A Complete Guide To The Snakes Of Southern Africa

This detailed and comprehensive guide to the 151 snakes indigenous to southern Africa covers all essential aspects of snake biology and behaviour. Now in its second edition, A Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa has been updated, revised and expanded to include at least 11 newly discovered and 30 re-classified species and sub-species. New information based on international scientific research has been included in the species accounts relating to behaviour, identification, reproduction and snake venoms. Species descriptions are now accompanied by full-colour photographs. Simple icons make essential information available at a glance. A separate 'look out for' box assists in quickly identifying species in the field. Chapters on classification and identification, keeping snakes, and the prevention and treatment of snakebite supplement the species accounts. This readable and user-friendly guide will be invaluable to herpetologists, snake collectors, hikers, gardeners, campers and householders, or anyone who may encounter or want to know more about these fascinating and widely misunderstood reptiles.

This long-awaited third edition of A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa has been updated, revised and expanded. New information based on scientific research relating to behaviour, identification, reproduction and snake venoms has been included in the species accounts. Features of this book: Covers all essential aspects of snake biology and behaviour; species descriptions are accompanied by full-colour photographs and distribution maps; simple icons make essential information available at a glance; a separate ‘key features’ box assists in quickly identifying species in the field; chapters on classification and identification, keeping snakes, and the treatment of snakebite supplement the species accounts. Sales points: A guide to all snakes, dangerous and harmless, in southern Africa; practical first-aid advice for snakebite; packed with full-colour images; icons, maps and concise text make identification simple.

Southern Africa is home to a remarkably diverse and rich reptile fauna, which is presented in this book in a lively and accessible way. A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa introduces the 517 species currently described in the region and presents interesting insight on reptile identification and diversity, distribution patterns, and biology and behaviour. It also offers tips on finding and observing reptiles, as well as unravelling the facts and fallacies of snakebite. Southern African reptiles fall into three main groups (orders): snakes and lizards, crocodiles and shelled reptiles, and each group comprises in turn a number of related families and sub-groups, which form the basic structure of the book. The reptiles are discussed within their relevant groups according to appearance, biology, reproduction, distribution and conservation status. Informative panels with simple icons provide key information on distribution, typical habitat and period of activity, and a wealth of full-colour photographs brings the subject matter vividly to life.

Frogs of Southern Africa: A Complete Guide remains the most authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the frogs of the region ever produced, covering all aspects of frog and tadpole biology and behaviour. This new edition (with a slight name change) has been thoroughly updated to reflect taxonomic changes based on the most recent research and DNA studies, and includes the discovery of seven new species. All 164 southern African frog species, and their tadpole stages, are fully described, along with their conservation status, calls, habitat and habits. Identification is made easy with the aid of large, full-colour images, keys to species and summary panels on ‘Key ID points’ and ‘Distinctive characters’. Calls for most species can be accessed instantly via QR codes in the book or downloaded from a dedicated website. Spectrograms of the calls are also included in the book. Written by respected authorities in the fi eld, this timely updated edition will be of benefit to all nature lovers, amateur ‘froggers’, students and professional scientists.

The herpetological studies in southern Africa have undergone a renaissance sine the original Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa was published more than a decade ago. 83 new species have been discovered in that time, a rate of one every 44 days.

An A5 laminated fold-out field guide featuring dangerous and common harmless snakes found in Southern Africa. Includes a Snake Bite First Aid and Treatment section.