cover image In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World's Rarest Amphibians

In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World's Rarest Amphibians

Robin Moore. Firefly Books, $35 (256p) ISBN 978-1-77085-464-2

With stories and more than 400 photos in his debut book, award-winning conservation photographer Moore seeks to raise the profile of frogs in the consciousness of a public largely unaware that in recent years "amphibians have been at the forefront of the largest mass extinction event since the dinosaurs disappeared." As director of the amphibian program at Conservation International, Moore spearheaded an international effort to search for species feared to be extinct. Following Moore on his global odyssey and riding the rollercoaster of his hopes, disappointments and triumphs brings the reader closer to his beloved frogs. As he searches for remaining forests in the ravished Haitian landscape, tracks vanished species amid the continuing political conflict in northern Colombia and discovers seeds of a cultural narrative wrapped up in the mysteries surrounding the Hula Painted Frog of Israel, Moore also seeks to untangle the complex knot of fragile ecosystems tied up with struggling economies, political strife and climate change. In this part travelogue, part adventure story, and part zoological journal, Moore doesn't shy away from sharing his personal experiences, thoughts and humor, and thus succeeds in transferring his passion and enthusiasm to readers. (Sept.)