New book discusses lizards, crocodilians of Southeast

Area bookstores are stocking up on "Lizards and Crocodilians of the Southeast," the latest in a book series on area wildlife.

Co-written by Savannah River Ecology Laboratory environmental outreach and education head Whit Gibbons, former SREL outreach program coordinator Tony Mills and SREL research coordinator and former lab manager Judy Greene, the book is the fourth in a five-book series which includes "Snakes of the Southeast," written with Mike Dorcas; "Turtles of the Southeast," with Kurt Buhlmann and Tracey Tuberville; and "Frogs and Toads of the Southeast," with Mike Dorcas. Mills is now education director for the Lowcountry Institute on Spring Island.

"We each took a set of species. There are 38 exotic species and 18 native species of lizards, plus the alligators and crocodiles," Gibbons said. "We wrote the accounts in the book by writing what we knew about them and then getting in touch with other professional herpetologists who were familiar with some of the more uncommon species."

The trio solicited images from more than 40 photographers, according to Gibbons. The book contains more than 300 color photographs of lizards, crocodiles and alligators.

The last book in the series, "Salamanders of the Southeast," is due out this spring from the University of Georgia Press. "Lizards and Crocodilians of the Southeast" is available now at all local bookstores; the trade paperback has a list price of $24.95.

"I am absolutely pleased with it. The University of Georgia Press did a fabulous job with the book," Gibbons said. "We've had an excellent response so far. So many people are interested in finding out about introduced species these days, and it's established as fact that there are twice as many exotic species than native species in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia."

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.