America's Snake

America's Snake PDF Author: Ted Levin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022604078X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 508

Get Book Here

Book Description
The acclaimed naturalist offers an in-depth profile of the timber rattlesnake, from its unique biological adaptations to its role in American history. The ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake is one of the most famous—and terrifying—sounds in nature. Today, they are found in thirty-one states and many major cities. Yet most Americans have never seen a timber rattler, and only know them from movies or our frightened imaginations. Ted Levin aims to change that with America’s Snake. This portrait of the timber rattler explores its significance in American frontier history, and sheds light on the heroic efforts to protect the species against habitat loss, climate change, and the human tendency to kill what we fear. Taking us from labs where the secrets of the snake’s evolutionary adaptations are being unlocked to far-flung habitats that are protected by dedicated herpetologists, Levin paints a picture of a fascinating creature: peaceable, social, long-lived, and, despite our phobias, not inclined to bite. The timber rattler emerges here as an emblem of America, but also of the struggles involved in protecting the natural world. A wonderful mix of natural history, travel writing, and exemplary journalism, America’s Snake is loaded with remarkable characters—none more so than the snake itself: frightening, fascinating, and unforgettable. A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award-winner

America's Snake

America's Snake PDF Author: Ted Levin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022604078X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 508

Get Book Here

Book Description
The acclaimed naturalist offers an in-depth profile of the timber rattlesnake, from its unique biological adaptations to its role in American history. The ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake is one of the most famous—and terrifying—sounds in nature. Today, they are found in thirty-one states and many major cities. Yet most Americans have never seen a timber rattler, and only know them from movies or our frightened imaginations. Ted Levin aims to change that with America’s Snake. This portrait of the timber rattler explores its significance in American frontier history, and sheds light on the heroic efforts to protect the species against habitat loss, climate change, and the human tendency to kill what we fear. Taking us from labs where the secrets of the snake’s evolutionary adaptations are being unlocked to far-flung habitats that are protected by dedicated herpetologists, Levin paints a picture of a fascinating creature: peaceable, social, long-lived, and, despite our phobias, not inclined to bite. The timber rattler emerges here as an emblem of America, but also of the struggles involved in protecting the natural world. A wonderful mix of natural history, travel writing, and exemplary journalism, America’s Snake is loaded with remarkable characters—none more so than the snake itself: frightening, fascinating, and unforgettable. A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award-winner

America's Snake

America's Snake PDF Author: Ted Levin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022604064X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 508

Get Book Here

Book Description
The ominous rattle of the timber rattlesnake is a chilling shorthand for imminent danger, and a reminder of the countless ways that nature can suddenly snuff us out. Though they're found in thirty-one states, and near many major cities, in contemporary America timber rattlesnakes are creatures mostly of imagination and innate fear. Levin takes us from labs where the secrets of the snake's evolutionary history are being unlocked to far-flung habitats to explore the painful struggles involved in protecting and preserving its natural world.

American Snake Pit

American Snake Pit PDF Author: Dan Tomasulo
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781945233029
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Get Book Here

Book Description
In 1987, Staten Island's Willowbrook State School closed its doors for good. American Snake Pit is the story of those patients who ended up in psychologist, Dan Tomasulo's care.

Salvation on Sand Mountain

Salvation on Sand Mountain PDF Author: Dennis Covington
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1458766276
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Get Book Here

Book Description
For Dennis Covington, what began as a journalistic assignment - covering the trial of an Alabama preacher convicted of attempting to murder his wife with poisonous snakes - would evolve into a headlong plunge into a bizarre, mysterious, and ultimately irresistible world of unshakable faith: the world of holiness snake handling, where people drink strychnine, speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick, and, some claim, raise the dead. Set in the heart of Appalachia, Salvation on Sand Mountain is Covington's unsurpassed and chillingly captivating exploration of the nature, power, and extremity of faith - an exploration that gradually turns inward, until Covington finds himself taking up the snakes. University.

The Snake Dance of Asian American Activism

The Snake Dance of Asian American Activism PDF Author: Michael Liu
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739127195
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Get Book Here

Book Description
Chronicles Asian Americans' fight for equality and political inclusion in the United States during the late twentieth century, exploring how the movement brought about surprising social change in ethnic neighborhoods across the country and how it influenced Asian American art, literature, and culture.

Snakes of North America

Snakes of North America PDF Author: Alan Tennant
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
ISBN: 1461662192
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 636

Get Book Here

Book Description
Providing thorough descriptions of almost 200 species, this guide presents thousands of facts and figures that will help you identify, understand, and appreciate these important and remarkable animals. Each species and subspecies account includes the latest findings on abundance, size, reproductive habits, prey, habitat, behavior and venomous/nonvenomous status.

Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones

Snake Oil, Hustlers and Hambones PDF Author: Ann Anderson
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476601127
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 201

Get Book Here

Book Description
Long before television and radio commercials beckoned to potential buyers, the medicine show provided free entertainment and promised cures for everything from corns to cancer. Combining elements of the circus, theater, vaudeville, and good old-fashioned entrepreneurship, the showmen of the American medicine show sold tonics, ointments, pills, extracts and a host of other "wonder-cures," guaranteed to "cure what ails you." While the cures were seldom miraculous, the medicine show was an important part of American culture and of performance history. Harry Houdini, Buster Keaton, and P.T. Barnum all took a turn upon the medicine show stage. This study of the medicine show phenomenon surveys nineteenth century popular entertainment and provides insight into the ways in which show business, advertising, and medicine manufacture developed in concert. The colorful world of the medicine show, with its Wild West shows, pie-eating contests, clowns, and menageries, is fully explored. Photographs of performers and of the fascinating handbills and posters used to promote the medicine show are included.

Systematics and Natural History of the American Milk Snake, Lampropeltis Triangulum

Systematics and Natural History of the American Milk Snake, Lampropeltis Triangulum PDF Author: Kenneth L. Williams
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780893260064
Category : Lampropeltis triangulum
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Get Book Here

Book Description


American Snakes

American Snakes PDF Author: Sean P. Graham
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 142142360X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 698

Get Book Here

Book Description
“A wonderful book to read because it is replete with snake stories, personal stories, and stories about other herpetologists . . . engaging.” —Copeia Although many people fear them, snakes are as much a part of America’s rich natural heritage as redwoods, bald eagles, and grizzly bears. Found from the vast Okefenokee Swamp to high alpine meadows, from hardwood canopies to the burning bottom of the Grand Canyon, these ultimate vertebrates are ecologically pivotal predators and quintessential survivors. In this revelatory and engaging meditation on American snakes, Sean P. Graham, a respected herpetologist and gifted writer, explains the everyday lives of American snakes, from their daily routines and seasonal cycles to their love lives, hunting tactics, and defensive repertoires debunks harmful myths about snakes and explores their relationship with humans highlights the contribution of snakes to the American wilderness tells tales of “snake people”—important snake biologists with inspiring careers Neither a typical field guide nor an exhaustive reference, American Snakes is instead a fascinating study of the suborder Serpentes. Brimming with intriguing and unusual stories—of hognose snakes that roll over and play dead, blindsnakes with tiny vestigial lungs, rainbow-hued dipsadines, and wave-surfing sea-snakes—the text is interspersed with scores of gorgeous full-color images of snakes, from the scary to the sublime. This proud celebration of a diverse American wildlife group will make every reader, no matter how skeptical, into a genuine snake lover. “This thoroughly enjoyable book lets readers absorb the excitement of being a herpetologist who works with snakes while learning about the general and specific biology of the creatures.” —Quarterly Review of Biology

Snakes of the Eastern United States

Snakes of the Eastern United States PDF Author: Whit Gibbons
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
ISBN: 0820349704
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 426

Get Book Here

Book Description
More than sixty species of snakes are found in the eastern United States, the region of highest biodiversity of all reptiles and amphibians in North America. In this brand new guide, stunning photographs, colorful geographic range maps, and comprehensive written accounts provide essential information about each species—including detailed identification characteristics, general ecology and behavior, and conservation status. Carefully researched and written by an expert herpetologist, the guide is directed toward a general audience interested in natural history. Additional information supports the already fact-filled snake species profiles. A chapter on urban and suburban snake ecology focuses on species most commonly found in some of the country’s largest cities and residential settings. A chapter on snake conservation includes information on threats faced by native species in many regions of the eastern United States. Another chapter provides the latest updates on the status of invasive species of pythons and boa constrictors that have now become naturalized permanent residents in certain areas of the country. This is the most accessible and informative guide to snakes of the eastern United States available anywhere. Covers snakes in these states (plus Washington, DC): Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Features: More than 385 stunning color photographsColorful geographic range mapsSpecies accounts that cover identification, general ecology and behavior, and conservation statusExtra information on snakes in urban and suburban areasStrong conservation message, with a focus on environmental threats to native speciesCoverage of invasive snakes