Read with Caution

One of the kids I babysat today wanted me to read a book about reptiles with him. Accompanying each reptile's profile of the expected facts and stats was a gruesome and graphic tale of reptilian horror. I snapped some pictures on my phone and have included some samplings below. Please remember that these are not for the faint-hearted. Proceed with caution.

The Life-Ending Lancehead

A fisherman ventures on to the island to pick bananas, but as he wanders through the forest a golden lancehead strikes his ankle. Panicking, the man stumbles back to his boat, suffering several more bites from lanceheads hidden along the track.

Racked with pain as the terrible venom eats away at his flesh, the fisherman casts off. As he drifts out to sea he cuts the bite wounds and tries to suck out the venom, but soon collapses into unconsciousness. He bleeds to death long before anyone spots his boat, and is found sprawled in a pool of his own blood.

Mangrove Massacre

A mangrove snake is lounging on a bare branch above the waters of a mangrove creek, soaking up the tropical sunshine beaming on its exposed perch. But the splash of paddles nearby gives it a rude awakening. The snake fixes a wary eye on an approaching boat that has a fisherman and his son on board.

Intent on navigating their craft between the trees, the two do not notice the reptile. The boy grabs the snake's branch to steady his craft, and tugs the beast into the boat.

The lad grabs the snake's tail and tries to fling the animal overboard. But the angry serpent whips round and clamps its jaws over the child's arm, pumping venom deep into his tender flesh.

Viciously Venomous

In the forests of Costa Rica, a farmer treads a shady path. Watching the uneven ground, he fails to spot the eyelash viper resting on a low branch overhead. His head brushes against the reptile.


The disturbed snake whips round and plunges its fangs into the intruder. It hasn't eaten recently, and its venom glands are full--and the man is doomed.

Who comes up with these horrible anecdotes? This book was surely meant for little boys, who would probably think that these tales of vicious snake attacks are really cool, but I'm slightly horrified.