Few animals strike as much fear as snakes, which kill either through their poisonous venom or through suffocation. Numbering more than 3,000 species, snakes can be found in virtually every environment other than Antarctica, from the jungles of the Amazon to the Gobi Desert and Australian Outback. Some snakes even inhabit the rivers and seas. Arranged by continent, Snakes offers an engaging pictorial introduction to these prehistoric predators. Find out about the black mamba, which is feared because it possesses an extremely potent venom that kills most of its victims--animal and human; see the banded krait, whose venom is a neurotoxin that induces instant paralysis; learn about the reticulated python, the world's longest constrictor, regularly reaching over 20 feet; and marvel at the tiny Barbados threadsnake, which typically grows to a length of 4 inches and has been compared to a spaghetti noodle!