Henry S. Fitch

In 1970, the eminent herpetologist Henry Fitch published this monograph under the auspices of the University of Kansas’ Museum of Natural History. At nearly 250 pages, it summarizes everything that was then known about reproductive cycles in snakes and lizards. Citing over 550 references, it serves as a comprehensive guide to the older primary and secondary literature. From these sources, the author extracted detailed information about modes of reproduction (oviparity vs. viviparity), clutch and litter sizes, reproductive activity, and breeding seasons. The voluminous information is organized by genus and species within each squamate family. Following the individual species reports, the author discusses factors affecting reproductive cycles, timing of breeding seasons, the taxonomic distribution of clutch sizes, and viviparity.

Over the past four decades, much more information has accumulated about lizard and snake reproduction. Further, contemporary analyses use phylogenetic approaches to understand reproductive diversity. Nevertheless, this monograph serves as an invaluable guide to the pre- 1970 literature, one that is unlikely ever to be superceded.… (mehr)