The photographs are the star attraction in this book. Most species are illustrated with white background shots, several beautiful natural settings and held by a human (which is valuable for scale). In many cases juvenile and adult specimens are included. The authors accompany these delightful pictures with two to four pages of clear and comprehensive information about each snake (including identification checklist and both continental US and Southeast range maps). The authors stick in some interesting and amusing observations in sidebars.

If you have the 2005 edition, my guess is you won't find it worthwhile to upgrade. This book does add the newly discovered (2012) Kirtland's Snake, but it has been found only in one small area of northern Kentucky (it is much more common in Ohio and Indiana). Oddly enough, both books claim 53 snakes (you can get anywhere from 51 to 56 depending on how you count, but whatever method you use, the new edition has one more snake). The Eastern Garter Snake has been replaced by the closely-related Common Gartersnake, although I think two of the pictures are actually Easterns, and some of the description applies better to Easterns as well. The list for further reading has been only slightly updated, despite some excellent candidate books in the last ten years.

I could wish for a few improvements. The index covers only snake names (both common and scientific) so you cannot look up a topic, or even look up a snake by a common name other than the one chosen by the authors. There is no identification hierarchy or checklist that would allow you to identify a snake seen in the wild or in a picture. You have to guess the snake, look it up, and see if it matches the identification attributes listed. All measurements are in English units, I prefer metric in scientific books.

But these are minor gripes in a book that manages to be beautiful, clear, interesting, precise and accurate.

If you live in the Southeast get this book. Spend time outside? Get this book. Charts, tips, information to identify snakes and decide friend or avoid. Learn snakes that eat earthworms and great photos of snakes that inhabit the region. I often hear people ask what kind of snake is this but having this reference on the shelf would be an asset for many. Add to the bookshelf.

A nice guide with color photos to help you identify snakes found in your backyard!

The full color photos make this guide stand out. I love field guides and my favorites are those that make it easiest to identify the animal in question. To that end, color photos are, in my opinion, the most useful way to go. This guide has plenty of full color photos and detailed accompanying text to help you with any identification. There are 53 kinds of snakes found in the southeastern bioregion. This guide shows them all. You will find range maps, descriptions of snake biology, and plenty of information about the natural history of these species.

The authors are experts in their field and have done a fine job with this guide. I recommend it for any naturalist, herpetologist, or snake fan who lives in the southeast.