ISSN 1827-9635 (print) © Firenze University Press 
ISSN 1827-9643 (online) www.fupress.com/ah

Acta Herpetologica 9(1): 129, 2014
DOI: 10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-14038

Book Review: 
Federico Chacón, Richard Dennis Johnson. Amphibians and 
Reptiles of Costa Rica.
Federico Chacón, Richard Dennis Johnson. Amphibians and 
Reptiles of Costa Rica. Anfibios y Reptiles de Costa Rica.

Sebastiano Salvidio

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università di Genova, I 16132 Genova Italy. E-mail: salvidio@
dipteris.unige.it

This field guide is available in two different editions, 
one only in English consisting of 172 pages and one in 
both English and Spanish of 215 pages. The format of 
both is 12 x 17 cm, and make them handy and valuable 
pocket friends. In this review I will comment only the 
English edition, but I verified that the bilingual bock cov-
ers exactly the same  topics and number of species.

The English guide begins with a four pages “Intro-
duction” in which the biological richness and the national 
nature conservation policy are very briefly described. 
Few lines are dedicated also to the recent amphibian 
decline described for this region. Then a tree pages sec-
tion describes the symbols used in the species description 
and in the species range maps. The pocket guide then 
illustrates the 191 amphibians and the 227 reptiles found 
within Costa Rica boundaries, comprising extinct species 
[e.g. the endemic Golden toad Incilus (Bufo) periglenes] 
and also introduced species (e.g., the Cuba treefrog Oste-
opilus septentrionalis). All species’ are described by a very 
short text and a small (2 x 2 cm) but clear map illustrates 
the species’ distribution. Almost all species are depicted 
by small (usually 3.5 x 6 cm) but good quality and bright 
colour photos. However, 22 of the 42 reported salaman-

ders are not illustrated. Dangerous snakes for humans are 
marked by a skull symbol. The guide ends with a useful 
glossary, a systematic index and with a short CV of the 
authors. 

The variety of amphibian and reptile species and 
their extreme diversification is striking and gives to the 
reader interested in these animals a strong motivation to 
visit the country.  

If the principal aim of this field guide was to allow 
tourists visiting Costa Rica to appreciate, get interested 
and try to recognize the hundreds of herps present in the 
different ecosystems, it was surely achieved. I also suggest 
that all parents visiting Costa Rica buy a copy this guide 
for their child, because this booklet will surely constitute 
an unforgettable souvenir for all future naturalists and 
herpetologists. I personally missed only the absence of 
further suggested readings concerning one of the most 
remarkable wildlife regions of the World.

The English pocket guide can be purchased at 
the cost of $14.95 (about €11), the English/Span-
ish edition for $19.95 (about €15), from the pub-
lisher’s website (http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/
book/?GCOI=80140100952080, ISBN 978-0-8014-7869-7). 


	Acta Herpetologica
	Vol. 8, n. 2 - December 2013
	Firenze University Press

	Journal of the Societas Herpetologica Italica
	ACTA HERPETOLOGICA