Showing 1–12 of 34 results
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A Naturalist’s Guide to the Snakes of Australia
Artist/Author: Eipper, Scott, Tyese Eipper$26.00 Add to cartThis easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 species of snake most commonly seen in Australia is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from Australia’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers the geography and climate of Australia, types of habitat, and details of orders and families. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the snakes of Australia encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, and its global IUCN status as at 2018.
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American Snakes
Artist/Author: Graham, Sean P (Author), Rick Shine(Foreword By)$78.00 Add to cart125 million years ago on the floodplains of North America, a burrowing lizard started down the long evolutionary path of shedding its limbs. The 60-plus species of snakes found in Sean P. Graham’s American Snakes have this ancestral journey to thank for their ubiquity, diversity, and beauty. Although many people fear them, snakes are as much a part of America’s rich natural heritage as redwoods, bald eagles, and grizzly bears. Found from the vast Okefenokee Swamp to high alpine meadows, from hardwood canopies to the burning bottom of the Grand Canyon, these ultimate vertebrates are ecologically pivotal predators and quintessential survivors.
In this revelatory and engaging meditation on American snakes, Graham, a respected herpetologist and gifted writer,
– explains the everyday lives of American snakes, from their daily routines and seasonal cycles to their love lives, hunting tactics, and defensive repertoires
– debunks harmful myths about snakes and explores their relationship with humans
– highlights the contribution of snakes to the American wilderness
– tells tales of “snake people” – important snake biologists with inspiring careersNeither a typical field guide nor an exhaustive reference, American Snakes is instead a fascinating study of the suborder Serpentes. Brimming with intriguing and unusual stories – of hognose snakes that roll over and play dead, blindsnakes with tiny vestigial lungs, rainbow-hued dipsadines, and wave-surfing sea-snakes – the text is interspersed with scores of gorgeous full-colour images of snakes, from the scary to the sublime. This proud celebration of a diverse American wildlife group will make every reader, no matter how sceptical, into a genuine snake lover.
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Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide
Artist/Author: Leenders, Twan$90.00 Add to cartReptiles of Costa Rica, the long-awaited companion to Amphibians of Costa Rica is the first-ever comprehensive field guide to the crocodilians, turtles, lizards, and snakes of Costa Rica. A popular destination for tourists and biologists because of its biodiversity, the country is particularly rich in reptile fauna, boasting 245 species. The sheer diversity in shapes, sizes, colours, and natural history traits of these animals is beautifully displayed in Reptiles of Costa Rica. Lizards range from minuscule dwarf geckos to dinosaur-like iguanids, and everything in between, while the country’s snakes include tiny eyeless wormsnakes, massive boas, as well as twenty-three dangerously venomous species, which include the largest vipers in the world.
Author, photographer, and conservation biologist Twan Leenders has been researching and documenting the herpetofauna of Costa Rica for nearly twenty-five years. His explorations have taken him to remote parts of Costa Rica that few people ever visit, journeys that usually find him hauling an array of photographic equipment to document his finds. In addition to including more than 1,000 photographs, detailed black and white scientific illustrations, and range maps, Reptiles of Costa Rica also features paintings of anole dewlaps, a key identification feature for that very complex group of lizards. This new field guide will enable the reader to identify all species, while also providing a wealth of information about natural history, predation, breeding strategies, habitat preferences, and conservation of Costa Rica’s reptile fauna.
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The Book of Snakes: A Lifesize Guide to Six Hundred Species from Around the World
Artist/Author: O'Shea, Mark$60.00 Add to cartThere are over 3,600 species of snake found on every continent except for Antarctica, ranging in size from Barbados’ tiny threadsnake to Southeast Asia’s massive reticulated python. More than any other creature snakes are surrounded by dark, compelling myths and legend, unsurprising since many constrict their prey to death, or kill with a venomous bite, using a diverse armory of venoms that affect the blood, tissues, organs, and respiration. However, it is especially true of snakes that the closer you observe them, the more exquisite they are in their intricate geometry of pattern, the fine texture of the overlapping scales, and the intricacies of their multifarious lifestyles. The Book of Snakes profiles 600 significant species from all 32 families-one in six of all known species-to create a beautiful collector’s piece that is both a significant resource for enthusiasts and scholars, and the most visually stimulating guide on the market.
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Islands and Snakes: Isolation and Adaptive Evolution
Artist/Author: Lillywhite, Harvey B, Marcio Martins (Editors)$185.00 Add to cartIslands and Snakes contains 13 chapters describing ecological systems with foci on snakes and their ecological roles on islands around the world. Each chapter is written by one or more authors who is an authority on that particular system. Summaries of research on the various islands are written in a narrative manner that includes science as well as personal insights in easily understood language. These varied vignettes of science feature islands around the world, and in all cases, fantastic species of snakes and their roles in the community of insular organisms in which they occur. Both challenges and opportunities associated with island life are discussed, as well as the unique attributes of snakes and their conservation as unique and important parts of nature. Chapters include colorful photographs and illustrations, and collectively they convey information on topics that include ecology, behavior, biogeography, physiology, adaptation, and evolutionary biology. An introductory chapter presents a review and perspective on the historical importance of island ecology and how snakes have contributed to our understanding of evolution and adaptation. The other chapters focus on snakes inhabiting islands associated with Asia, Australia, South America, North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The final chapter features the unique “table top islands” or tepuis of South America as examples of ecological islands where elements of biota have become isolated by geographic features of landscape similarly to oceanic islands.
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King Cobra: Natural History and Captive Management
Artist/Author: Charlton, Tom$59.00 Add to cartThe king cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world, is widely distributed across much of tropical and subtropical Asia. Its generic name Ophiophagus (‘snake-eater’) is indicative of its cannibalistic tendencies; its diet is comprised almost exclusively of snakes, including its own kind. The enormous lengths that the king cobra can reach, combined with an intimidating threat display and possession of highly neurotoxic venom, have led to it being greatly feared by many. It is widely considered as one of the most formidable snakes in the world.
However, whilst undoubtedly dangerous when provoked, the king cobra is undeserving of its fearsome reputation. Research has shown it to be an extremely shy and elusive reptile exhibiting fascinating behavioural traits, some of which are totally unique within the world of snakes. Even after more than 180 years since the king cobra was first described in 1836, many of its secrets are yet to be revealed. Importantly, monitoring of wild populations has shown signs of rapid decline in numbers in many areas, and so continued conservation efforts are required to secure the reign of the king cobra across its distribution.
King Cobra, profusely illustrated with excellent photographs from a number of very talented photographers, details the natural history of the king cobra, looking closely at all aspects of its life including distribution, diet, reproduction and venom, as well as its relationship with humans and conservation. The author also provides notes on the captive management of the king cobra, drawing on his experience of maintaining and breeding this species for a number of years.
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The Origin of Snakes: Morphology and the Fossil Record
Artist/Author: Caldwell, Michael Wayne$105.00 Add to cartThe Origin of Snakes presents perspectives on the past and present state of the understanding of snake origins. It reviews and critiques data and ideas from paleontology and neontology (herpetology), as well as ideas from morphological and molecular phylogenetics. The author reviews the anatomy and morphology of extant snakes. Methods are also critiqued, including those empirical and theoretical methods employed to hypothesize ancestral ecologies for snakes. The modern debate on squamate phylogeny and snake ingroup phylogeny using molecules and morphology is examined critically to provide insights on origins and evolution.
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The Lizards, Crocodiles, and Turtles of Honduras: Systematics, Distribution, and Conservation
Artist/Author: McCranie, James$97.00 Add to cartBased on years of field work and the examination of thousands of museum specimens, The Lizards, Crocodiles, and Turtles of Honduras is the final instalment of a series of volumes by James R. McCranie documenting the amphibians and reptiles of Honduras.
Thoroughly illustrated by colour photographs and maps of geographic distribution, the book describes in detail 86 species of Honduran lizards, crocodilians, and turtles. Identification keys in both English and Spanish allow the ready identification of all species, and discussions of conservation status review current threats to all species. The publication of this work represents the completion of the most comprehensive and detailed study of the amphibian and reptilian faunas of any country in Latin America.
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Snakes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: A Photographic Guide
Artist/Author: Geniez, Philippe$70.00 Add to cartOriginally published in French, (now translated) this is a fully up-to-date and comprehensive photographic field guide to the snakes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Lavishly illustrated with 387 colour photographs, it includes coverage of all 122 snake species found in these regions.
The guide’s detailed introduction discusses snake anatomy, biology, habitats and taxonomy. It also explores the health of snakes in captivity and conservation measures, and provides a succinct explanation of the chemical composition, physical effects and cultural uses of snake venom. Species accounts are arranged taxonomically and provide identification features, a description of the species’ habitat and behavior and information about whether a snake is venomous. Abundant distribution maps describe each species’ geographic variation and usual habitats. Clear photos aid identification and are supplemented with illustrations highlighting key anatomical features. A table of all species, country by country, is included at the back of Snakes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
The first dedicated field guide on snakes to appear in many years, Snakes of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East will be indispensable for anyone interested in learning more about these unique reptiles.
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Australia’s Dangerous Snakes: Identification, Biology and Envenoming
Artist/Author: Mirtschin, Peter, Arne Rasmussen and Scott A. Weinstein.$120.00 Add to cartAustralia’s venomous snakes are widely viewed as the world’s most deadly and are regarded with cautious curiosity, fascination, and, regrettably, fear. Australia’s Dangerous Snakes examines the biology, natural history, venom properties, and bite treatment of medically important venomous marine and terrestrial snakes. It contains comprehensive identification profiles for each species, supported by keys and photographs. In addition to their medical importance, the environmental role of snakes and the threats that are causing the decline of many of these reptiles are discussed. Drawing on the authors’ experience in the fields of herpetology, toxinology, and clinical medicine, this book stimulates respect and admiration and dispels fear of Australia’s fascinating snakes.
Australia’s Dangerous Snakes will provide hours of rewarding reading and valuable information for anyone interested in Australia’s unique wildlife and natural history, and will be an essential reference for herpetologists, toxinologists, physicians, zoo personnel, and private snake collectors.
* Contains comprehensive identification profiles for each dangerous snake species, supported by keys and photographs.
* Describes the production, actions and uses of venoms.
* Provides information on the risks and clinical management of snakebite and envenoming. -
A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales (Third Edition)
Artist/Author: Swan, Gerry, Ross Sadlier and Glenn Shea.$35.00 Add to cartA guide to every gecko, flap-footed lizard, goanna, dragon, skink, snake and turtle known to live throughout the state’s many habitats.
A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales narrows down the field of species identification to a manageable size for any naturalist. The telltale details that make identification possible lie in the descriptions of families, genera and species; these are accompanied by clear line drawings. Where you need to tune out similar species, simple keys are provided. For herpetologists, the location maps will prove invaluable. This book is a thorough update, expansion and revision of A Field Guide to the Snakes and Lizards of New South Wales published in 2004. Since then, the number of species has increased, countless names have changed and new species locations have been found. -
Snakes in Question : The Smithsonian Answer Book
Artist/Author: Carl H. Ernst; George R. Zug$30.00 Add to cartHow do snakes crawl and climb? What do they eat? How do they breathe, hear, and smell? What is the largest snake? Authoritative and accessible, this book answers the most frequently asked questions about snakes and provides a basic introduction for both adults and children to the habits and marvels of these limbless creatures. Nearly 160 illustrations, 55 in colour.
