Snakes on the patio, salamanders in the basement, frogs crossing the road, and turtles nesting on the shore in the land of 10,000 lakes: from the enchanted child to the curious adult, from the amateur naturalist to the dedicated conservationist, living with wildlife in Minnesota means finding amphibians and reptiles in prairies and forests and your own backyard.


Amateur and professional alike will find this book a comprehensive source and a user-friendly guide, invaluable for discovering, identifying, and learning about any of the state’s fifty-three amphibian and reptile species from the common American Toad to the little seen Western Ratsnake. This handbook takes readers through the steps for studying these species in the field.


Including current information about designations of species in need of conservation, this reference covers the latest research and work on environmental threats and amphibian and reptile protection, such as the deformed frog phenomenon, turtle legislation, climate change, and habitat restoration. With more than 200 photographs, written descriptions, county-based maps, habitat and distribution data, life histories, and circular keys to adult and larval specimens, the book brings readers up-to-date on Minnesota’s new species and changes to scientific names. Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota is the most complete and authoritative guide of its kind.


Information in this book was partly funded by proceeds of the Minnesota Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.