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This book is the first attempt to summarise what appears to be known about the amphibians and reptiles of Ethiopia and Eritrea in a single volume. Much of this information is already available in scientific journals, but is widely scattered in papers that are sometimes difficult to obtain and often present the data in a highly technical form. In contrast, we hope that this book will provide rapid, easy access to a range of useful information and nothing would repay our efforts more than the knowledge that this was helpful to local naturalists working within the local environment. Ethiopia has a unique fauna. In its recently uplifted highlands, surrounded and isolated by a great expanse of arid land, some remarkable evolution has taken place, giving rise to a considerable number of distinctive endemic species. These include conspicuous birds, such as the Blue-winged Goose and Wattled Ibis, mammals like the Ethiopian Wolf, Gelada Baboon and Mountain Nyala, together with a host of less familiar animals. More than 30 new species of amphibians and reptiles have been described from our area since 1970 and over 40 % of all Ethiopian frogs are found nowhere else in the world. It is hoped that this book will appeal to the general public, but more especially the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea, so leading to increased awareness of the beauty and diversity of the amphibians and reptiles that live in NE Africa. We believe that this knowledge will enhance readers enjoyment of such creatures and at the same time lead to greater appreciation of the need to improve measures for the conservation of this unique and magnificent fauna.
