Kenneth L. Krysko Douglas R. Mader Stephen J. Divers Robert N. Reed 2014 <p>Why is there a section on introduced amphibians and reptiles in this volume, and why should veterinarians care about this issue? Globally, invasive species are a major threat to the stability of native ecosystems,^1,2 and amphibians and reptiles are attracting increased attention as potential invaders. Some introduced amphibians and reptiles have had a major impact (e.g., Brown Tree Snakes [<i>Boiga irregularis</i>] wiping out the native birds of Guam³ or Cane Toads [^{Rhinella marina}] poisoning native Australian predators).⁴ For the vast majority of species, however, the ecological, economic, and sociopolitical effects of introduced amphibians and reptiles are generally poorly quantified, largely because of a lack of focused research effort rather than because such effects are nonexistent. This trend is alarming given that rates of introduction have increased exponentially in recent decades.</p> application/pdf 10.1016/B978-1-4557-0893-2.00028-4 en Elsevier Invasive and introduced reptiles and amphibians chapter