Geoff Coombe has recently published an excellent introduction to the relationship between Snakes and Humans. The book is subtitled "Understanding the behaviour of venomous snakes and human reactions to snakes" and as the subtitle implies, this approximately 90-page book includes not only details of snake behaviour but also delves into the reasons why humans react to snakes the way they do.

The book contains 6 main chapters plus a glossary, a list of useful references, excerpts from the archives of the Adelaide Snake Catchers, as well as a removable fact sheet on how to give First Aid for Snake Bite.

The titles of the various chapters and sections are: 1. Introduction 2. The Value of Wildlife 3. Snakes vs Humans - A Comparison 4. The Human Perspective:       Culture, Religion, Myths and Fallacies 5. The Snake Perspective:       Science and Survival 6. Living with Snakes 7. Glossary 8. References 9. Living with Wildlife 10. Archives of Adelaide Snake Catchers 11. First Aid for Snake Bite (removable) 12. Information and Feedback (removable)

The topics covered include "snake and human senses of smell and touch", "snake and human body language", "human anxiety, stress and aggression when a snake is confronted", "human, cultural and religious attitudes", "scientific studies of snakes", "defensive behaviour of snakes" and "how to solve a snake problem before it starts". To view some of the pages of Snakes & Humans, just click on the images below - the pages will open as PDF files in a new window.

Snakes & Humans is not available in the bookshops and can be purchased only through the Living with Wildlife Online Shop.