There are more than 250 kinds of poisonous snakes, and this illustrated book tells where they live, what they eat, and how they behave. It also reveals which snakes pose no danger to humans, how snakes are "milked," how anti-venom is made, and what to do if you're bitten.

This comprehensive reference guide explains how to recognize poisonous snakes around the world, what precautions to take to avoid being bitten and what first aid procedures and antivenoms are available in the event of a bite.

Rattlesnake? Copperhead? Cottonmouth? When to stay and when to run from nature s coolest...

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.

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.

This book is the first significant contribution to thoroughly examine the potential hazards associated with snakes of the former family, Colubridae. This family contained >65% of living snake species (approximately 3,000 taxa) and has recently been split into multiple families. Many of these snakes produce oral secretions that contain toxins and other biologically-active substances. A large variety of these snakes figure in the pet industry, yet little documented information or formal study of their potential medical importance has been published. Therefore, although the possible medical importance of many of these species has been subjected to speculation since the mid-nineteenth century, there is a limited amount of useful descriptive information regarding the real hazard (or lack thereof) of snakes belonging to this diverse, artificial family. There is a need for "one-stop shopping" offering information regarding their possible toxicity and clinical relevance as well as recommendations for medical management of their bites. This book is the first synthesis of this information and includes evidence-based risk assessment, hazard rankings and specific recommendations regarding important species, many common in captivity. Fills a gap in the toxinological, medical and herpetological literature by providing a comprehensive review of this entire assemblage of snakes, with particular attention given to their capacity, real or rumored, to cause harm to humans A patient-centered, evidence-based approach is applied to analyzing documented case reports of bites inflicted by approximately 100 species. Clinical management of medically significant bites from non-front-fanged colubroids is methodically reviewed, and specific recommendations are provided

Identifies venomous snakes that are native to Texas. Provides advice on preventing and treating snakebite.