IN their guide to The Dangerous Snakes of Africa (Blandford, 拢20, ISBN 0 7137 2394 7) Stephen Spawls and Bill Branch employ a commendably direct approach. Many herpetologists would get bogged down in the finer points of snake taxonomy, but Spawls and Branch opt for simple descriptions, backed up with colour photographs and some handy rules of thumb: any African snake with more than one conspicuous stripe running along its body, they note, is probably not dangerous.
The chapters cover the interested layperson鈥檚 questions, such as: 鈥淲hich ones are really dangerous?鈥�; 鈥淲hat happens when a snake bites?鈥�; and 鈥淗ow bad will it be?鈥� Spawls and Branch reassure us that snake bites are rarely fatal, but the gruesome picture demonstrating the flesh-destroying effects of Mozambique cobra venom should by itself ensure that readers are not lulled into complacency.
There are occasional lapses into medical jargon: sea snake bites, we are told, can cause 鈥渕yoglobinuria and 鈥� arrythmias due to hyperkalaemia鈥�. But if you are thinking of spending some time in Africa, take a copy to stash in your first-aid cabinet.
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