The Snakes of Laos

Frankfurt 2023, geb., Großformat, 960 Seiten, 600 Fotos, 145 Karten. 4,2 Kg.Frankfurter Beiträge zur Naturkunde 92. This book deals with the 125 snake species known to inhabit Laos as of 2023. It is largely based on the literature, but also on the results of many field trips in Laos and long-lasting investigations of specimens deposited in numerous world-wide collections conducted by the three authors. As a result, a wealth of new and unpublished data are available for the snakes of this still poorly-known country. To the opposite of many books mainly concentrating on pictures, each species and subspecies account includes the systematics, nomenclature, extensive discussion about the synonyms and the taxonomic history, detailed morphological descriptions, distribution, both general and within the borders of Laos, biology, legal protection, snakebites if necessary, and relevant bibliographical references. Up to 12 pages (Ophiophagus hannah) or Trimeresurus albolabris 10 pages cover each species. Beside species, families and genera are also discussed. In the case of genera, the systematics, synonyms, diagnoses, and contents are provided. Dot maps are presented for every species. An extensive introduction covers all aspects of the geography, climate, ecoregions, habitats, and history of herpetology in Laos. A key to Laotian families and species is provided. An extensive bibliography concludes the volume before an index. There is hardly any recent regional work about snakes with such an amount of information. Although this book mainly focuses on Laotian snakes, it will undoubtedly be useful to herpetologists of adjacent countries, and, therefore, it will serve as a reference and baseline for herpetological researches not only in Laos but in the whole Oriental Region.