By Jesus Rivas, review by Geoff Obst
Jesus Rivas, a South American herpetologist and leading expert on all things anaconda, gives us a second book on these giant snakes. Through a tremendous amount of dedication he spent years wading, barefoot, through murky swamps riddled with leeches. As he was looking for and tracking these giants, playing a very scary game of what did I just step on? A caiman? Anaconda? or maybe something else? So not only is this book informative on the natural history of Anacondas in Los Llanos but it’s also an entertaining story of Jesus’ time spent there.
Jesus covers many Anaconda focused topics such as biology, behavior, demography, their reproductive habits, and diet. A few interesting points that stood out to me were when he explained the variance in the diet among male and female Anacondas or how they deal with injuries and infection by basking in the sun. This is definitely more than just a book on Anaconda natural history; it’s a personal account of his time spent in Los Llanos. From befriending a wild dog, all the way to having his hands full of breeder male anacondas while having a journalist catch the feces of one of the males that was actively defecating and shoving it in his pocket so as to not miss the opportunity to collect the data! It’s safe to say this man is dedicated. If the brave, and often humorous, stories that Jesus tells you along the way don’t get you to love this book then the stunning photos definitely will.
I absolutely loved this book, partly because it read like one big herping trip journey filled with tons of scientific information. Overall, Jesus does a fantastic job of educating you and keeping you engaged throughout the ride. I can’t recommend this book enough whether you work with these stunning creatures on a professional level or just an avid hobbyist.
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