What animal has inspired as much dread, as many legends, indeed, as much revulsion and terror as the snake? Demon, divinity, sacred animal protector, ancestor – the nature and importance of this creature’s role has changed throughout history. Among the 2,700 known species, few are dangerous, let alone lethal, to humans, but prejudices run deep.

These images look at this family of animals with a mysterious biology, and of which new species are still being discovered. The high-quality reproductions are shown here on full-size double-page colour illustrations. Each animal is described with the help of biological data in the appendix.