Snake [antikvár]

i iNTRODUCTIONThere has always been something of a mystery about_^ snakes. How can they move so quickly withoutlegs? How can they kill prey with only a single bite, delivered in the blink of an eye? And how do they swallow prey whole when it may be several times bigger than their jaws? It is little wonder that so many myths and legends have grown up around these amazing creatures.Snakes can be frighLening as well as fascinaiing. They are predators, like eagles, sharks, and tigers and, although we may have a sneaking admiration for their stealth and cmining, we know that some can be dangerous. For the snakes themselves, this has unfortunate consequences since, due to fear and ignorance, they are often killed on sight. In reality, however, only a small number of species can harm humans and, of these, the number that can actually kill us is even smaller.There are many other interesting aspects to snakes' lives - their different forms, behaviours, defences, habitats, and iheir feeding and breeding habits. These are the subjects that have been emphasized in this book, and wherever possible, rather than merely describing snakes, the evolutionary reasons behind their development have also been given.Much of this information is quite new, since snakes, being secretive, are among the most difficult animals to study in their own habitat. In recent years, professional biologists have pioneered new techniques for tracking and monitoring snakes m the wild, shoviing that snakes have an important role to play in the natural order. At the same time, amateur naturalists, perhaps alarmed by the rate al which flora and fauna aredisappearing from our lives, are beginning to notice and appreciate their beautySnak' is written in the hope that the information provided by the text, combined with the stunning photographs, mil give you a greater appreciation of snakes and will stimulate your interest in their lives. 1 hope it will answer some of your questions. Most importantly, 1 hope you will be convinced that "the only good snake is a live snake".Rhinoceros ViperOne of ihc most flamboyant snakes, t/ic R/iinoccros Viper hecomcs almost invisible when lying among ilic leaf-litter of iLs A/ncan rainforest home, hidden from predators md waiting for prey.