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 recognition of 705 genera and 4,085 species. Features: Alphabetical listings by genus and species Individual accounts for each genus and species Detailed data on type specimens and type localities All subspecies, synonyms, and proposed snake names Distribution of species by country, province, and elevation Distribution of fossils by country and geological periods Major taxonomic references for each genus and species Appendix with major references for each country Complete bibliography of all references cited in text and appendix Index of 12,500 primary snake names The data on type specimens includes museum and catalog number, length and sex, and collector and date. The listed type localities include restrictions and corrections. The bibliography provides complete citations of all references cited in the text and appendix, and taxonomic comments are given in the remarks sections. This standard reference supplies a scientific, academic, and professional treatment of snakes—appealing to conservationists and herpetologists as well as zoologists, naturalists, hobbyists, researchers, and teachers.

Issues for 1977-1979 include also Special List journals being indexed in cooperation with other institutions. Citations from these journals appear in other MEDLARS bibliographies and in MEDLING, but not in Index medicus.

Includes section, "Recent book acquisitions" (varies: Recent United States publications) formerly published separately by the U.S. Army Medical Library.