Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Snakes of India---The Field Guide. Just got my copy today and it's worth every cent. Up-to-date taxonomy info and outstanding
photography make it a must for every herp library.

Sincerely,
Bill Huseth
Link

Thanks, Bill. I have been familiar..from afar..with Rom Whitaker for many years. I'll have to get that one. Maybe Santa can deliver it.

~~Greg~~

INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE (Tamil Nadu, India) 10 August 04 Appreciate benefits from snakes
Chennai: Just about four out of the 270 kinds of snakes found in India are poisonous, says a top reptile expert here, exhorting people to appreciate the benefits they render.
"There is a lack of appreciation for snakes, which are a beautiful component of nature and extremely useful to human beings," said Romulus Whitaker, dubbed the 'snakeman' because of his familiarity with the reptiles, to a group of children during the launch of his new book here Sunday.
"Snakes can keep a check on the rodent population more than raptors like hawks, mongoose and other mammals all put together," Whitaker reminded the awed audience.
His efforts at the Centre for Herpetology, popularly known as the Madras Crocodile Bank, has helped increase the population of crocodiles bred in captivity.
He is also a noted wildlife documentary filmmaker and author. His documentary "King Cobra" -- a 53-minute film for National Geographic -- has also bagged the Emmy award.
Hundreds of children thronged the venue that hosted the release of Whitaker's new book, co-authored with Pune-based naturalist Ashok Captain, "Snakes of India: The field Guide".
This book is an update on his earlier book, "Common Indian Snakes: A field Guide", published in 1978. Whitaker had then recorded 233 Indian snake species.
Since then he, and his team of experts, have found more new species of the reptiles in India, Myanmar and the neighbouring region.
His new book says that at present there are 270 kinds of snakes in this country, and belying general perception that all are poisonous, just about four of them need to be avoided.
Whitaker has made Tamil Nadu his home for almost half-a-century now. Born in New York, he first came to India when he was just seven-year-old with his mother and stepfather Ram Chatopadhyaya, the Mumbai-based film importer.
He studied at the International School in Kodaikanal and his association with the state began during his growing up years on the Palani Hills.
Whitaker went on to graduate in wildlife management from the Wyoming University in the US and returned to Tamil Nadu in the 1960s to work extensively with the Irulas, a tribe of snake catchers.
With snakes included among endangered species, India imposed a ban on trading in snakeskins. The ban raised the question of survival for Tamil Nadu's snake catching tribes.
Whitaker, who had learnt to extract venom while working at the Miami Serpentarium, started a snake park in the forest area of Guindy on Chennai's outskirts, and set up a venom extraction unit to support the Irulas.
Soon, Whitaker acquired the name 'snakeman'. He then established India's first crocodile bank to protect the reptiles -- also on the extinction list -- on the East Coast Road, halfway to Mahabalipuram from here.
He has also helped set up a Irula venom extraction cooperative, which now helps the tribe generate income from traditional practices. Whitaker is an advisor to the Rajiv Gandhi Molecular Biology institute in Hyderabad.
The wildlife conservationist began work on his latest book in 1994 and then it took the authors seven years to complete, said snake-lover and filmmaker Shekhar Dattatri.
A film was also screened on Indian snakes and folklores with Whitaker as the storyteller. The book, priced at Rs.2,700, provides comprehensive and detailed information on snakes with supporting illustrations.
Appreciate benefits from snakes

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