A Field Guide to South Dakota Amphibians by Tate D. Fischer, Douglas C. Backlund, Kenneth F. Higgins and David E. Naugle

Frog, toads and salamanders...sound like the ingredients for a witch's brew. Humor and an undeserved reputation for raising warts on humans aside, these amphibians are as important to us as life itself. They signal a potential environmental problem that is affecting their health--and possibly our own. This is cause for alarm: Amphibians, due to their lifestyle, are indicator species that are useful for monitoring the health of our surroundings. They are, an early warning system of approaching environmental events.

Paperback
52 pages,42 color images
2004

Many of us need a realistic introduction to the amphibians of South Dakota, an introduction untainted by tales and mythology. This guide is meant to be useful to anyone wanting to learn more about these often secretive creatures. Included in this guide are tips for identification, brief life histories and distribution maps of the species that currently or historically have been known to inhabit South Dakota.