Saving Snakes - by Nicolette L Cagle (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Beautiful to behold and extremely sensitive to its environment, the snake is nonetheless stigmatized as a serpent, a creature that almost universally inspires fear. At a time when so many animals are endangered, who will speak up for the snake?

Snake populations are declining precipitously around the globe, but calls for their conservation are muted by fear and prejudice. Saving Snakes offers a new approach to understanding snakes and preserving their populations--an approach built on respect. Nicolette Cagle has traveled the world in search of snakes, from the Midwest and the southeastern United States to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Australia, and spent decades conducting natural science research on the patterns of snakes in regions where urban development encroaches upon the natural world. Her book offers a firsthand account of the strange and secretive lives of snakes, and reveals their devastating losses.

Beautifully and accessibly written, Saving Snakes entwines Cagle's personal narrative with deep scientific and historical research. Through the author's exploration of her evolution as a field naturalist, it provides a blueprint for developing a conservation consciousness among young people and paves the way for increased inclusivity in the male-dominated field of herpetology. While fundamentally a book about snakes, this is also the story of one woman's pursuit of her passion as she searches for, studies, and advocates for these enigmatic creatures.

Review Quotes

Only a few authors, all of them well known and widely admired for their ability to provide accessible insights into difficult topics, have successfully and consistently combined story-telling with hard science. Many are cited in this book. Nicolette Cagle deserves to be included in that distinguished pantheon. We hope she keeps writing.

The writing is superb, often elegant--easy reading with a poetic flow, melding literary appeal with the beauty of nature. Anyone who appreciates the natural world and has a passion for the outdoors--from bird-watchers to hikers, from hunters to land managers, and especially anyone interested in herpetofauna--will find connections with Saving Snakes.

This book could do for snakes what Silent Spring did for birds.

About the Author

Nicolette L. Cagle is a Senior Lecturer in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.