A very special young adult nature novel about the life and adventures in survival of a North Carolina king snake, from the time of his hatching until he becomes adult. The story shows the way he lives, how he catches and eats his prey (including other snakes, even poisonous ones), his value in the balance of nature and the fascinating events of his life, shedding new light and understanding about the lives of snakes, which, despite their value to man, are so often misunderstood and deliberately killed just because of what they are or what they are perceived to be.

Alterna: The Gray Banded Kingsnake provides an in depth look into the Gray Banded Kingsnake. Featuring habitat and range information, beautiful color photography throughout, and locality variations, Alterna is a must buy and read for anyone interested in herpetology.

Introduces readers to the natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of the king cobra, the world's biggest venomous snake.

Introduces the king cobra, describing its physical characteristics, habitat, life cycle, and the ways in which it defends itself against predators.

The most comprehensive field guide available to the flora and fauna of California--a portable, essential companion for visitors and residents alike--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. This compact volume contains: An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more; A complete overview of California's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky; An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others. The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals.

"Fascinating images accompany information about the king cobra. The combination of high-interest subject matter and narrative text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7"--Provided by publisher.

This comprehensive, highly illustrated guide covers the most popular aspects of snake biology. Throughout, colour photographs show the fascinating variety of snake colouration as well as illustrating their amazing capacity for camouflage. Chapters investigate main themes, using text, photography and useful diagrams. There is detailed coverage of snake classification, evolution, natural diversity, size, shape and colouration, physiology, ecology, feeding, defensive behaviour, breeding, mythology, superstition and modern human attitudes to snakes. In addition, there are fact boxes within each chapter, which comprise items of special importance and interest, such as scale-type, population in the wild, egg incubation, etc. Above all, this is a major international title for all involved and interested in snakes, their zoology and care in captivity.

For the first time ever, a tale from the Persian Book of Kings springs to life in this stunningly produced and ingeniously crafted pop up book. Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King retells the myth of the misguided Prince Zahhak who is easily swayed by the devil to murder his father and usurp the thrown. Cursed with monstrous snakes that grow out of the king's shoulders, the Serpent King grows infamous throughout the land for his treachery and oppression. He rules for one thousand years before a noble and valiant Feraydun gains the strength and army to defeat the unjust King. The fantastic world of Zahhak: The Legend of the Serpent King literally pops off the page with intricately crafted spreads, two pop-up folds per page, and complex construction that will delight readers young and old with every turn of the page.