Rattlers & Snappers is a must-have book for anyone interested in reptiles and amphibians, but its more than that. No other book contains such an eclectic mix of natural history, husbandry, harvest, taxidermy, and tales. This book discusses the life history of fascinating animals such as rattlesnakes, snapping turtles, and hellbenders. It teaches you how to handle and keep snakes and how to raise rats, mice, and bugs. It presents the firsthand accounts of noted naturalists and legendary wardens along with tales of outlaws and reptile poachers. It also offers techniques on catching and cooking turtles and on preserving the dead. This book was written for the Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania Association (COPA). All royalties from the sale of this book are used to support youth environmental education programs.

How do rattlesnakes move? What makes a kingsnake king? Why do cobras look so frightening? Read this book to find out!

A clever little girl outwits seven rattlesnakes

Respected raconteur Joe Hayes is built for tall tales—he’s got the world’s longest legs! And Joe—who travels all over the United States telling stories to kids—says that The Gum-Chewing Rattler is the perfect tall tale for kids because it combines so many familiar experiences—chewing lots of bubblegum, getting in trouble in school, driving your mom crazy—with the wild, impossible claim that a certain rattlesnake chewed gum and blew a bubble with it. Couple that with kids’ natural fascination with poisonous snakes, and The Gum-Chewing Rattler turns out to be one of Joe’s most requested stories. Joe’s been telling this wild story for years, since before 1980, when he took those long legs of his out on the road. But now, that old gum-chewer is here for the first time in a picture book with full-color illustrations by Antonio Castro L. Here’s how Joe’s story goes: When Joe was a boy, he chewed lots of bubblegum, his mom got so mad because the gum in his shirt pocket made a terrible mess in the wash! But this wad of bubblegum just happened to save Joe from a rattlesnake’s fangs! Really!! Don’t worry—his mother didn’t believe the story either.

Nearly every World War II fighter squadron that flew in Europe has had its history chronicled. Other than "Pappy" Boyington's famous VMF-214 "Black Sheep", little has been written about Marine Corps squadrons in World War II. The contribution of VMF-223, the "Death Rattlers", over Okinawa in the Spring of 1945 is virtually unknown. In two months there, the squadron became the top-scoring unit of any service with 124 1/2 victories and produced 12 aces, the most for one tour of any Marine squadron. The squadron downed 24 3/4 Japanese aircraft twice in its tour, the most for a single Marine squadron in any single action. The squadron's story is not only one of its pilots, combat, and valor, but also of the enlisted men, "the ground-crunchers," who made it function against the Japanese kamikaze menace. Along with the traditional historical perspective, it is an inside look at the personal side of training and war. It is the story of a group of untried young men who trained long and hard and became "family."

Ten years have passed since Stephen Thorn's fiancee vanished without a trace, and he has grown into a prominent, if bitter, victim's rights crusader. Despite the cold trail and lack of leads, he stubbornly refuses to give up the search. And then he begins to hear her voice in the strangest of places. Pursued by his own organization and questioning his sanity, Stephen embarks on a grisly journey to save his long-lost love. As he unravels the truth of her disappearance, the body count rises and Stephen finds himself ensnared in a trap that had been set for him long ago. Brutal, terrifying, and devastating The Rattler is sure to be one of the very best things youÍll read all year. Nick Nafpliotis Adventures in Poor Taste