Snake: The Essential Visual Guide

A comprehensive, best-selling guide to more than 3,000 snake species for fans of snakes, snake owners, and students - now in an updated second edition produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution.Get to know more than 3,000 snakes from around the world, from the familiar, massive Green Anaconda to the deadly Tropical Rattlesnake, the Reticulated Python, Red-Spitting Cobra, Puff Adder, Gaboon Viper, and more. Learn about the lesser-known dainty Leopard Snake, whose bright markings trick predators - and often humans - into thinking it is a deadly viper.Snake uses gorgeous, full-color photographs of 60 snakes to showcase what makes these reptiles so extraordinary, and includes more than 450 illustrations and detailed close-up photographs that show the snakes in action.Herpetology expert and wildlife photographer Chris Mattison accompanies each profile with fascinating snake facts and trivia on the snake's physical and behavioral characteristics, information about habitats, reproductive behavior, feeding, defense, and more. Plus, the updated, easy-to-reference Snake Directory lists every snake species within the 18 snake families, including little-known and rarely sighted species.Snake is a beautiful and comprehensive guide to some of nature's more compelling animals. von Mattison, Chris