Mendelson, Joseph R., III

English

The University of Kansas: Journals@KU

IGUANA  •  VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2007 259BOOK REVIEWSHerpetological History of the Zoo and Aquarium World. 2007. ByJames B. Murphy. Krieger Publishing Company. xv + 327 p.ISBN 1-57524-285-0. $79.50 (hardcover).This is a remarkable volume of work that is as notable for itsdepth and thoroughness as for its warm celebration of a historyof institutions and individuals that could only be told by JimMurphy. Murphy’s time in the Special Collections Library at theSmithsonians’s Natural History Museum is evident. The book isloaded with wonderfully incisive and ironic quotes from obscuresources and images from throughout the history of the profes-sion. In separate sections, Murphy recounts the stories and tra-ditions of the discipline from the various perspectives that definezoo and aquarium herpetology — taxa, individuals, programs,and institutions. This approach leads to some redundancy, but,somewhat ironically, is simultaneously efficient and highly read-able. The approach is appropriate, for example, because one can-not truly understand the inestimable impact of Roger Conantsoley from the perspectives of the Toledo or Philadelphia zoos.Likewise, the remarkable contributions of those institutions can-not be appreciated only through their associations with Dr.Conant. Similarly, describing the historical importance of croc-odilians in the bestiary–menagerie–modern zoo transition wouldbe impossible by simply listing which institutions had publishedthe most papers or successfully bred which species. This neatmultifaceted approach is broadened by the inclusion of a uniquechapter entitled “Historical Vignettes” that highlights programs,twist-of-fate stories, or simple but important ideas. Here,Murphy’s story-telling style works well in relating a series ofcompelling tales that expand the confines of biographical orinstitutional sketches. These are labeled with interest-catchingtitles, such as “Why Galápagos Land Iguanas From Baltra IslandAre Not Extinct.”The chapter entitled “Evolution of a Discipline” is builtaround a taxonomic framework that highlights major advancesin the field in terms of, for example, simply getting snakes to eatin captivity or the remarkable insights into snake behavior thatcould only have been gathered from healthy, captive individu-als. What really struck me in this review was the lack of efforton the part of zoo herpetologists in the realms of taxonomy andmorphology. This is a shame, given the access to countless spec-imens and variants that typifies the discipline. In this vein, Ibelieve I may have detected the only oversight in this otherwiseterrific book, as I found no references to the seminal papers onreptilian morphology and evolution by George Rabb(Brookfield Zoo) and his colleague Hymen Marx (FieldMuseum of Natural History). This chapter, as important as it is,is a bit difficult to read, as Murphy was forced to include asmany references to published works as possible (one of his statedmetrics of a zoo’s historical impact) and, given the uneven spreadof such papers taxonomically and topically, the chapter variesgreatly in its depth of coverage. While perhaps a clumsy read, Ishudder at the thought of having to organize and write such areview.The chapter “Pioneers in Zoo Herpetology” and the clos-ing chapters highlighting significant institutions from through-out the world are the heart and soul of the book. These couldhave been dull accounts of persons, places, dates, and discipline-firsts, except that Murphy personalizes each topic with his ownexperiences and perceptions. For an author to inject so much ofhimself into a work like this is always a bit risky. If poorly done,it reeks of arrogance. However, with his usual story-telling elo-quence and his famously self-effacing personality, Murphy suc-ceeds. Few curators or keepers in the field today have heard ofthe inimitable Joe Laszlo of the San Antonio Zoo, but thanks toMurphy his legend lives.The chapter “Evolution of an Idea” was my favorite.Murphy takes the reader on a historical (and highly personal)journey through the remarkable transition through which zooherpetology passed in a time span shorter than a single career.Murphy helps us realize that zoo-based conservation programsB O O K  R E V I E W SHerpetology in the Zoo and Aquarium World260 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4  •  DECEMBER 2007 BOOK REVIEWSwere in place for mammals and birds while herp departmentsremained unable to determine the gender of their charges andhad standing orders with people who poached rattlesnake dens!However, Murphy repeatedly makes the point that the transi-tion is still far from complete — especially in the case ofamphibians, which remain an afterthought in all but a very fewprograms. Nevertheless, the current respectable state of zoo her-petology is attributable to individuals like Roger Conant, JamesOliver, and, of course, James B. Murphy. Murphy reminds us oftimes when representatives of zoos were not really welcome atscientific conferences, when research papers by zoo personnel orthose based on work at zoos were not considered worthy of pub-lication, and when the animals themselves were not consideredworthy of conservation. With such a dramatic conceptual turnin their histories, zoos are fortunate that Murphy places thisremarkable transition in an appropriate perspective. A nicetouch also is that this transition figures heavily in the Forewordby the late Roger Conant. How appropriate that this book pro-vides us with one more bit of wisdom from the undisputed“godfather” of zoo herpetology.Murphy relates, with great pride, the progress zoo herpetol-ogy programs have made, mainly by emphasizing their very realcontributions, including their leading role in the developmentof important conservation programs such as the DecliningAmphibian Population Task Force. Reading this book made meproud of our profession — and that’s a nice feeling. Thanks, Jim!Joseph R. Mendelson IIICurator of HerpetologyZoo AtlantaHispaniola. A Photographic Journey through Island Biodiversity.Bioversidad a Través de un Recorrido Fotográfico. 2007. By EladioFernández. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press,Cambridge, Massachusetts. xx + 374 pp. Hardcover — ISBN-10: 0-674-02628-4 — $ 60.My first trip to the West Indies was to the Dominican Republic.I’ve since spent considerable time on other islands, but when I’masked which is my favorite, I always come back to Hispaniola.Rather than attempt to explain (usually in vain) why the islandis so enticing, I now can direct anyone to Eladio Fernández’s pro-fusely illustrated book that so eloquently defines the island’s nat-ural beauty through the discerning eyes of a knowledgeable nat-uralist and gifted photographer. A total of 375 color photographs,many of them covering two facing pages in this coffee-table vol-ume, show flowers, landscapes, insects, birds, and, of particularinterest, amphibians and reptiles. Better yet, in many instances,the reader is not just greeted with portraits, but is immersed intonatural habitats as pollinators visit flowers, predators consumeprey, and anoles fan their dewlaps intent on attracting a mate ordissuading a rival. Even the vistas emanate life in a way seldomexperienced through photographs. This is a volume of images, some subtle, many powerful, allbeautiful. The text is almost an afterthought, yet no less valuable— once one finds the strength to turn away from the photo-graphs. All text is bilingual (English and Spanish), from the titleto the acknowledgments. The foreword by noted naturalistEdward O. Wilson deftly provides the context that makes the vol-ume so appealing — that the beauty portrayed is ephemeral, allthe more so for lack of a human commitment to treasure and pre-serve it. Philippe Bayard, of the Société Audubon Haïti, statesexplicitly how effectively art can promote conservation. The pho-tographer’s note by Fernández includes a somewhat wistful wishthat this book may “raise awareness and spark an interest in pre-serving [his] island’s natural heritage.” Additional “essays” by a vir-tual who’s who of Neotropical biologists address the diversity ofHispaniola’s birds (Steven C. Latta and Christopher C. Rimmer),mammals (Charles A. Woods and José A. Ottenwalder), amphib-ians and reptiles (S. Blair Hedges), insects (Brian Ferrell), vegeta-tion (Milcíades Mejía and Ricardo García), and fungi (TimothyJ. Baroni and Sharon A. Cantrell). All are eloquent, concise, andconsistent in acknowledging both the unique nature and perversefragility of the island’s habitats and their denizens.The book effectively surprises, entertains, and pleases oneach subsequent page. Only the all-too consistently dark images(undoubtedly attributable to cost-cutting decisions on the partof the publisher, otherwise not known to pinch pennies) detract— but fortunately not to the point where the grandeur of thesubject or the gift of the artist are compromised. I only wish Icould have avoided this one criticism of what is otherwise one ofthe best packages under one cover to come along in many, manyyears. Anyone who has experienced the islands or who wishes todo so some day should buy a copy, curl up in a warm chair on acold night, and dream of paradise — before it’s too late.Robert PowellDepartment of Biology, Avila UniversityKansas City, MissouriIsland Paradise

Herpetology in the Zoo and Aquarium World

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