Snakes

With full captions explaining the history, behavior, and feeding habits of more than 150 species, Snakes is a fascinating examination of these highly colorful reptilian killers in vivid photographs, now in a handy pocket format.

Few animals strike as much fear as snakes, which kill either through their poisonous venom or through suffocation. Numbering more than 3,000 species, snakes can be found in virtually every environment other than Antarctica, from the jungles of the Amazon to the Gobi Desert and Australian Outback. Some snakes even inhabit the rivers and seas. Presented in a handy pocket-size format, Snakes offers an engaging pictorial introduction to these prehistoric predators. Find out about the black mamba, which is feared because it possesses an extremely potent venom that kills most of its victims--animal and human; see the banded krait, whose venom is a neurotoxin that induces instant paralysis; learn about the reticulated python, the world’s longest constrictor, regularly reaching over 20 feet in length; and marvel at the tiny Barbados threadsnake, which typically grows to a length of 4 inches and has been compared to a spaghetti noodle!

Julianna Photopoulos is a science writer and filmmaker. She has written for various print and online publications including New Scientist, BBC Focus magazine, and Nature, and has been involved in a number of natural history documentaries for the BBC and National Geographic. As a biology graduate, she has worked in genetics and in dolphin and whale research.