Snake

Animal Series

by Drake Stutesman

A snake smells with its tongue, hears with its flesh, and breathes under the sand with one lung; it can copulate for days with one snake or with fifty at once; it has infrared radar; and it can induce spontaneous bleeding if threatened. With all these qualities, it is easy to see how snakes have such varied associations in cultures around the world: while celebrated in tattoos and tales, and for medicinal benefits, snakes are also so universally feared that they constantly endure intense persecution and rarely enjoy protected rights. Drake Stutesman explores here in Snake the fascinating natural history of the maligned serpentine.

Stutesman examines a wide range of sources to investigate the complex and widespread symbolism the snake has inspired, including the serpent's temptation of Eve in the Bible, Kaa in The Jungle Book , the Chinese zodiac, Indian snake charmers, and the Hollywood film Anaconda . She looks at the role snakes have played in human culture and science, from snake cuisine and the use of venom in medicine to the intriguing history of snake symbolism in art, architecture, cinema, and even clothing. Richly illustrated and written in an engaging style, Snake is an invaluable resource for snake enthusiasts and scholars, as well as for all who love, admire, or fear this fascinating and enduring animal.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Science

216 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2005

Reviews

[Alex Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it was interesting to learn some of the history of snakes in human culture, the author's style is extremely dry and difficult to engage with.

Also, while this book is primarily to do with culture, it does unfortunately touch on the biology of snakes, much to it's detriment. It's clear that the author does not have a science background, would it have killed them to check it with someone who knew what they were talking about? A small list of some of the issues: Referring to snakes as a 'species', calling blindsnakes 'primitive' (They have an extremely adapted skull, unlike any fossil species), calling snakes 'primordial', and worst of all - calling venomous snakes 'poisonous' (rule of thumb, if you bite it and you die it's poisonous, if it bites you and you die it's venomous). I can't remember the others, just that I got annoyed.

I'll probably use this as a guide to look up some references for cultural sources, and do research on my own.

[Kathleen O'Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at snakes in cultural history that could have gone into far more depth about this fascinating topic. Writing a global cultural history of snakes is actually something I've thought about doing myself at some point so it's a topic I have pretty high standards about. While this book isn't bad, other writers could likely have done more with this subject matter.

[Leonca · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a disappointment after I enjoyed the hyena book in the series so much. The style is dry, and the writer seems desperate to make examples fit into his thesis that everything we think about snakes can be boiled down to a few recycled symbols. There are strange statements, such as the suggestion that venomous species have poorer camouflage and are less adapted to extreme temperatures than constrictors. I also could have done without examples of people having sex with snakes.