Relicts of a beautiful sea

"[This book] explores the existence of rare, unexpected and sublime desert creatures such as the black toad and four pupfishes unique to the desert West. All are anomalies, amphibians and fish, dependent upon aquatic habitats, yet living in one of the driest places on Earth, where precipitation averages less than four inches a year. In this climate of extremes, beset by conflicts over water rights, each species illustrates the work of natural selection and the importance of conservation. ..."--Book jacket.