The Snake Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series) [Paperback]

Sy Montgomery (Author), Nic Bishop (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2001 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: Scientists in the Field Series

Dr. Robert Mason, the current recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Young Investigator Award, has been studying a mysterious phenomenon for over fifteen years: the reemergence of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes — the world’s largest concentration of snakes — after a winter spent in a state of suspended animation in subterranean caverns.

This gathering each spring in the forests of Manitoba, Canada, is one of the most extraordinary events of the natural world and is the subject of study for Dr. Mason, a.k.a. the Snake Scientist.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-The excitement of science in action fills the pages of these two books. Montgomery focuses on one man and his research on the red-sided garter snake in Canada. The lively text communicates both the meticulous measurements required in this kind of work and the thrill of new discoveries. Large, full-color photos of the zoologist and young students at work, and lots of wriggly snakes, pull readers into the presentation. A list of "unsolved mysteries" about the snakes and instructions on visiting the snake dens will keep interest high to the very last page. Swinburne gives a historical perspective on the extermination of wolves from the Lower 48 states and details the work of biologists in their efforts to reintroduce the animals into Yellowstone National Park. Vintage illustrations (including pictures of dead wolves) and excellent full-color photos document a struggle that, unfortunately, is far from over. A map showing current and historical wolf ranges and a list for further reading that includes books, periodicals, and Web sites are helpful additions. Two outstanding titles that show scientists at work.
Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Scientific American

The park guides at Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, Canada, will tell you to watch your step¾there might be a snake underfoot. With 18,000 red-sided garter snakes slithering around, they are likely to be right! Each spring, after eight months of hibernating underground, the snakes make their way to the surface and pour out of the earth. Some people might prefer to stay away from the site of the world's greatest concentration of snakes, but others, such as scientist Bob Mason, are drawn to it. There he "can see more snakes in a day than in the course of a three-year field study" anywhere else. Mason and his assistants have been studying these snakes for 15 years. Author Sy Montgomery, with the help of Nic Bishop's exceptional photos, enables the reader to join Mason and his team in the field and look over their shoulders as they work. (Montgomery also wrote "Eat Your Lawn!" on page 8 of this issue.) They gather pillowcases full of snakes, record the length, weight and temperature of each one, and perform experiments, such as sending snakes through mazes. Questions they are investigating include: Why are only adult snakes found in the dens? How do these snakes find mates? And how do they navigate the 20 miles between the marshes where they feed during the summer and their winter dens? The Snake Scientist is a must-read for any snake lover or budding naturalist. It may even make grown-ups want to grow up to be scientists.

Joan Silberlicht Epstein --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; None edition (February 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618111190
• ISBN-13: 978-0618111190
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #363,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Business & Money

More About the Author

"Part Emily Dickinson, part Indiana Jones," as the Boston Globe has called her, Sy Montgomery has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Zaire and swum with piranhas and pink dolphins in the Amazon. To research her books, films and articles, she has worked in a pit swarming with 18,000 snakes in Canada and been hunted by a tiger in India. She has hiked the Altai Mountains of Mongolia's Gobi desert in search of snow leopards and penetrated the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea to radio collar tree kangaroos. No place is too far to go to bring animals' true stories to adults and children around the world.

Th author of the national bestseller, The Good Good Pig, as well as 15 other celebrated nonfiction books, Montgomery writes for print as well as broadcast in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible at what she considers a critical turning point in human history. "We are on the cusp of either destroying this sweet, green Earth or revolutionizing the way we understand the rest of animate creation," she says. "It's an important time to be writing about the connections we share with our fellow creatures. It's a great time to be alive."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational book for kids March 25, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This book about the adventures of Bob Mason, an Oregon State University scientist who studies snakes all over the world, is a must-read for any child (grades four to seven would be great) who loves science or nature - and a good gift idea for any parent who would like to steer their kids in that direction. Easy to read, great photography, compelling stories about snakes, science, the growth of a young boy who just started out watching nature shows on TV and turned that interest into a career as a world-class zoologist. Excellent choice!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning photography March 20, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

A fabulous book, replete with color photographs of the snakes. Kids will gravitate to the pictures first, and then the text will engage them in Dr. Mason's research. His comments are child-oriented, yet will not insult the older readers in the audience. Bob's stories of his childhood and career path are an added bonus to this book....and may even encourage more budding "Snake Scientists"! Well done!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique look into one of the wonders of the world. May 20, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop have managed to bring this awesome display of nature and the man who studies it to life! This book would be a wonderful addition to any household, library or school, as it describes the work of a dedicated scientist who has committed his life to understanding what we as humans can gain from the lives of garter snakes. Dr. Mason obviously loves his work and loves passing along his knowledge to others, young and old. "The Snake Scientist" is an accurate picture of an almost undescribable phenomenom.