By Hans Boos
Tracing the contributions of scientists to the evolving taxonomy of the islands' reptiles, Boos describes every one designated species of snake discovered at the islands, together with neighborhood names from centuries again. Species bills come whole with tales—both documented and apocryphal—of human encounters with the extra harmful island snakes. Forty-eight colour images and fifty black-and-white photos and items of line paintings, such a lot via the writer, illustrate the textual content and reduction in identification.
While tiny Tobago is mercifully without toxic snakes, Trinidad hosts 4 venomous species, together with coral snakes and the infamous bushmaster. Boos refutes the various myths approximately those lethal yet often nonaggressive snakes with information regarding their behavior and behaviour. He additionally writes in regards to the massive anaconda and the boa constrictor, approximately which many half-truths and fictions abound.
All snakes chew, yet just a couple of species are venomous. Boos supplies information regarding what to do—and what to not do—in the development of a chunk and discusses fascinating folks medication remedies, akin to the Belgian Black Stone, guaranteed to paintings provided that a chew was once innocuous to start with.
The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago will locate an enthusiastic viewers between herpetologists, ecologists, and different scientists excited by the snakes and natural world of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, and South the US. it's going to additionally entice common readers attracted to snakes and in Caribbean folklore.
