The Herpetofaua of Panay Island, Philippines. 2011. 249 col. photogr. 390 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

This book offers much more than what a simple field guide usually offers, because it provides also extensive introductory information on the geology, biogeography of fauna and flora, climate, conservation issues and legislation, and concludes with additonal chapters on doubtful Panay records, snake bite problems, habitat and faunistic relationships, and a voluminous list of references. The author describes numerous new frog, lizard and snake taxa from the Philippine Islands, but her herpetological career started with varanid lizards, especially with the Philippine water monitors of the Varanus salvator group. One of her most important discoveries of any new species concerns a truly spectacular monitor lizard, the second frugivorous Varanus in the world that has become known: the big-growing, uniformly black, impressive Varanus mabitang, which figures with full justification not only as one of the most important flagship species for the conservation of Panays unique fauna, but also as the subject of the first photograph on the very beginning of this book.