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So Many Snakes, So Little Time: Uncovering the Secret Lives of Australia’s Serpents
Snakes are creatures of mystery, arousing fear in many people but fascination in a few. Recent research has transformed our understanding of the behaviour and ecology of these animals, revealed their important roles in diverse ecosystems, and discovered new and effective ways to conserve their populations and to promote coexistence between snakes and people. One of the leading contributors to that scientific revolution has been Prof Rick Shine. Based in Australia, whose snake fauna is diverse and often dangerous, his experiences and anecdotes will inspire a new generation of serpent scientists. Spellbinding stories highlight the challenges, frustrations, and joys of discovery, and give the reader a greater appreciation of these often-slandered slithering reptiles. Key Features
292 pages, Hardcover
Published July 5, 2022
About the author
Rick Shine
7 books1 followerRick Shine is Professor of Biology at the University of Sydney. He has published more than a thousand scientific papers on the ecology of reptiles and amphibians and he has received a host of national and international awards for his research.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 8, 2023
Shine is a legendary snake biologist, and it was fascinating to read how he went from an inexperienced university student to a pioneering herpetologist. He's not shy about admitting his failures or shortcomings along the way, and several of his stories are quite funny. The book is understandable for readers of any background, and still is enjoyable and informative for the serious snake enthusiast. The pictures are great too. Reading it makes me want to visit Australia!
The book did have some copywriting mistakes (wrong punctuation, grammar, etc.), though they didn't detract much. Sometimes it felt a little repetitive (especially when he talks about Australia being different from the northern hemisphere or how misconceptions about reptiles being "primitive" are wrong). But the stories of ecological breakthroughs and dangerous snake encounters make it a compelling read nonetheless.
The book did have some copywriting mistakes (wrong punctuation, grammar, etc.), though they didn't detract much. Sometimes it felt a little repetitive (especially when he talks about Australia being different from the northern hemisphere or how misconceptions about reptiles being "primitive" are wrong). But the stories of ecological breakthroughs and dangerous snake encounters make it a compelling read nonetheless.
October 30, 2022
This book is as close to perfect as I think any book on a similar topic will be. For anyone with the slightest interest in snakes, Australian or otherwise, the book is an absolute must-have. It is sure to become a classic.
So Many Snakes, So Little Time is a compellingly written memoir by Professor Rick Shine about his extraordinary 50-year career as a snake ecologist. So compelling in fact, that I started reading it (the first time) after I got it out of the letterbox one morning recently, and, apart from stopping for lunch, I did nothing but read the book until I finished it around 7.30pm that same day! Admittedly, I raced through the book on my first reading, taking a week or so of leisurely reading on my second attempt.
The book overflows with new understandings of snake natural history, ecology and evolutionary biology that have been discovered by the pioneering field and laboratory studies that Shine and his research students have undertaken, often under difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. But Shine also reveals the more ‘human’ aspects to his research career: abandoning his initial PhD topic to pursue his passion for snakes; the early difficulties in establishing a career and, importantly, a reputation, for high quality, ground-breaking research at a time when snake ecology wasn’t generally seen as a ‘cutting edge’ area for a young ecologist to work on; the insecurities, disappointments and occasional failures. Essentially, the memoir provides the captivating backstory to an outstanding research career that has generated over 1000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, several books, and many millions of dollars of research funding.
The book is also full of beautiful photos, most of which readers will not have seen before, including some lovely colour portraits of a range of Australian species.
What comes through so clearly when reading the book is the genuine passion and respect that Rick Shine has for snakes. Shine has never seen snakes as just a model group of organisms on which to test out theories. Instead, he appreciates their beauty, biology and behaviour for their intrinsic value as much as for the scientific insights that emerge from studying them. The book is then, not only an honest reflection on his amazing career but it's also a celebration of snakes as a group of animals that have accomplished extraordinary things, in an evolutionary and ecological sense.
So Many Snakes, So Little Time is a compellingly written memoir by Professor Rick Shine about his extraordinary 50-year career as a snake ecologist. So compelling in fact, that I started reading it (the first time) after I got it out of the letterbox one morning recently, and, apart from stopping for lunch, I did nothing but read the book until I finished it around 7.30pm that same day! Admittedly, I raced through the book on my first reading, taking a week or so of leisurely reading on my second attempt.
The book overflows with new understandings of snake natural history, ecology and evolutionary biology that have been discovered by the pioneering field and laboratory studies that Shine and his research students have undertaken, often under difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. But Shine also reveals the more ‘human’ aspects to his research career: abandoning his initial PhD topic to pursue his passion for snakes; the early difficulties in establishing a career and, importantly, a reputation, for high quality, ground-breaking research at a time when snake ecology wasn’t generally seen as a ‘cutting edge’ area for a young ecologist to work on; the insecurities, disappointments and occasional failures. Essentially, the memoir provides the captivating backstory to an outstanding research career that has generated over 1000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, several books, and many millions of dollars of research funding.
The book is also full of beautiful photos, most of which readers will not have seen before, including some lovely colour portraits of a range of Australian species.
What comes through so clearly when reading the book is the genuine passion and respect that Rick Shine has for snakes. Shine has never seen snakes as just a model group of organisms on which to test out theories. Instead, he appreciates their beauty, biology and behaviour for their intrinsic value as much as for the scientific insights that emerge from studying them. The book is then, not only an honest reflection on his amazing career but it's also a celebration of snakes as a group of animals that have accomplished extraordinary things, in an evolutionary and ecological sense.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews