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2003 495 Snakes of the United States and Canada BookReviews117(3).qxd 6/11/04 7:58 PM Page 495 2003 BOOK REVIEWS 495 Snakes of the United States and Canada By Carl H. Ernst and Evelyn M. Ernst. 2003. Smithsonian The maps have surprisingly good detail despite their Books, Washington. xi+668 pages. US$70, CAN$105.00 size which ruled out plotting individual records. The ISBN 1-58834-019-8 subdivisions of ranges into subspecies is not mapped It is over four-and-a-half decades since the publi- but given only in the text. Distributions for the 25 cation of the comprehensive two-volume Handbook of species (three families) which range into Canada are Snakes of United States and Canada by Albert Hazen generally accurate. Exceptions may be the central and Anna Allen Wright (reviewed in The Canadian Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia portions Field-Naturalist 71(4): 201-202 by J. S. Bleakney, for the Western Terrestrial Gartersnake Thamnophis 1957). Those volumes emphasized the need for life elegans (page 385) and the central Alberta and British Thamnophis sirtalis history data and presented the first distribution maps Columbia portions for (page 429) where, following some other recent authors, a disjunct for all species covered (this was a year before the first patchwork is shown. These likely reflect just a lack field guide to amphibians and reptiles in the Peterson of sufficient observations in these areas rather than series appeared). The intervening period has seen not actual range gaps. There is a northernmost disjunct only a proliferation of ecological and behavioural stud- shown for the Northwestern Garter Snake, Thamnophis ies but the compilations of extensive data-bases on dis- ordinoides (page 403), apparently in the vicinity of tribution for virtually every region of North America. Bella Coola. However, specimens identified as to this In the new treatment of North American snakes, the species in the literature are actually Thamnophis ele- Ernsts have synthesized much of the new information gans vagrans (Canadian Museum of Nature, FRC and integrated it with the historic data in detailed unpublished data). A lapsus in paste-up has caused species accounts. the map for the Common Garter Snake, Thamnophis A seven-page Introduction begins with remarks on sirtalis (page 429), to lose the portion for northern the taxonomic position snakes (over 2600 are recog- Alberta into the Northwest Territories at Fort Smith. nized in the world) as a suborder (Serpentes) of the This is unfortunate as it includes the most northerly order Squamata which they share with lizards. Follow- record for a reptile in North America, documented as ing are capsule sections on origins (the oldest fossil early as the beginning of the 20th century. However, snake is from the early Cretaceous Period). The mod- this part of the range is included in the text. A discred- ern snake fauna (6 families, 52 genera and 131 species ited record for the Sharp-tailed Snake Contia tenuis occur in North America), characteristics, habitat, activ- (page 88) for the British Columbia interior continues ity periods, movements, reproduction, diet, predators to be plotted here. The northern limit of the Brown and defense, venoms, populations, conservation. Two Snake Storeria dekayi is probably too generous in pages on identification include labelled diagrams of Quebec but the stylized boundaries of the map in this scale patterns and a key to the families. area make this hard to evaluate. The family and species accounts occupy 554 pages: Some taxonomic details will be of interest to Leptotyphlopidae (Slender Blindsnakes) 1 genus, 2 Canadian workers. The generic name Liochlorophis species; Typhlopidae (Blindsnakes) 1, 1 (introduced); is accepted for the Smooth Green Snake (L. vernalis) Boidae (Boas) 2, 3 (one of these introduced); Colu- but three previously named subspecies (vernalis, blan- bridae (Colubrid Snakes – both harmless and rear- chardi, and borealis) are not. For the Plains Garter fanged species) 42, 105; Elapidae (Elapid Snakes – Snake (Thamnophis radix) the subspecies haydeni is coral snakes and the marine Yellow-bellied Sea Snake) no longer recognized. However, the subspecific sta- 3, 3; Viperidae (Viperid Snakes – represented by the tus of the Blue Racer Coluber constrictor foxii for subfamily Crotalinae, the pit vipers) 3, 17. Each ac- Great Lakes populations is considered valid, as are the count has sections on Recognition, Geographic Varia- two subspecies of Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) that tions (including definition of all subspecies, some rec- intergrade in Ontario and Quebec (dekayi × wrighto- ognized as full species by other authors, and reference rum). The Black Hills Red-bellied Snake (Storeria to forms once named but not currently recognized), occipitomaculata pahasapae) is now regarded as inter- Confusing Species, Karyotype, Fossil Record, Distri- grading with S. o. occipitomaculata in “southern bution (both as text and as a black patch on outline map Canada” [= Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwest- of U.S. states, and, for the 25 species which range ern Ontario]. The Gopher Snakes and Bullsnake are north of the U.S., the relevant portions of Canadian grouped as Pituophis catenifer now separate from the provinces), habitat, behavior, reproduction, growth southeastern Pine Snakes (P. melanoleucus). Differing and longevity, diet and feeding habits, predators and from some recent authors, The Western Yellow-bellied defense, populations (abundance), and remarks (addi- Racer Coluber constrictor mormon, the Fox Snake tional aspects). Throughout the accounts sharp colour Elaphe vulpina gloydi and the Northern Pacific photographs illustrate each species and some distinc- Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis oreganus are not elevated tive subspecies. to species status. The text was apparently completed prior to publication of a revision of the Ratsnake Elaphe BookReviews117(3).qxd 6/11/04 7:58 PM Page 496 496 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Vol. 117 obsoleta and the consequent elevation of E. o. spiloides a standard reference for years to come for both re- to a species (as Elaphe Spiloides) which now includes searchers and naturalists with any interest in snakes. all Ontario populations (Burbink et al. 2000; Burbink 2001). Literature Cited The book concludes with a four-page Glossary pre- Burbink, E. T. 2001. Systematics of the eastern rat snake complex (Elaphe obsoleta). Herpetological Monographs 15: 1-53. senting an English translation for genus, species, and Burbink, E. T., R. Lawson, and J. B. Slowinski. 2000. Mitochondrial subspecific names, and an 102-page Bibliography. I DNA phylogeography of the polytypic North American rat snake did not note any more recent than the year 2000. Cita- (Elaphe obsoleta): a critique of the subspecies concept. Evolution tions in the species accounts reference sources for 54(6): 2107-2118. most but the more general statements allowing them to FRANCIS R. COOK be verified and/or searched for additional information. Its through synthesis of the literature will make this Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4 Canada BOTANY The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees By David More and John White. 2002. Timber Press, Inc., The book begins with a Table of Contents of two 133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, Oregon pages, two pages of Foreword and an Introduction of 97204-3527, USA www.timberpress.com; hardcover, eleven pages with descriptive information including 800 pages. U.S. $79.95. a list of trees for problem sites or special needs. It is This is an absolutely beautiful book. Usually with completed by a Glossary, an Index of Scientific Names one and a half pages per species are presented: paint- and an Index of Common Names. Its weight is about ed illustrations of trees, flowers, fruits and leaves, six pounds and for that reason should be best either often at different stages in spring, summer, fall and kept at home or in an office and not carried into a winter “found in Britain, France, Germany and the garden or arboretum. Low Countries – common or rare, native or introduced, One thing that was not mentioned in the text is the growing wild or cultivated in arboreta, parks and gar- possibility of a cultivated tree species invading into dens”, by artist David More. open or non-cultivated areas. Three species that have The accompanying text written by John White des- spread extensively in some areas in the vicinity of cribes the native range of each species, approximate Toronto are Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Silver time of its introduction into cultivation, where it Birch (Betula pendula) and Norway Maple (Acer came from, the preferable habitat, various cultivars platanoides). and various additional interesting information. WILLIAM J. CODY All of this is in family sequence beginning with the Ginkgo family and ending with the Palm family. Over Biodiversity, National Program on Environmental Health, 1000 species are treated. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Wm. Saunders Building (49), Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 Canada Carnivorous Plants of the United States and Canada: Second Edition By Donald E. Schnell. 2002. Timber Press, Inc. Portland, The next 68 pages are devoted to Carnivorous Plants: Oregon. 468 pages. U.S. $39.95. An Introduction under the following headings: Carni- vorous or Insectivorous, General Characteristics Re- This book contains a wealth of information and ab- lated to Habitat, Must Carnivorous Plants be Carni- solutely beautiful colour pictures of 55 carnivorous vorous? Trapping Mechanisms, How Traps Attract Prey, plants which occur
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