SNAKES - BOOKS

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:17 pm

SNAKES - BOOKS

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:26 pm

Anyone can look at a snake and see a creature unique unto itself, a reptile with a set of zoological and biological traits that are entirely its own. Just looking at this distinct animal raises many scientific questions. With regard to evolution, how did such an animal come to be? How does a snake move, and how do its sense organs differ from that of other reptiles? How does it eat, and how does it reproduce? Essentially, how does a snake "work"? In How Snakes Work: The Structure, Function and Behavior of the World's Snakes, leading zoologist Harvey B. Lillywhite has written the definitive scientific guide to the functional biology of snakes. Written for both herpetologists and a more general audience with an interest in the field, How Snakes Work features nearly two hundred color images of various species of snakes, used to provide visual examples of biological features explained in the text.

Chapter topics include the evolutionary history of the snake, feeding, locomotion, the structure and function of skin, circulation and respiration, sense organs, sound production, temperature and thermoregulation, and reproduction. Containing all the latest research and advances in our biological knowledge of the snake, How Snakes Work is an indispensable asset to professional zoologists and enthusiasts alike.

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Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:28 pm

Comprehensive, up-to-date, and richly illustrated with some 200 color photographs, The New Encyclopedia of Snakes is the best single-volume reference on snakes. A thorough revision of the highly successful Encyclopedia of Snakes, Chris Mattison's new book is the only one of its kind to deal in detail with snakes from around the world. Addressing the natural history of snakes and their relationship with each other and with other groups of animals, the book incorporates new information on snake biology and classification and includes a complete list of every family and genus, with notes on each. Throughout, photographs show the fascinating variety of snake coloration and camouflage, and illustrate and clarify the many topics covered.

Organized thematically, the book addresses the origin and evolution of snakes; their morphology and function; how and where they live; their methods of feeding, defense, and reproduction; their taxonomy and classification; and their interaction with humans. The New Encyclopedia of Snakes is the ideal reference for anyone interested in snakes--whether they come across them in the wild, go looking for them, keep them captive, or are simply fascinated by them.

A comprehensive, up-to-date, and richly illustrated reference

Text enhanced by some 200 color photographs of snakes from all over the world

Easy-to-read fact boxes about topics of special interest

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https://amzn.to/2nWT8pH

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:29 pm

125 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 careers

Neither 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-color 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 skeptical, into a genuine snake lover.

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https://amzn.to/2Pm6aJP

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:30 pm

More than sixty species of snakes are found in the eastern United States, the region of highest biodiversity of all reptiles and amphibians in North America. In this brand new guide, stunning photographs, colorful geographic range maps, and comprehensive written accounts provide essential information about each species―including detailed identification characteristics, general ecology and behavior, and conservation status. Carefully researched and written, the guide is directed toward a general audience interested in natural history.

Additional information supports the already fact-filled snake species profiles. A chapter on urban and suburban snake ecology focuses on species most commonly found in some of the country’s largest cities and residential settings. A chapter on snake conservation includes information on threats faced by native species in many regions of the eastern United States. Another chapter provides the latest updates on the status of invasive species of pythons and boa constrictors that have now become naturalized permanent residents in certain areas of the country. This is the most accessible and informative guide to snakes of the eastern United States available anywhere.

Features:
-More than 385 stunning color photographs
-Colorful geographic range maps
-Species accounts that cover identification, general ecology and behavior, and conservation status
-Extra information on snakes in urban and suburban areas
-Strong conservation message, with a focus on environmental threats to native species
-Coverage of invasive snakes

Covers snakes in these states (plus Washington, DC): Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

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https://amzn.to/2whjQwW

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:31 pm

There’s no sound quite like it, or as viscerally terrifying: the ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake. It’s a chilling shorthand for imminent danger, and a reminder of the countless ways that nature can suddenly snuff us out.

Yet most of us have never seen a timber rattler. Though they’re found in thirty-one states, and near many major cities, in contemporary America timber rattlesnakes are creatures mostly of imagination and innate fear.

Ted Levin aims to change that with America’s Snake, a portrait of the timber rattlesnake, its place in America’s pantheon of creatures and in our own frontier history—and of the heroic efforts to protect it against habitat loss, climate change, and the human tendency to kill what we fear. Taking us from labs where the secrets of the snake’s evolutionary history are being unlocked to far-flung habitats whose locations are fiercely protected by biologists and dedicated amateur herpetologists alike, Levin paints a picture of a fascinating creature: peaceable, social, long-lived, and, despite our phobias, not inclined to bite. The timber rattler emerges here as emblematic of America and also, unfortunately, of the complicated, painful struggles involved in protecting and preserving the natural world.

A wonderful mix of natural history, travel writing, and exemplary journalism, America’s Snake is loaded with remarkable characters—none more so than the snake at its heart: frightening, perhaps; endangered, certainly; and unquestionably unforgettable.

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Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:38 pm

Australia’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 roles of these 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 it will be an essential reference for herpetologists, toxinologists, physicians, zoo personnel, and private snake collectors.

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https://amzn.to/2wf7ghH

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:38 pm

The Republic of Panama, located between Costa Rica and Colombia, is the land bridge between North and South America. It has a rich diversity of snakes, with 148 species known to occur in the country as of November 2017. Species are continuing to be added regularly as new parts of tropical forest are explored. This field guide includes for every species: •Colored photographs •Dot Maps •Descriptions with scale counts •Natural History •Similar Species It also includes information on: •Panama's provinces and habitats •General snake biology •Snakebite prevention •Hospitals of each province This field guide is the first this millennium to so comprehensively cover these interesting and ecologically important animals for Panama.

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https://amzn.to/2wiF6lJ

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:40 pm

Rattlesnakes of Arizona 2 (2016) Volume 2 - Rattlesnakes of Arizona (Conservation, Behavior, Venom, and Evolution) is a collection of 13 highly focused, synthetic chapters by 22 leading experts covering a wide range of topics, from phylogenetics and genomics to reproduction and social behavior. Emphasis is on species of Arizona and nearby areas in the Southwest. Conservation is highlighted in two chapters. Several chapters are dedicated solely to the development and evolution of the rattle. No academic book on the biology of rattlesnakes would be complete without a chapter on venom. Like its companion (Rattlesnakes of Arizona, volume 1), it is replete with remarkable images of rattlesnakes in situ, as well as 90 figures and 17 tables. It is the new authoritative reference on these iconic animals. The dust jacket (Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Crotalus pyrrhus) is original art by Tell Hicks.

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https://amzn.to/2N5LxA2

Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:41 pm

A Venezuelan native, Jesús Rivas is the world’s authority in the biology the green anaconda. Sorrounded by fiction, and myth anacondas remain one of the least known of the earth’s large predators.; and one with the most missconceptions. This book presents scientific and technical information about anaconda biology, from the first, and so far only, comprehensive field based study the biology world’s largest snake. With full color illustrations, this books presents the first, and so far the only, study of green anacondas in the wild. While studies tend to be more laboratory based, this book present the results of long years of field data collection. Living in the field and "waking up in the job" the author believes, is the best way to really get to know an animal. While the emphasis of the study is on reproductive biology the author summarizes other aspects of the natural history of this, the world's largest snake. This book is a required reading for anyone interested in ecology of large predators, snake natural history, or tropical ecology. While this books contains a lot of scientific and technical information, the results are discussed in plain English. Jesus Rivas currently teaches biology at New Mexico Highlands University

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Ter Ago 21, 2018 4:43 pm

This is a book about some of nature's most alluring and forbidding creatures, written by a man with an abiding passion for snakes, as well as for science, the fate of the planet, and the wonder of life. Harry Greene presents every facet of the natural history of snakes—their diversity, evolution, and conservation—and at the same time makes a personal statement of why these animals are so compelling.

This book provides an up-to-date summary of the biology of snakes on a global basis. Eight chapters are devoted to general biology topics, including anatomy, feeding, venoms, predation and defense, social behavior, reproduction, evolution, and conservation; eight chapters survey the major snake groups, including blindsnakes, boas, colubrids, stiletto snakes, cobras, sea snakes, and vipers. Details of particular interest, such as coral snake mimicry and the evolution of the0 rattle, are highlighted as special topics. Chapter introductory essays are filled with anecdotes that will tempt nonspecialists to read on, while the book's wealth of comprehensive information will gratify herpeto-culturalists and professional biologists.

Greene's writing is clear, engaging, and full of appreciation for his subject. Michael and Patricia Fogden are known internationally for their outstanding work, and their stunning color photographs of snakes in their natural habitats are a brilliant complement to Greene's text. Here is a scientific book that provides accurate information in an accessible way to general readers, strongly advocates for a persecuted group of animals, encourages conservation—not just of snakes but of ecosystems—and credits science for enriching our lives. In helping readers explore the role of snakes in human experience, Greene and the Fogdens show how science and art can be mutual pathways to understanding.

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https://amzn.to/2N3qttN

SNAKES - BOOKS

SNAKES - BOOKS

How Snakes Work: Structure, Function and Behavior of the World's Snakes

The New Encyclopedia of Snakes

American Snakes

Snakes of the Eastern United States

America's Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake

Australia's Dangerous Snakes: Identification, Biology and Envenoming

Snakes of Panama: A Field Guide to all Species

Rattlesnakes of Arizona Volume 2

Natural History of the Green Anaconda: with emphasis on its reproductive biology

Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature

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