Contents

1. Preface
2. Introduction
3. Part I The Thrill of Discovery
   1. 1. The Irreplaceable Role of Nature in Scientific Discovery Robert E. Espinoza
   2. 2. The Crawfish Frog’s Jaw Michael J. Lannoo
   3. 3. Journey to the Amazonian Rainforest Janalee Caldwell
   4. 4. A Rainy Evening in the Pantanal Cynthia P. A. Prado
   5. 5. Tracking Turtles Jacqueline Litzgus
   6. 6. Finding the Frog That Sings Like a Bird Jodi Rowley
   7. 7. Borneo’s Tadpole Heaven Indraneil Das
   8. 8. How the Bog Frog Got Its Name Paul Moler
4. Part II Adventure and Exploration
   1. 9. My First Summit Camp Maureen A. Donnelly
   2. 10. Down Under Danté Fenolio
   3. 11. Lessons from the Field: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination Karen Lips
   4. 12. Flying Southward Thirty-Three Degrees to Catch More Frogs Ronald Altig
   5. 13. Trip to the Xingu River in the Amazon Forest of Brazil Célio F. B. Haddad and Marcelo Gordo
   6. 14. Wok bilong ol pik David Bickford
   7. 15. In Search of Wonder: How Curiosity Led Me to Madagascar Phillip Skipwith
5. Part III Fascination and Love for the Animals
   1. 16. Never Work on a Species That Is Smarter than You Are Rick Shine
   2. 17. The Reality of Giant Geckos Aaron M. Bauer
   3. 18. Following the Mole (Salamander) Trail: A Forty-Year Cross-Country Journey Susan C. Walls
   4. 19. Chance, Myth, and the Mountains of Western China Alan H. Savitzky
   5. 20. Dive in the Air beside a Rice Paddy: A Moment to Grab an Eluding Snake Akira Mori
   6. 21. Immersion Erin Muths
   7. 22. Herpetology Moments Patricia A. Burrowes
   8. 23. Crying in the Rain, in the Middle of the World Luis A. Coloma
   9. 24. Frogs in the Clear-Cut Julia E. Earl
   10. 25. Once upon a Diamondback: Learning Lessons about the Fragility of Desert Life Wolfgang Wüster
   11. 26. SWAT Team to the Rescue Joan (Diemer) Berish
   12. 27. Military Herpetology Robert Lovich
6. Part IV Mishaps and Misadventures
   1. 28. Close Encounters of the Gator Kind Whit Gibbons
   2. 29. Don’t Tread on Her Kelly Zamudio
   3. 30. A Snake to Die For Robert W. Hansen
   4. 31. Goose on the Road William W. Lamar
   5. 32. Lost on the Puna John E. Simmons
   6. 33. Lost and Found Martha L. Crump
   7. 34. The Mob That Almost Hanged Us in Chiapas, Mexico Oscar A. Flores-Villela
   8. 35. Adventures while Studying Lizards in the Highlands of Veracruz, Mexico Miriam Benabib and Justin Congdon
7. Part V Dealing with the Unexpected
   1. 36. The Field Herpetologist’s Guide to Interior Australia … with Kids Alison Davis Rabosky
   2. 37. Troubles in a Tropical Paradise Ross A. Alford
   3. 38. Island Castaways and the Limits of Optimism Alessandro Catenazzi
   4. 39. Lessons in Patience: Frog Eggs, Snakes, and Rain Karen M. Warkentin
   5. 40. Sounds of Silence on the Continental Divide Emily Taylor
8. Part VI The People We Meet, the Friendships We Forge, the Students We Influence
   1. 41. Why Do I Do What I Do in the Field? Joseph R. Mendelson III
   2. 42. The Captain and the Frog Sinlan Poo
   3. 43. Exploring the Wild Kingdom with Marlin Lee A. Fitzgerald
   4. 44. Terror, Courage, and the Little Red Snake Tiffany M. Doan
   5. 45. Team Snake Meets Equipe Serpent Kate Jackson
   6. 46. Ticks, Policemen, and Motherhood: Experiences in the Dry Chaco of Argentina María Gabriela Perotti
   7. 47. Adventures in Wonderland Laurie Vitt
   8. 48. In the Rabeta of the Pajé: An Ethnoherpetological Experience Beatriz N. Cosendey
9. Parting Thoughts
10. Acknowledgments
11. Index