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Snakemaster: Wildlife Adventures with the World?s Most Dangerous Reptiles
Known as the original “Snakemaster” from his various television shows, Austin Stevens is one of the most famous herpetologists in the world. From his show Austin Snakemaster on Animal Planet to his many appearances in the media, Stevens is known as an incredibly smart, yet incredibly insane animal lover.
In Snakemaster , Austin Stevens tells incredible stories of his many run-ins with dangerous animals and reptiles. From wrestling with a reticulated python to panicking after being bitten by the infamous Gaboon viper, Stevens brings you into his world of wildlife and tells the story of how a boy from Pretoria, South Africa, became one of the most widely known herpetologists in the world.
With incredible photographs taken by Stevens himself, you’ll be able to place yourself in his world—from the deserts of Africa to the jungles of Borneo. Sharing incredible stories of his love of animals and nature, this one-of-a-kind collection of stories will make you laugh, cry, and shiver with fear!
In Snakemaster , Austin Stevens tells incredible stories of his many run-ins with dangerous animals and reptiles. From wrestling with a reticulated python to panicking after being bitten by the infamous Gaboon viper, Stevens brings you into his world of wildlife and tells the story of how a boy from Pretoria, South Africa, became one of the most widely known herpetologists in the world.
With incredible photographs taken by Stevens himself, you’ll be able to place yourself in his world—from the deserts of Africa to the jungles of Borneo. Sharing incredible stories of his love of animals and nature, this one-of-a-kind collection of stories will make you laugh, cry, and shiver with fear!
- GenresNonfictionBiography
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2014
23 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 11, 2014
Wish it had been longer. Please write another soon.
September 4, 2018
Snake fanatic lived this book
I am one of those strange people who is fascinated by snakes and I love tales about wildlife encounters, so this book was right up my alley. Austin tells the stories well and I often could feel his terror in situations and laughed at others. The photos included are great too, but I wish they could be dispersed throughout the reading as they were described in individual stories instead of lumped together in the back of the book. All in all, it's a marvelous and informative book, especially for lovers of wildlife tales who are especially taken with reptiles. Highly recommend it!
I am one of those strange people who is fascinated by snakes and I love tales about wildlife encounters, so this book was right up my alley. Austin tells the stories well and I often could feel his terror in situations and laughed at others. The photos included are great too, but I wish they could be dispersed throughout the reading as they were described in individual stories instead of lumped together in the back of the book. All in all, it's a marvelous and informative book, especially for lovers of wildlife tales who are especially taken with reptiles. Highly recommend it!
September 4, 2019
Fascinating book. I often felt like I was right there next to him, experiencing the same adrenaline rush and excitement/fear while handling these glorious creatures! Only sour note (to me) was in the last chapter, where he felt the need to lecture about overpopulation. If I ignore that last bit, the book was five stars.
November 2, 2022
Everything unexpected and more
After watching his shows multiple times over the years, I decided it was time to read one of his books. What an excellent book to read, well written and exciting. Best of all was the additional information that was cut from his shows.
Excellent book for fans.
After watching his shows multiple times over the years, I decided it was time to read one of his books. What an excellent book to read, well written and exciting. Best of all was the additional information that was cut from his shows.
Excellent book for fans.
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November 4, 2024I didn’t actually read this book all the way through. I read the introduction which was a moderately gross description of his recovery from a puff adder bite in his teens. I didn’t get that grossed out by it consciously, but I did have a Vasovagal episode immediately after reading it which caused me to pass out, and I fractured a vertebra in my spine in consequence, so I decided not to continue.
October 30, 2019
I really enjoyed reading about all of his interesting adventures with wildlife.
September 12, 2024
It was great to read a memoir about a guy who's inspired me since I was young until now.
February 10, 2015
Well, I love Austin Stevens. An expert in herpetology he is, a writer he is not, still he manages to share one pure adrenaline rush story after another in his autobiographical work. It was nice getting to know a little more about his "behind the scene experiences", past, and personal life. His sense of humor shines through in many of the tales he shares and his passion is contagious. It's always inspiring to read a biography of someone living their dream and Austin Stevens surely is.
For those who don't have much experience handling or being around snakes, this book may not help you get over your fears. Stevens is bit quite a few times by venomous and non venomous snakes, a couple of those experiences bring him close to death. However, your chance of falling off a horse is zero if you don't ride a horse but your chance of falling off and perhaps even being injured are increased or certain if you ride. Well, if you are milking and handling snakes in close proximity for more than 30 years you will get bit. The take away here is that these beautiful creatures have been demonized for far too long and Stevens hope is to educate the public about their non confrontational behavior, beauty and importance. In that sense this book is a true success. You may not finish wanting to be closer to snakes but you will hopefully have a greater understanding of their nature and perhaps even become an advocate for their well being rather than see them die senseless deaths originated by unsubstantiated fears.
For those who don't have much experience handling or being around snakes, this book may not help you get over your fears. Stevens is bit quite a few times by venomous and non venomous snakes, a couple of those experiences bring him close to death. However, your chance of falling off a horse is zero if you don't ride a horse but your chance of falling off and perhaps even being injured are increased or certain if you ride. Well, if you are milking and handling snakes in close proximity for more than 30 years you will get bit. The take away here is that these beautiful creatures have been demonized for far too long and Stevens hope is to educate the public about their non confrontational behavior, beauty and importance. In that sense this book is a true success. You may not finish wanting to be closer to snakes but you will hopefully have a greater understanding of their nature and perhaps even become an advocate for their well being rather than see them die senseless deaths originated by unsubstantiated fears.
June 1, 2015
There are some great adventure tales in this book and Austin Stevens himself seems like one of the most likable tv wildlife experts around, much like the late Steve Irwin. Stevens has a sense of humor about some of the more grim situations he finds himself in and there are excellent laugh-out-loud moments in this book. I did enjoy myself during this read, but it took me somewhat longer to get through this book than I would have expected. I'd set it down for periods of time and not go back to it for a few days.
I think the issue is the book feels uneven. There's a rollar coaster sense of going from one adventure to another; you can imagine a worldly herpetelogist regaling a table at a bar in this fashion. But it makes it tough to build a larger sense of narrative or personal development. It's harder to really know Stevens as a subject beyond what is presented. That's what made similarly books like Dragon Songs compelling to me; learning about the person behind the adventure and the work.
So, final verdict: an enjoyable ride but a little uneven in its execution. Could have benefited from having a co-writer, I think. Still filled with great moments and amazing tales, despite these concerns.
I think the issue is the book feels uneven. There's a rollar coaster sense of going from one adventure to another; you can imagine a worldly herpetelogist regaling a table at a bar in this fashion. But it makes it tough to build a larger sense of narrative or personal development. It's harder to really know Stevens as a subject beyond what is presented. That's what made similarly books like Dragon Songs compelling to me; learning about the person behind the adventure and the work.
So, final verdict: an enjoyable ride but a little uneven in its execution. Could have benefited from having a co-writer, I think. Still filled with great moments and amazing tales, despite these concerns.
January 22, 2016
Snakemaster: Wildlife Adventures With the World's Most Dangerous Reptiles by Austin Stevens (Skyhorse Publishing 2014) (Biography). This volume consists mainly of stories of our intrepid author handling serpents – African and Australian vipers, cobras, mambas and the like. It only takes a scant few pages to identify Austin Stevens as a Steve Irwin wannabe. Remember Steve Irwin? The Australian guy on the Discovery Channel who didn't know enough to keep his hands to himself while aggravating venomous, poisonous, or otherwise noncharismatic fauna? The one who got himself killed by pestering a stingray who stabbed Irwin right in the heart with his tail spine when all the stingray was doing was trying to get the idiot human to back off far enough for the stingray to escape? That's right, he's the one. Now that Steve Irwin has been killed, for some reason Austin Stevens has nominated himself to take over Irwin's role, and Stevens even wrote this very book about it. My suggestion to readers of this genre: skip Snakemaster and instead try to find Steve Irwin reruns on your cable dial. My rating: 7/10, finished 7/5/15.
February 1, 2016
I loved the stories in this book! It was well written except for the end of the book when a bunch of errors that should have been caught by an editor stood out.
I hadn't heard of Austin Stevens before reading this book and was surprised he was all over TV. His stories about his adventures with snakes had me riveted. I wasn't quite so enthralled when he got into the mammal section toward the end of the book. I wondered why he was messing with them when his expertise clearly lies with reptiles.
I would have liked to hear ANYTHING about his wife that he mentions at the end of the book in the Acknowledgements. Where did they meet and when did they date? Not a word about her throughout the book.
Unfortunately, he had to ruin the last few pages with his view that the world is overpopulated and we're ruining the earth, etc. Stick to your stories, Austin. They go over so much better.
I hadn't heard of Austin Stevens before reading this book and was surprised he was all over TV. His stories about his adventures with snakes had me riveted. I wasn't quite so enthralled when he got into the mammal section toward the end of the book. I wondered why he was messing with them when his expertise clearly lies with reptiles.
I would have liked to hear ANYTHING about his wife that he mentions at the end of the book in the Acknowledgements. Where did they meet and when did they date? Not a word about her throughout the book.
Unfortunately, he had to ruin the last few pages with his view that the world is overpopulated and we're ruining the earth, etc. Stick to your stories, Austin. They go over so much better.
October 18, 2015
My daughters would enjoy this book more.
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November 21, 2017Im fascinated with snakes and I love stories about them. This book did not disappoint. I also like the conservation message in it.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews