Field Guide to Snakes of the Middle East

Book excerpt: Arabia and the Middle East have an unusually rich herpetofauna, and this is exemplified by the region's snakes. There are almost 190 species, and this new field guide offers a way to identify them. Written by expert Damien Egan and illustrated with his brilliant digital imagery, the book consists of 87 plates, each containing two or three species, with the snakes illustrated along with comparison species and diagnostic features in detail, such as head and keel scales. A concise species text accompanies each plate, highlighting ID, ecology, habitat and prey, along with notes on venom. Introductory text covers the snakes of the region more widely, with a discussion on how and where to find them and how to study them safely. Ambitious in scope, this book will be of great interest to all herpetophiles living in or visiting this broad and diverse region.