Stalking the plumed serpent and other adventures in herpetology

Based on his more than 40 years of field research, Means, an expert on the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, reveals the biological complexity and beauty of animals that he has studied. Most people loathe these reptiles and amphibians, but Means shows his love for creatures that go bump in the night. In Australia, Means searches for the “fiercey,” reputed to be the world’s deadliest terrestrial snake. In Mexico, he stalks the rattlesnake that might have served as the model for the mythical “plumed serpent” of Mayan art. In Florida, he is “chased” by cottonmouth moccasins. Through his experiences, Means hopes that readers will gain a new appreciation for animals called herps, or creepy-crawly things. A review from Booklist: *Starred Review* "Herpetologist Means is a champion of amphibians and reptiles, those creeping animals that most people not only shun but actively loathe.In this collection of essays, tales from 40 years of field research, Means takes readers along onjourneys of discovery and, with infectious enthusiasm, makes them care about animals they may never have heard of. Twiddling a twig two inches from the burrow of an Alabama red hills salamander brings the animal out as she investigates potential prey, and the author discovers that he can see her unlaid eggs through her skin. When chased by a cottonmouth, a behavior he had pooh-poohed for years as an old wives tale, Means realizes that the snake is merely bluffing him out of its way so it can escape. And in the most heart-stopping tale, Means writes of being bitten by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake and of how he barely gets himself to the hospital in time. This is truly a gem of popular science writing and will make herpetophiles out of the most herpetophobic." (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)