Deadly snakes abound in the world. They rely on sight, sound, speed, and venom to capture and kill their prey. Six deadly snakes, including the black mamba and king cobra, are profiled.
All major and unusual venomous snakes, their range, habitats and venom, along with personal anecdotes (including snakebite stories) feature in this excellent book. Written by Mark O'Shea - one of the leading authorities on reptiles.
Benin is famous for its harmless sacred pythons that are worshipped in some cities and can even be seen and touched by tourists in the historic city of Ouidah on the Atlantic coast. Benin is however also home to some of the most poisonous and deadliest snakes in the world. There is not a lot of knowledge on them and many peasants and farmers fall victims to their bites every year. Since I couldn't find any book on this topic, I decided to do the research and to write one. I will subsequently work on a translation in French and Fongbe which are the most spoken languages in the Republic of Benin. I'm not a zoologist by trade but the book relies on research and observations by the best scientists in the field. Those scientists were commissioned by the US Army who felt the need to possess that information to protect its troops globally. This book is solely informative and should not be relied upon or used for anything other than intellectual curiosity.
Chronicles the adventures of the husband-and-wife team from his early days in Australia and her childhood in Oregon, through their meeting, their work with Australia Zoo and the television program The Crocodile Hunter.
Known for its fierce attitude, the bull snake is very defensive when threatened. Its main method of defense is to move its tail quickly in leaves and flatten its head so it looks like a rattlesnake. Read more about the bull snakeÕs amazing rattlesnake impression and other methods of intimidation in this exciting book!
A thrilling tale of encounters with nature’s masters of biochemistry From the coasts of Indonesia to the rainforests of Peru, venomous animals are everywhere—and often lurking out of sight. Humans have feared them for centuries, long considering them the assassins and pariahs of the natural world. Now, in Venomous, the biologist Christie Wilcox investigates and illuminates the animals of our nightmares, arguing that they hold the keys to a deeper understanding of evolution, adaptation, and immunity. She reveals just how venoms function and what they do to the human body. With Wilcox as our guide, we encounter a jellyfish with tentacles covered in stinging cells that can kill humans in minutes; a two-inch caterpillar with toxic bristles that trigger hemorrhaging; and a stunning blue-ringed octopus capable of inducing total paralysis. How do these animals go about their deadly work? How did they develop such intricate, potent toxins? Wilcox takes us around the world and down to the cellular level to find out. Throughout her journey, Wilcox meets the intrepid scientists who risk their lives studying these lethal beasts, as well as “self-immunizers” who deliberately expose themselves to snakebites. Along the way, she puts her own life on the line, narrowly avoiding being envenomated herself. Drawing on her own research, Wilcox explains how venom scientists are untangling the mechanisms of some of our most devastating diseases, and reports on pharmacologists who are already exploiting venoms to produce lifesaving drugs. We discover that venomous creatures are in fact keystone species that play crucial roles in their ecosystems and ours—and for this alone, they ought to be protected and appreciated. Thrilling and surprising at every turn, Venomous will change everything you thought you knew about the planet’s most dangerous animals.
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 will be an essential reference for herpetologists, toxinologists, physicians, zoo personnel and private snake collectors.
Join award-winning photographers Joe and Mary Ann McDonald on a journey of discovery in search of the World's Deadliest Creatures. Whether it's venomous cobras, poisonous jellyfish, hungry tigers, aggressive hippos, the diseases carried by mosquitoes or the traffic accident waiting to happen that is the moose, there are many ways in which then natural world can pose a threat. Stunning images coupled with engaging text covering more than 100 deadly species make this book a must-read for anyone with an interest in the dark side of wildlife