ABSTRACT
Herpetofauna survival has been compromised by habitat loss due to urbanization and other factors. The herpetofauna represent the oldest group of terrestrial vertebrates. Their successful evolution depended on adaptations allowing a partial and total terrestrial existence, but under climatic and environmental conditions that did not include contemporary challenges for survival. This chapter is devoted to special examinations of the taxonomy, natural history, management considerations, and species diversity and distribution in urban habitats of terrestrial vertebrates. There is a critical need for more natural history, field ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management research on herpetofauna. Specific areas of study included accurate and timely information on populations; more intensive field studies of life history features, distributional limits, and population trends; and merging natural history studies with field and landscape ecology and genetic analysis. These needs are of particular relevance in urbanized habitats.
