Ecology of Urban Amphibians and Reptiles: Urbanophiles, Urbanophobes, and the Urbanoblivious

This chapter explores how the ability of herpetofauna to persist and/or thrive in urban ecosystems is constrained by some of the very traits that characterise them, including relatively limited dispersal capacity, high trophic level, and ectothermy. In particular, it considers the ecology of amphibians and reptiles found in cities; their roles in urban ecosystem food webs, energy flow, and biogeochemical cycles; whether they help stabilise ecosystem function amidst the disturbance that persists in urban environs; and whether these taxa can serve as indicators of environmental stress and successful urban ecosystem re-engineering for sustainability. It also looks at the characteristics of urbanophiles, urbanophobes, and the urbanoblivious.