The fascinating, definitive chronicle of the timber rattlesnake and its fate in the northeast
Today, small populations of timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) quietly inhabit parts of Rutland County in Vermont, and Warren,Washington, and Essex counties in New York. Because the species is endangered, the exact locations of established dens in this area are a closely guarded secret. Insider, naturalist, and author Jon Furman has devoted years to the study of the snake’s past and present range, its habitat and biology, the period in Vermont and upstate New York history during which timber rattlesnakes were ruthlessly hunted for a bounty, and the outlook for this severely threatened species in both states.
Soundly anchored in the latest scientific data, Furman proffers an accessible and engaging account of contemporary fieldwork and first-person interviews with herpetologists and old-time bounty hunters. For expert and lay readers interested in snakes and reptiles, northeastern fauna and natural history, conservation, and endangered species, this volume clearly explicates the timber rattlesnake’s biology as well as what happens and what to do when one bites. It also explores the troubling decline of the northeastern population caused by bounty hunting between the 1890s and the early 1970s, other past and present threats to the species’ survival, and what measures are being taken—and additional ones that must be taken—to ensure that timber rattlesnakes survive and thrive in the northeast. Historical and contemporary illustrations bring these reptiles and their world to life. Timber Rattlesnakes in Vermont & New York shines a new light on a maligned and misunderstood species.
"This a well written interesting treatise on the timber rattlesnake bounty system in the Northeast. It includes good summaries of the life history of the snake, its bite and the treatment for it, and the effects of bounties on the populations of the reptile. I highly recommend it to persons interested in the snake and conservation of Northeast wildlife in general."—Carl H. Ernst, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.
“All in all, I found the book interesting and entertaining; the author highlights the critical intersections of rattlesnake conservation with human psychology and politics. This book will be an important contribution outlining the regional evolution of social and political attitudes- involving changes that may, or may not, come just in time to save these magnificent animals."—James H. Harding, Instructor/ Herpetology Specialist, Department of Zoology, Michigan State University Museum
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
JON FURMAN is an accomplished amateur naturalist and writer who studies timber rattlesnakes in the northeast.
|
