15 IN SEARCH OF WONDER: How Curiosity Led Me to Madagascar 86
22. Part III FASCINATION AND LOVE FOR THE ANIMALS
23. 16 NEVER WORK ON A SPECIES THAT IS SMARTER THAN YOU ARE 93
24. 17 THE REALITY OF GIANT GECKOS 101
25. 18 FOLLOWING THE MOLE (SALAMANDER) TRAIL: A Forty-Year Cross-Country Journey 107
26. 19 CHANCE, MYTH, AND THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN CHINA 113
27. 20 DIVE IN THE AIR BESIDE A RICE PADDY: A Moment to Grab an Eluding Snake 120
28. 21 IMMERSION 126
29. 22 HERPETOLOGY MOMENTS 128
30. 23 CRYING IN THE RAIN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD 134
31. 24 FROGS IN THE CLEAR-CUT 140
32. 25 ONCE UPON A DIAMONDBACK: Learning Lessons about the Fragility of Desert Life 145
33. 26 SWAT TEAM TO THE RESCUE 151
34. 27 MILITARY HERPETOLOGY 156
35. Part IV MISHAPS AND MISADVENTURES
36. 28 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GATOR KIND 165
37. 29 DON’T TREAD ON HER 173
38. 30 A SNAKE TO DIE FOR 178
39. 31 GOOSE ON THE ROAD 183
40. 32 LOST ON THE PUNA 190
41. 33 LOST AND FOUND 196
42. 34 THE MOB THAT ALMOST HANGED US IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO 202
43. 35 ADVENTURES WHILE STUDYING LIZARDS IN THE HIGHLANDS OF VERACRUZ, MEXICO 207
44. Part V DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED
45. 36. The Field Herpetologist’s Guide to Interior Australia . . . with Kids 213
46. 37 TROUBLES IN A TROPICAL PARADISE 222
47. 38 ISLAND CASTAWAYS AND THE LIMITS OF OPTIMISM 229
48. 39 LESSONS IN PATIENCE: Frog Eggs, Snakes, and Rain 235
49. 40 SOUNDS OF SILENCE ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE 242
50. Part VI THE PEOPLE WE MEET, THE FRIENDSHIPS WE FORGE, THE STUDENTS WE INFLUENCE
51. 41. Why Do I Do What I Do in the Field? Joseph 247
52. 42 THE CAPTAIN AND THE FROG 255
53. 43 EXPLORING THE WILD KINGDOM WITH MARLIN 260
54. 44 TERROR, COURAGE, AND THE LITTLE RED SNAKE 267
55. 45 TEAM SNAKE MEETS EQUIPE SERPENT 271
56. 46 TICKS, POLICEMEN, AND MOTHERHOOD: Experiences in the Dry Chaco of Argentina 277
57. 47 ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND 281
58. 48 IN THE RABETA OF THE PAJÉ: An Ethnoherpetological Experience 287
59. PARTING THOUGHTS 292
60. Acknowledgments 295
61. Index 297