Article Outline

• References
• Copyright

The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere, Volumes I-II is the expanded update to the authors' previous text, titled The Venomous Reptiles of Latin America,¹ which is now out of print. The current text is an amazing 2-volume reference of all 192 species of venomous reptiles found in the Western Hemisphere. The book itself is large, measuring 12″×9.5″ and weighing 10 pounds, and therefore not easily transportable. It is well made with heavy binding and glossy paper stock. The dust jackets on the 2 volumes have stunning photographs of 2 snakes discussed in the text. Overall, there are over 1,500 color photographs, 160 black-and-white photos, over 100 line drawings, and more than 100 distribution maps of the reptiles discussed.

The first volume covers all the lizards, coral snakes, and sea snakes. Volume 2 covers the pit vipers, including the rattlesnakes and snakes that may mimic the pit vipers. It discusses the evolution of these snakes, their venoms, and lastly, envenomations in human beings.

Each section discusses the specific reptile in a similar format. It is encyclopedic and covers the local name of the reptile (both English and Spanish), its etymology (who discovered and named the reptile), its geographic distribution and habitat, its description, similar species, and personal remarks by the authors. Each reptile has a color photo, some black-and-white photographs, and maps showing the reptiles' distribution (a nice feature to determine whether the reptile is found in your area).

The photos in this book are stunning in their quality. Many appear to have been taken in the wild, instead of the usual captive photos often seen in other snake references. The authors have put a lot of time and care into this text. It is truly a definitive source on herpetology for this region of the world. References are extensive and cover over 100 pages.

The best section of the text for the practicing physician is the chapters on the treatment of envenomations. Considering the text was not written by physicians, the authors do a nice job at covering the basics of each type of venomous bite. I especially liked the differentiation between “field management” and “hospital management,” with each being well referenced by the medical literature. The authors provide a good review of the specific venoms, their toxicity, and the current antivenins used for treatment. Proper management cautions are also discussed. This section also includes many photos of reptile bites, along with photos of what can occur when a bite is properly and improperly treated.

This text is definitely written for the professional herpetologist or biologist and was not meant to serve as a medical reference. I do not think that it would be useful to the average physician, except to those with a special interest in this area. Poison centers and toxicologists who specialize in reptile envenomations, especially exotic species, may find this text to be an interesting reference. However, for the average emergency physician, standard toxicology texts such as those by Goldfrank et al² and Dart et al,³ along with consultation from their local poison center, would be a better choice for the management of these often-complicated cases.

Back to Article Outline

References 

1. Campbell J, Lamar W. The Venomous Retiles of Latin America. Ithaca, NY: Comstock Publishing Associates; 1989;
   • View In Article
2. Goldfrank L, Flomenbaum N, Lewin N, et al. Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies. 7th ed.. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2002;
   • View In Article
3. Dart R, Caravati E, Whyte I, et al. Medical Toxicology. 3rd ed.. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2004;
   • View In Article