Snakes of the World

English language

Published March 7, 2023 by Princeton University Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-691-24067-1

A gorgeously illustrated guide to the incredible diversity of snakes around the world

Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and have evolved to occupy a vast range of habitats, from mountains to oceans and deserts to rain forests. Snakes of the World explores their extraordinary diversity, with an in-depth introduction covering anatomy, behavior, habitats, reproduction, conservation, and other essential topics. This expert guide also includes profiles of some of the approximately 4,000 species of snakes, featuring examples from every family and subfamily.

Each family profile highlights the remarkable appearance, characteristics, and lifestyle of notable snake species. Covering how snakes use venom or constriction to subdue their prey, how a snake's appearance can aid camouflage or boast of its killing capacity, and how habitat destruction is jeopardizing the future of many species, Snakes of the World is an invaluable guide to these fascinating reptiles.

Features …

A gorgeously illustrated guide to the incredible diversity of snakes around the world

Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and have evolved to occupy a vast range of habitats, from mountains to oceans and deserts to rain forests. Snakes of the World explores their extraordinary diversity, with an in-depth introduction covering anatomy, behavior, habitats, reproduction, conservation, and other essential topics. This expert guide also includes profiles of some of the approximately 4,000 species of snakes, featuring examples from every family and subfamily.

Each family profile highlights the remarkable appearance, characteristics, and lifestyle of notable snake species. Covering how snakes use venom or constriction to subdue their prey, how a snake's appearance can aid camouflage or boast of its killing capacity, and how habitat destruction is jeopardizing the future of many species, Snakes of the World is an invaluable guide to these fascinating reptiles.

Features more than 200 stunning color photographs
Presents species profiles with a commentary, distribution map, and table of information
Includes examples from every snake family and subfamily

2 editions

Soh Kam Yung reviewed Snakes of the World by Mark O'Shea

A interesting book about snakes.

4 stars

A lovely book about the snakes. Packed full of information, it starts off with an introduction to what is a snake and what differentiates it from other animals and limbless lizards. It then goes into the biology of snakes. All snakes are predators, going for small food items like earthworms to large organisms like alligators and large mammals. Their also inhabit numerous environments from the oceans to mountains and the tropics to the colder regions.

The book then covers the various families of snakes, some of which are well known (like the cobras and pythons) while others are so new to science that even some basic biological facts (like whether they lay eggs or give birth to live young) are still not known. Detailed pictures of the various snakes are given, including some with very striking patterns to those so well camouflaged that you may have trouble finding them …

A lovely book about the snakes. Packed full of information, it starts off with an introduction to what is a snake and what differentiates it from other animals and limbless lizards. It then goes into the biology of snakes. All snakes are predators, going for small food items like earthworms to large organisms like alligators and large mammals. Their also inhabit numerous environments from the oceans to mountains and the tropics to the colder regions.

The book then covers the various families of snakes, some of which are well known (like the cobras and pythons) while others are so new to science that even some basic biological facts (like whether they lay eggs or give birth to live young) are still not known. Detailed pictures of the various snakes are given, including some with very striking patterns to those so well camouflaged that you may have trouble finding them out in the field.

A good book to read to get to know the snakes in the world. General readers are free to skip over some of the more technical descriptions about snake anatomy and biology, while admiring some of the more beautiful examples of snakes found in the world.