This book explains what snakes are, where they live, what they feed on, how they breed, grow, and cope with enemies. It is also a guide to some of the commoner kinds of snakes, both harmless and poisonous.

A snake does not sting with its tongue, as some people think. A snake cannot blink; its eye is sealed over by a transparent eyelid called a spectacle. It hears only those sounds we call low-pitched. A Book of Snakes offers such information to the young naturalist. He will find out where snakes fit in the animal kingdom, how they move and strike, what relatives and enemies they have, and the way they shed their skin.

Some snakes like to return to the same sunny rock or log. Once you have discovered a snake's sun parlor you may be able to watch it day by day. This book will help to identify those most likely to be seen in this way or in unexpected encounters—from harmless garter snakes to copperheads, water moccasins, and rattlesnakes.

Detailed and scientifically accurate drawings illustrate the clearly written text.

From the dust jacket