Many people have a great fear of snakes. This fear affects their peace of mind, their enjoyment of a holiday in the country, and even their pleasure in their own suburban gardens. It leads to the senseless destruction of one of our valuable natural resources. The morbid fear of snakes can only be dispelled by learning the true facts about these fascinating creatures. This book is addressed to anyone who wishes to learn about the natural history of snakes, or to identify those found in Ontario, but the author speaks particularly to young people, who, unless they have been prejudiced, have a natural interest in all living things. In an easy, conversational manner, the author gives a general account of snakes--what they are, how they travel, their instinct and intelligence, how they feed, their reproduction, hiberation, shedding of the skin, defences usefulness--and discusses popular beliefs and fear of snakes. The separate species are fully described in a simple, non-technical and readable style. The author is also an artist, and the book is illustrated with his own wash drawings and line sketches. There are two beautiful colour plates. Distribution maps show the range of species. For those wishing to pursue the study of snakes more fully, an appendix provides a list of snakes with scientific names, a key for the identification of the snakes, directions for determining their sex, directions for collection and preserving, directions for determining their sex, directions for keeping snakes as pets, diagrams giving anatomical names of parts of snakes, a glossary, and a concise and up-to-date outline of rattlesnake bite and first aid treatment.

A COMPREHENSIBLE AND READABLE BOOK BY A REPTILE EXPERT.

Many people fear snakes, and watersnakes in particular have one of the worst reputations of any snake found in North America. Some species are commonly mistaken for venomous cottonmouths, and a few may eat popular game fishes. Unfortunately, few people realize the important roles many watersnakes play in natural ecosystems and, consequently, they are still persecuted in many regions today. Seeking to overcome common misperceptions, J. Whitfield Gibbons and Michael E. Dorcas have compiled North American Watersnakes, the first comprehensive study of all fourteen species of watersnakes found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Individual species accounts explore all aspects of the natural history of watersnakes in North America, including their behavior, physiology, life history, ecology, and conservation. Almost 100 color photographs accompany the text, illustrating all 14 species and nearly all subspecies. Supplementing the species accounts are detailed color maps depicting each species distribution and stunning black-and-white drawings by Peri Mason. Easy-to-use keys help readers to identify specimens at hand.

The first volume contains species accounts of the venomous lizards and elapid and viperid snakes found north of Mexico's twenty-fifth parallel. Volume two covers the twenty-one species of rattlesnakes found in the United States, Canada, and northern Mexico.

Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species-the first catalogue of its kind-covers all living and fossil snakes described between 1758 and 2012, comprising 3,509 living and 274 extinct species allocated to 539 living and 112 extinct genera. Also included are 54 genera and 302 species that are dubious or invalid, resulting in reco

To the casual observer Ontario appears as an immense territory, stretching from west of the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence, and from Hudson Bay to the southernmost tip of Lake Erie. The naturalist sees more than this vastness: he is aware of the province's great diversity in flora and fauna, and in geology and topography; he sees the province divided into zones and regions, each with its own special natural traits. Over the years some areas, and their special attractions, have become widely known to naturalists, amateur and professional. Others have not been so familiar. It has been difficult for visitors to and residents of Ontario to plan well-arranged trips which will include a number of them. A guide to Ontario, designed specifically for naturalists, has been needed, and this book will fill that need. The combination of scientific accuracy and up-to-date practical information will make it an invaluable part of the naturalist's field equipment. Along with maps and general descriptions of the flora, fauna, and geology of Ontario, this book contains over forty regional guides. Each guide lists, concisely and accurately, up-to-date information on how best to reach the regions that are of interest to the naturalist. There are also descriptions of the geology, plants, trees, birds, and mammals typical of each locale, along with information on rare or unique species, and information on local naturalists and nature clubs. Indexes of place names and names of species, and a list of reference manuals, complete the contents of this unique and valuable guide. It will be equally useful to those who pay occasional weekend visits to the countryside, and wish to know something about the rocks, plants and wildlife they encounter, and to the more serious student of natural history. The guide has been prepared by members of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and other allied agencies in the hope that it will help encourage a wider appreciation of natural history in Ontario. Sylvia Hahn's attractive drawings indicate some of the great variety of plant and animal life to be found in the province.

Winner of the 1995 Ontario Historical Society Joseph Brant Award for the best book on native studies Aboriginal Ontario: Historical Perspectives on the First Nations contains seventeen essays on aspects of the history of the First Nations living within the present-day boundaries of Ontario. This volume reviews the experience of both the Algonquian and Iroquoian peoples in Southern Ontario, as well as the Algonquians in Northern Ontario. The first section describes the climate and landforms of Ontario thousands of years ago. It includes a comprehensive account of the archaeologists’ contributions to our knowledge of the material culture of the First Nations before the arrival of the Europeans. The essays in the second and third sections look respectively at the Native peoples of Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario, from 1550 to 1945. The final section looks at more recent developments. The volume includes numerous illustrations and maps, as well as an extensive bibliography.