William W. Lamar

Mississippi Snakes: Their Identification, Natural History, and Influence on the Culture of the Magnolia State is more than just a guidebook about snakes. It is a new approach to understanding the natural history of one of the most biologically diverse and culturally rich states in the country. Authors Terry L. Vandeventer and Robert A. Young share facts, stories, and practical advice about the more than fifty different kinds of snakes living in Mississippi. The topic of snakes slithers to the forefront of conversations held on porches and around campfires throughout Mississippi. However, most people know very little about snakes, and what they believe is often steeped in myth and inaccuracies. The authors present facts and answer questions about the often-misunderstood reptiles. "What are snakes good for?" "Do snakes really chase people?" "Can you age a rattlesnake by the rattle?" "What do I do if I’m bitten by a snake?" With 350 beautiful color photographs, the authors teach readers how to identify snakes and how to determine what they eat and where they live. They also delve into how snakes feature in our history, music, and everyday activities. Written for the general audience but containing a wealth of accurate scientific data, the book appeals equally to the layperson and the professional herpetologist.

Two-volume set. Since the publication of The Venomous Reptiles of Latin America by Cornell University Press in 1989, scientific discoveries and taxonomic changes have resulted in the addition of many taxa and species to the herpetological fauna of the Western Hemisphere. This updated, heavily rewritten, and greatly expanded version of that book now includes accounts of all 192 species of venomous snakes and lizards found in the Western Hemisphere. This two-volume set is illustrated with stunning color photographs, including portraits of venomous reptiles (many of which are unique in showing newly discovered species and views of male, female, and juvenile individuals); images of snakebites, an important tool for diagnosis and treatment; color vegetation and topographic maps; black-and-white photographs; line figures; and completely revised distribution maps. Volume I includes a list of tables, preface, introduction, and regional/country accounts with related bilingual identification keys and vegetation and topographic maps. Genus and species accounts in this volume treat the lizards, coralsnakes, seasnakes, and all the pitvipers except rattlesnakes; these accounts are accompanied by color photographs of each species. Volume I also contains a complete index to both volumes. Volume II includes descriptions of all known species of rattlesnakes. It also features four chapters by experts on mimicry, evolution, and snakebite treatment in tropical and temperate America. A glossary, literature-cited section, and index serve both volumes. Color photographs portray rattlesnakes, mimics, and the damage done by snakebite. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere is an essential reference for all naturalists interested in herpetology—amateurs impressed by the beauty and complexity of venomous reptiles as well as professional herpetologists and their students conducting research in the classroom, at the zoo, and in the field.