| Many
people fear snakes, and watersnakes
in particular have one of the worst reputations of any snake found in
North
America. Some species are commonly mistaken for venomous cottonmouths,
and a few may eat popular game fishes. Unfortunately, few people
realize
the important roles many watersnakes play in natural ecosystems and,
consequently,
they are still persecuted in many regions today.
Seeking
to overcome common misperceptions,
J. Whitfield Gibbons and Michael E. Dorcas have compiled North
American
Watersnakes, the first comprehensive study of all fourteen
species
of watersnakes found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and
Cuba.
Individual
species accounts explore
all aspects of the natural history of watersnakes in North America,
including
their behavior, physiology, life history, ecology, and conservation.
Almost
100 color photographs accompany the text, illustrating all 14 species
and
nearly all subspecies. Supplementing the species accounts are detailed
color maps depicting each species distribution and stunning
black-and-white
drawings by Peri Mason. Easy-to-use keys help readers to identify
specimens
at hand.
|
North American
Watersnakes
A
Natural History
by
J. Whitfield Gibbons
and Michael E. Dorcas
University
of Oklahoma
Press, 2004
Order
a copy.
|
