Prior to this publication, the most recent book compiling scientific names and original description citations for amphibians and reptiles of North America (north of Mexico) was prepared by the late Karl P. Schmidt and published in 1953. Many taxonomic changes and discoveries have occurred since that date. Today, the most modern consensus on scientific nomenclature for amphibians and reptiles in the United States and Canada appears in Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles Third Edition (Collins, 1990), and this work follows the usage in his list.