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Rattlesnakes of Arizona

Volumes 1 and 2

Rattlesnakes of Arizona (2-volumes) is a multi-authored, peer-reviewed book (1256 pp.) that is intended for both professionals and laypersons. Each volume stands on its own in content yet they are complementary. This book was inspired by scientific and creative approaches to form, function, and context. Our main goal was to create a collaborative fusion of art, natural history, and science that enlightens and inspires. Early ancestors of humans understood the linkages between observation, understanding, and depiction. Their spectacular murals on cave walls in France, and their petroglyphs and art throughout the United States and Mexico, are a testament to the significance of these connections. As we labored toward a mature capacity for reason and science, these connections were forgotten for a time; but we have come around to better understand our own brains and behavior, and ironically we find it easier to understand those ancient activities in the 21st century.

Rattlesnakes of Arizona

Volume 1 – Species Accounts and Natural History

This stunning and large volume (736 pages) on Arizona's rattlesnakes in landscape format has 17 chapters by 22 leading authorities covering in-depth aspects of natural history, behavior, evolution, and conservation. A special chapter is on art and rattlesnakes. Original art is by the acclaimed and award-winning wildlife artist Tell Hicks, who was commissioned by the Chiricahua Desert Museum and Eco Publishing for this project. Hicks' breathtaking art of rattlesnakes and other animals graces the pages throughout the book. This volume is especially intended for anyone interested in rattlesnakes and their role in the southwestern deserts and other ecosystems. There are hundreds of beautiful color photos (many are full-page in size) of rattlesnakes in situ, as well as attractive figures (graphs) and tables.

The Foreword is by Bayard H. Brattstrom, a leading American authority on rattlesnakes and other pitvipers. The attractive dust jacket is based on Hicks’ award-winning painting titled, New Mexico Ridgenose Rattlesnake (in situ). (www.ecouniverse.com/product/302/) Carel P. Brest van Kempen, wildlife artist and author of the widely acclaimed wildlife art book, Rigor Vitae: Life Unyielding, writes of Tell Hicks:

His paintings of snakes in their habitats are extraordinary. I especially love his New Mexico Ridgenose Rattlesnake, which is one of the most beautiful animal paintings I have seen.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD
BAYARD H. BRATTSTROM

DEDICATION

INTRODUCTION
GORDON W SCHUETT, TELL HICKS, AND BOB ASHLEY

ART AND RATTLESNAKES
RANDALL S. REISERER

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

The Western Rattlesnake Complex: 200 Years of Intrigue and Change
MARK A. DAVIS

Grand Canyon Rattlesnake (Crotalus abyssus)
MARTIN J. FELDNER, GORDON W. SCHUETT, AND JOHN M. SLONE

Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus)
MARK A. DAVIS, MARTIN J. FELDNER, AND GORDON W. SCHUETT

Midget Faded Rattlesnake (Crotalus concolor)
MARTIN J. FELDNER, GORDON W. SCHUETT, AND JOHN M. SLONE

Great Basin Rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus)
MARTIN J. FELDNER, GORDON W. SCHUETT, AND JOHN M. SLONE

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
MARK A. DAVIS AND MICHAEL E. DOUGLAS

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
GORDON W. SCHUETT, ROGER A. REPP, CAROL L. SPENCER, KENT R. BEAMAN, AND CHARLES W. PAINTER

Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes)
RANDALL S. REISERER

Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus)
DAVID B.PRIVAL AND JOHN P. PORTER

Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
TREVOR B. PERSONS, MARTIN J. FELDNER, AND ROGER A. REPP

Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei)
DAVID B.PRIVAL

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
JESSE M. MEIK

Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
MICHAEL D. CARDWELL

Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris)
MATT GOODE, MICKEY RAY PARKER, MARTIN J. FELDNER, AND ROGER A. REPP

Ridgenose Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi)
DAVID G. BARKER

Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus)
MARTIN J. FELDNER, GORDON W. SCHUETT, AND CHARLES F. SMITH

Reviews of Volume 1

The content is unparalleled in sheer volume of information. I know of no other work that includes so much information about these animals in one book, and it is easily accessible and relevant to the academic and the casual hobbyist alike. It is obvious that all of the authors left no stone unturned in order to provide the most current and relevant information. – Diego Oritz

If you have an avid interest in rattlesnakes, you will reread and utilize this book for a lifetime. If you have only a passing interest in rattlesnakes, this book is a good way to end up with an avid interest. Highly recommended. – Kelly Chabak

Absolutely fantastic – up there with classical works like FitzSimons' Snakes of South Africa, Pitman's Snakes of Uganda. Next year I have to drive to Arizona to search for all these Rattlesnakes. I like Hicks' illustrations which add tremendous scientific and artistic value. – Thomas Hakansson

I just received my copy of the brand new book, Rattlesnakes of Arizona, Vol. 1, edited by Gordon Schuett et al and illustrated by Tell Hicks. It's an exhaustive and beautiful book--736 pages. Here's my reaction to Tell's illustrations: "With his illustrations for Rattlesnakes of Arizona, Tell Hicks has achieved a milestone in the history of nature illustration and animal art. His "field guide" illustrations of the species are as accurate as they come, but what really sets them apart is his innovative way of presenting them, which is not only aesthetically appealing, but it shows all of the important parts of the snake in an economical way that makes them more useful than the approaches others have taken. His paintings of snakes in their habitats are extraordinary. I especially love his New Mexico Ridgenose Rattlesnake, which is one of the most beautiful animal paintings I have seen." Congratulations Tell, Gordon, and everyone else who worked on it. Well done! – Carel P. Brest van Kempen

Volume 2 – Conservation, Behavior, Venom, and Evolution

The second volume of Rattlesnakes of Arizona is a collection of 13 highly focused, synthetic chapters by leading experts, which cover a wide range of topics, from phylogenetics and genomics to reproduction and social behavior. Emphasis is on species of Arizona and nearby areas. Conservation is highlighted in two chapters. Several chapters are dedicated solely to the development and evolution of the rattle itself. No academic book on rattlesnakes would be complete without a chapter on venom, and the one in this volume will not disappoint.

Like its companion, it is replete with beautiful photographs of rattlesnakes, as well as many figures and tables. It issurely to become the new, up-to-date authoritative reference on these iconic animals.

We anticipate Volume 2 to be published in late fall 2016.

Table of Contents

Recent Developments in Rattlesnake Phylogenetics, Phylogeography, and Species Delimitation
WOLFGANG WÜSTER

A Role for Genomics in Rattlesnake Research: Current Knowledge and Future Potential
DREW R. SCHIELD, DAREN C. CARD, JACOBO REYES-VELASCO, AUDRA L. ANDREW, CASSANDRA A.MODAHL, STEPHEN P. MACKESSY, DAVID D. POLLOCK, AND TODD A. CASTOE

Deciphering the Evolution of Venom and the Venom Apparatus in Rattlesnakes
STEPHEN P. MACKESSY AND TODD A. CASTOE

The Hunting and Feeding Behavior of Wild Rattlesnakes
RULON W. CLARK

Rattlesnakes as Models for Reproductive Studies of Vertebrates
EMILY N. TAYLOR AND WARREN BOOTH

Social Behavior of Rattlesnakes: A Shifting Paradigm
GORDON W. SCHUETT, RULON W. CLARK, ROGER A. REPP, MELISSA AMARELLO, CHARLES F. SMITH, AND HARRY W. GREENE

The Origin and Evolution of the Rattlesnake Rattle: Misdirection, Clarification, Theory, and Progress
RANDALL S. REISERER AND GORDON W. SCHUETT

Structure, Ontogeny, and Evolutionary Development of the Rattlesnake Rattle
JESSE M. MEIK AND GORDON W. SCHUETT

The Rattle: A Window on Rattlesnake Life Histories
RANDALL S. REISERER

Novel Tracking, Remote Monitoring Technologies, and Their Application to Rattlesnakes
STEVEN J. BEAUPRE

Rattlesnakes in Syntopy: A Case Study from Arizona
ERIKA M. NOWAK AND GORDON W. SCHUETT

Rattlesnake Conservation in the 21st Century
ERIKA M. NOWAK AND HARRY W. GREENE

A Molecular Perspective on Conservation: Rattlesnakes as Models
HANS-WERNER HERRMANN