Landscape with Reptile: Rattlesnakes in an Urban World

In this authoritative and entertaining book, first published in 1992, Thomas Palmer introduces us to a community of rattlesnakes nestled in the heart of the urban Northeast, one of several such enclaves found near cities across the United States. Recognizing the unexpected proximity of rattlers in our urban environs, Palmer examines not only Crotalus horridus but also the ecology, evolution, folklore, New England history, and American culture that surrounds this native species.

Landscape with Reptile celebrates the rattlesnake's survival with a multifaceted journey through nature, literature, and history. It includes a spirited defense of an outlaw species, an investigation of the hazards of snakebite, an account of a multimillion-dollar development project halted by Crotalus, a collection of tall tales, and a meditation on the spectacle of life on earth. Like the best nature writers, Palmer lives and breathes his landscape, but unlike most nature writers, he finds his landscape is his own backyard. Rarely has a book of natural history addressed so many historical and cultural touchstones in such original and unexpected ways. Palmer's story is as authentic as the woodlands from which it sprang.

Author: Thomas Palmer
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Published: 05/01/2018
Pages: 354
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.89d
ISBN: 9780820354118

About the Author
THOMAS PALMER is an amateur naturalist, photographer, conservation advocate, and the author of The Transfer and Dream Science. He lives in Milton, Massachusetts.