Asian Pitvipers: Breeding Experience & Wildlife. By Dick Visser. Frankfurt am Main (Germany): Edition Chimaira. €88.00. 576 p.; ill.; no index. ISBN: 978-3-89973-450-8. [Available in the U.S. from ECO Publishing, Rodeo, New Mexico.] 2015.

Abstract

Previous articleNext article FreeZoologyAsian Pitvipers: Breeding Experience & Wildlife. By Dick Visser. Frankfurt am Main (Germany): Edition Chimaira. €88.00. 576 p.; ill.; no index. ISBN: 978-3-89973-450-8. [Available in the U.S. from ECO Publishing, Rodeo, New Mexico.] 2015.Roger S. ThorpeRoger S. ThorpeBiological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom Search for more articles by this author Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United KingdomPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreThis book is a combination of an introduction into the author’s background and how he became interested in reptiles and herpetoculture, a section on pitviper herpetoculture, species accounts, and a species checklist. The section on how to keep pitvipers (about 10% of the book) is an advanced, detailed, well-illustrated account that will be of value to those who wish to keep pitvipers and serve as a model for other herpetoculturists. It is aimed primarily at the hobbyists rather than the small constituency of scientists who keep this venomous group for research purposes. Given the detail of this account I was surprised not to see more on the suitability and source of antivenom for the various species as well as its local availability in case of an accidental envenomation. This must surely be a consideration when keeping members of this group. Although the pitviper group does not include the most venomous snake species, some are very dangerous and are responsible for much mortality and morbidity where they occur. A bite from even the least venomous species must be taken seriously. Other considerations are the legal requirements in each country for keeping potentially dangerous animals, and the legal issues around feeding them live vertebrate prey, which is implied as an option.The bulk of the book (about 80%) is made up of the species accounts. This in turn is primarily color images (habitat and specimens), but also includes distribution maps and a brief account of their etymology, habitat, size, conservation status, the author’s personal experience, and “notes.” Although this is the majority of the volume, I do not think it the most valuable section. A large compendium of high-quality images of pitvipers is already available in Gumprecht et al.’s book, Asian Pitvipers (2004. Berlin (Germany): Geitje Books), and distributions are available in Vogel’s Venomous Snakes of Asia (2006. Frankfurt (Germany): Chimaira Buchhandelsgellschaft). Not all of the categories (e.g., etymology, habitat, size, conservation status) have entries for all species. Although the title of the volume includes “wildlife,” these species accounts primarily emphasize personal experience with the species, and are not comprehensively researched summaries of the scientific literature. Take, for example, the first species considered, the Malayan pitviper (Calloselasma rhodostoma). This species has been studied and the dietary variation across its geographic range revealed, as well as its behavior in relation to humidity, but this type of information is not included. The final section is a useful current checklist, although the inherently temporary nature of checklists will erode its value over the lifetime of the book.In conclusion, this well-illustrated, easy-to-read volume will appeal to hobbyists, but is not essential reading for researchers or other academics. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 92, Number 1March 2017 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690895 For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.