A field book of North American Snakes Author:Raymond L. Ditmars up to the publication of this volume there has been no field book for the identification of North American Snakes. the present book, by the acknowledged authority in the field, divides the country into three sections treating the snakes of North Eastern, South Eastern, and Western sections according to their locale. Including every species kno... more »wn to this continent, the book is a model of concise, particularized scientific data, typographically arranged for easy reference.
In addition to the three major sections of the book there is a chapter on the living habits of the North American snakes...terrestrial, burrowing, surface living, water and arboreal; a careful chapter on the science of identification; and a highly instructive chapter on the treatment of snake-bites... What antidotes to take and how much to use, since many are for worse in their effects if taken in overdose than the snake bites they are calculated to counteract.
Dr. Ditmars, with an assistant at the Bronx Zoo, worked steadily for weeks over the photographing of the 48 halftone illustration (one in full color)/ A new technique has been adopted in which the full snake is shown in those instances where it is necessary for characteristics. But also, in each case, a one-foot section of the belly and a back of the snake is shown. The specific detail of these pictures is amazing. The illustrations are bound in the back of the book, a method that Dr. Ditmars has tested most practical for speedy identification from the illustration alone.
Done with the thoroughness and completeness that typifies the work of the master scientists, A field book of North American snakes is a landmark among nature books.« less