Below are links to our favorite books, research papers and other reading materials regarding snakes and other reptiles. They are broken down into several fields and a master list is provided below. This list is far from complete and is constantly being updated, so check in frequently and feel free to provide us with any suggestions you may have.
The snake is one of humankind's most powerful and ambiguous symbols: it has at various times represented immortality and death, male and female, deity and demon, circle and line, killer and healer, the highest wisdom and the deepest subconscious. By virtue of its mysterious movement, potent poison, fearful grip, unblinking gaze and lightning quick strike, the power and image of the snake has wound its way into every culture. Whether snakes are worshipped as gods, feared as devils, or handled in religious ceremonies to test faith, snakes have played a critical role in the human heritage. This book explores the cult of the snake in world history, religion, and folklore.
The Triumph of the Snake Goddess, a prose translation by the scholar and poet Kaiser Haq, is the first comprehensive retelling of this epic in modern English. Haq’s Prologue explores the oral, poetic, and manuscript traditions, and Wendy Doniger’s Introduction examines the significance of snake worship in classical Sanskrit texts. The gripping (and frequently hilarious) story of Manasa, the snake-goddess, and the contestation of a minor deity’s rights and privileges by a human. Manasa reminds us of the stubborn immortality of the folk and the non-canonical when faced with the literary and canonical.
We travel the world,” writes Gregory McNamee, “and wherever we go there are snake stories to entertain us.” Here are some fifty diverse and unusual accounts of serpents from cultures across time and around the globe: snakes that talk, jump, and dance; snakes that transform into other creatures; snakes that just . . . watch. Many selections are drawn from the rich oral traditions of peoples in every clime that supports reptiles, from the Akimel O’odham of North America to the Mensa Bet-Abrahe of Africa to the Mungkjan of Australia. Included as well are such writings as prayers from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm...
Anyone can look at a snake and see a creature unique unto itself, a reptile with a set of zoological and biological traits that are entirely its own. Just looking at this distinct animal raises many scientific questions. With regard to evolution, how did such an animal come to be? How does a snake move, and how do its sense organs differ from that of other reptiles? Ect. Leading zoologist Harvey B. Lillywhite has written the definitive scientific guide to the functional biology of snakes. Written for both herpetologists and a more general audience with an interest in the field, This book features nearly two hundred color images of various species of snakes...
Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles provides a layperson’s account of why these creatures behave the way they do and what makes people get into trouble. The book sheds new light on snakes, lizards, crocodiles and the Cane Toad, helps you to identify them and dispels some common myths and fallacies. In revealing the fascinating world of reptiles, the book provides the reader with the knowledge to better cope with them at home and in the workplace. Includes: photos and brief descriptions of the most common problem snakes; removes fear and provides a better understanding of snakes in general; and gives details on how and when to get help...
In Venomous, the molecular biologist Christie Wilcox investigates venoms and the animals that use them, revealing how they work, what they do to the human body, and how they can revolutionize biochemistry and medicine today. Wilcox takes us from the coast of Indonesia to the rain forests of Peru in search of the secrets of these mysterious animals. We encounter jellyfish that release microscopic venom-packed darts known to kill humans in just two minutes, a two-inch caterpillar with toxic bristles that trigger hemorrhaging throughout the body, and a stunning blue-ringed octopus with saliva capable of inducing total paralysis. How could an...
Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence—from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs to the intricacies of developing embryos—to make the airtight case that "we find ourselves perched on one tiny twig in the midst of a blossoming and flourishing tree of life and it is no accident, but the direct consequence of evolution by non-random selection." His unjaded passion for the natural world turns what might have been a negative argument, exposing the absurdities of the creationist position, into a positive offering to the reader: nothing less than a master’s vision of life, in all its splendor.
DNA evidence not only solves crimes—in Sean Carroll's hands it will now end the Evolution Wars. DNA, the genetic blueprint of all creatures, is a stunningly rich and detailed record of evolution. Every change or new trait, from the gaudy colors of tropical birds to our color vision with which we admire them, is due to changes in DNA that leave a record and can be traced. Just as importantly, the DNA evidence has revealed several profound surprises about how evolution actually works.
As influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful, and stylistically brilliant work not only brought the insights of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience, but galvanized the biology community, generating much debate and stimulating whole new areas of research. Forty years later, its insights remain as relevant today as on the day it was published.
Exotic pets are more popular than ever before, so make sure you are ready to care for everything from rats to songbirds with Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide. This new edition provides the key points on differential diagnoses and diagnostics, along with background information on a wide variety of exotic pets, to veterinary practitioners who may or may not have experience treating them. Its practical quick-reference outline format makes it easy for you to see the conditions likely to be encountered within a species; develop a potential differential diagnosis list quickly; initiate an investigation plan; and view treatment regimens.
Snakebite may sound like a rare and exotic phenomenon, but in India it is a problem that affects 1.4 million people every year and results in over 45,000 deaths. A traditional medical system that flourished over 1,000 years ago, the Garuda Tantras had a powerful influence on medicine for snakebites, and some of their practices remain popular to this day. In Early Tantric Medicine, Michael Slouber offers a close examination of the Garuda Tantras, which were deemed lost until the author discovered numerous ancient titles surviving in Sanskrit manuscripts written on fragile palm-leaves. The volume brings to life this rich tradition in which knowledge and faith...
A concise and practical quick reference guide to treating reptiles in first opinion veterinary practice.Reptile Medicine and Surgery in Clinical Practice is the ideal guide for the busy veterinarian treating reptile cases. Designed as a quick reference guide, but with comprehensive coverage of all the topics needed for first opinion practice, the book presents the principles of reptile medicine and surgery. Richly illustrated chapters cover anatomy, physiology, behaviour, husbandry, reproduction, common diseases and disorders, and much more. Application in a clinical setting is emphasized throughout, including guidance on the physical examination, diagnostic...
Anyone can look at a snake and see a creature unique unto itself, a reptile with a set of zoological and biological traits that are entirely its own. Just looking at this distinct animal raises many scientific questions. With regard to evolution, how did such an animal come to be? How does a snake move, and how do its sense organs differ from that of other reptiles? Ect. Leading zoologist Harvey B. Lillywhite has written the definitive scientific guide to the functional biology of snakes. Written for both herpetologists and a more general audience with an interest in the field, This book features nearly two hundred color images of various species of snakes...
Living with Snakes and Other Reptiles provides a layperson’s account of why these creatures behave the way they do and what makes people get into trouble. The book sheds new light on snakes, lizards, crocodiles and the Cane Toad, helps you to identify them and dispels some common myths and fallacies. In revealing the fascinating world of reptiles, the book provides the reader with the knowledge to better cope with them at home and in the workplace. Includes: photos and brief descriptions of the most common problem snakes; removes fear and provides a better understanding of snakes in general; and gives details on how and when to get help...
In Venomous, the molecular biologist Christie Wilcox investigates venoms and the animals that use them, revealing how they work, what they do to the human body, and how they can revolutionize biochemistry and medicine today. Wilcox takes us from the coast of Indonesia to the rain forests of Peru in search of the secrets of these mysterious animals. We encounter jellyfish that release microscopic venom-packed darts known to kill humans in just two minutes, a two-inch caterpillar with toxic bristles that trigger hemorrhaging throughout the body, and a stunning blue-ringed octopus with saliva capable of inducing total paralysis. How could an...
Early Tantric Medicine
Snakebites may sound like a rare and exotic phenomenon, but in India it is a problem that affects 1.4 million people every year and results in over 45,000 deaths. A traditional medical system that flourished over 1,000 years ago, the Garuda Tantras had a powerful influence on medicine for snakebites, and some of their practices remain popular to this day. In Early Tantric Medicine, Michael Slouber offers a close examination of the Garuda Tantras, which were deemed lost until the author discovered numerous ancient titles surviving in Sanskrit manuscripts written on fragile palm-leaves. The volume brings to life this rich tradition..