Snakemaster

Wildlife Adventures with the World's Most Dangerous Reptiles
by Austin Stevens

I have never seen this guy's tv shows, but I found the book interesting regardless. In it, the author describes how his early fascination with snakes led to a job at a reptile/wildlife park, where he cared for the snakes housed there, regularly "milked" them of venom for medicinal use (against snakebite), gave public demonstrations, and responded to calls from businesses or home owners who needed a snake removed. Sometimes the snake was released into the wild again, sometimes brought into captivity, always admired thoroughly. Then he got into making wildlife films, seeking to find the most beautiful, or dangerous, or reclusive snakes to catch them on film, giving running commentary to make the footage as educational as possible. In spite of his familiarity with snakes- reading their behavior, knowing how far and fast various species can strike- of course being in frequent close proximity with such dangerous animals he was bound to get bitten- and does describe several near-death experiences with snakebite. This book has not done much to lessen my healthy fear of venomous snakes! but it's nice to see how much the guy admires them. It's not only snakes, he talks about a few other creatures like alligators, gila monsters, cane toads etc. And there's just as much about how he learned to make films, navigate the world of sudden publicity when his films were aired on a popular channel, and deal with the logistics of many trips into remote places. Entertaining read, in spite of a few typos. Lots of close calls, dangerous moments, some lively humor, and plenty of information about the reptiles.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5            233 pages, 2014