Provides warnings about potentially life-threatening species, suggests precautions to avoid envenomation, and outlines procedures in the event of envenomation, plus information on appearance, behavior and ecological roles.

Describes dangerous mammals, reptiles, spiders, insects, flowers, shrubs, trees, and mushrooms.

A thrilling tale of encounters with nature’s masters of biochemistry From the coasts of Indonesia to the rainforests of Peru, venomous animals are everywhere—and often lurking out of sight. Humans have feared them for centuries, long considering them the assassins and pariahs of the natural world. Now, in Venomous, the biologist Christie Wilcox investigates and illuminates the animals of our nightmares, arguing that they hold the keys to a deeper understanding of evolution, adaptation, and immunity. She reveals just how venoms function and what they do to the human body. With Wilcox as our guide, we encounter a jellyfish with tentacles covered in stinging cells that can kill humans in minutes; a two-inch caterpillar with toxic bristles that trigger hemorrhaging; and a stunning blue-ringed octopus capable of inducing total paralysis. How do these animals go about their deadly work? How did they develop such intricate, potent toxins? Wilcox takes us around the world and down to the cellular level to find out. Throughout her journey, Wilcox meets the intrepid scientists who risk their lives studying these lethal beasts, as well as “self-immunizers” who deliberately expose themselves to snakebites. Along the way, she puts her own life on the line, narrowly avoiding being envenomated herself. Drawing on her own research, Wilcox explains how venom scientists are untangling the mechanisms of some of our most devastating diseases, and reports on pharmacologists who are already exploiting venoms to produce lifesaving drugs. We discover that venomous creatures are in fact keystone species that play crucial roles in their ecosystems and ours—and for this alone, they ought to be protected and appreciated. Thrilling and surprising at every turn, Venomous will change everything you thought you knew about the planet’s most dangerous animals.

Venomous Animals and Their Venoms, Volume II: Venomous Vertebrates is a collection of papers that describes the chemistry and biochemistry of snake, batrachian, and fish venoms. These papers discuss their pharmacological actions, their antigenic properties, and their medical aspects such as symptomatology and therapy. Papers describe the pharmacology and toxicology of the venoms of Asiatic, Australian, and Melanesian snakes including the cobra, the common Krait, the saw-scaled viper. One paper presents the pathology, symptomatology, treatment of snake bites in Australia, and the use of an antivenin schedule when the type of snake is not known. Some papers tackle the distribution of snakes in North America, and compare the biochemistry of Miliarius barbouri and Sistrurus catenatus which are subspecies of rattlesnakes. Other papers describe the biology and venom of the Arizona Gila monster and of the Mexican Gila monster. The basic substances in toad venom are from bases present in the glands, their secretions or on their skin. In treating stings from venomous fishes, one paper recommends the use of suction to remove the venom or soaking the injured part in hot water. This collection can be helpful for physicians, veterinarians, toxicologists, pharmacologists, chemists, and researchers in animal bites and injuries.

Though many are harmless and even beneficial, invertebrates are some of the world’s most feared and dangerous creatures. Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates describes the health threats posed by invertebrate groups worldwide, from physical pain and annoyance to disease transmission risk. Featuring clear photographs, distribution maps and descriptions of biological, physical and behavioural characteristics of key groups, this book aids identification of potentially harmful invertebrates. It also summarises personal protection measures to reduce the risk of attack and disease, and provides guidance on treatment. This book will help to protect the health of travellers and serve as a reference for medical personnel working in high-risk areas, as well as those interested in entomology.

Venomous Animals have been a threat to man at all times, in the warm and wilder regions more than in the temperate areas. People in especially dangerous regions know about these risks and live accordingly. However, with modern tourism and nearly unlimited travel oppor tunities more and more people without experience and knowledge about venomous animals come into contact with them; this book is intended to provide these people with an introduction to the subject. Venomous animals, their habits, their whole ecology and their venoms have been the object or research since the beginning of this century; truly intensive work, how ever, first started about thirty years ago. Medical treat ment therefore has been changed by new insights in the mechanism of action and the constituents of the various venoms. In this regard this book is also directed to physi cians, biologists and chemists to give them an introduc tion in this important and interesting field. New aspects of treatment of envenomations are reported. This book cannot replace bigger textbooks and monographs - they are cited in the references - but it gives an overview and an entry into this field. The original German edition was written at the request of colleagues and students of medicine, biology and chemistry as well as frequent travellers in tropical countries. It was sold out within eight months, thus showing that it really filled a gap.