Whether loathed, feared, admired or worshipped, snakes evoke stronger human reactions than almost any other animal. Moving gracefully without limbs, swallowing meals often several times larger than their own heads, and with many having venomous bites, they never fail to fascinate. From garter snakes and vipers to cobras, boas and pythons, Snakes describes the biology and natural history of this ecologically diverse and important group of animals. It highlights the amazing variety and complexity of this group that includes more than four thousand living species. Information on habitat, conservation status, and behaviour are also included to complete this comprehensive and fully illustrated introduction to the snakes of the world.
David Gower is a Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, whose expertise lies in caecilian amphibians and Triassic archosaurian reptiles as well as snakes. Long interested in amphibians, reptiles, and conservation biology, Katie Garrett is a British filmmaker and science communicator based in Virginia, USA. Herpetologist Simon Maddock is a Scientific Associate of the Natural History Museum and a Senior Lecturer in Conservation Genetics.