| Authors | Rupert Wilkey, Sarah Nann |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 9781784276676 |
| Publisher | Pelagic Publishing |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | 210 x 148 mm |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Pictures | Colour images and distribution maps |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
Field Guide to the Snakes of Malawi:
- The most up-to date book available on snakes found in Malawi, with detailed descriptions of 67 species.
- Over 300 stunning colour species images enable easy identification of species in the field.
- Contains 67 precise distribution maps based on over 5,000 location records from the past 60 years.
- Easy-to-use format organized by bite severity and including snakebite first-aid guidance, making it useful for experienced herpetologists as well as amateur naturalists, hikers and tourists.
Field Guide to the Snakes of Malawi provides a complete account of all 67 snake species recorded in Malawi. Each species is illustrated with stunning photographs, over 300 images in all, as well as up-to-date distribution maps. The species are described in detail, including size, colouration, habits and diet.
Species are presented in colour-coded groups based on the severity of their bite and venom: highly venomous, venomous, venomous but not dangerous, and non-venomous. This system enables the reader to quickly assess the treatment required following a bite and to seek appropriate first aid.
Each species is contained in a double-page spread, making it easy for the reader to see all information on that particular snake, and also facilitating easy comparison by flicking between species. Dedicated sections also consider similar-looking species side by side, while there is also a wide-ranging discussion of snake behaviour, Malawi’s habitats and a host of other fascinating and useful information.
This book brings together over 40 years of personal research by the authors – gathered from almost 6,000 individual specimens collected, catalogued and released – as well as previously unseen data from the 1960s on some of Malawi’s rarest species. It is an essential reference for the experienced herpetologist as well as a useful guide for amateur naturalists, hikers and tourists visiting Malawi.
Contents
Introduction
How to use this book
Identifying snakes
Species accounts
Highly venomous
Venomous
Venomous not dangerous
Not venomous
Blind and thread snakes
Similar-looking snake species
Similar-looking green snakes
Similar-looking grass snakes
Additional photographs
Habitat
Snake taxonomy and biology
Human–snake interactions
National parks, wildlife reserves and forest reserves
Societies
Museums and institutions of interest
Further reading
Glossary
Photographic contributors
Index of scientific names
Index of common names
Rupert Wilkey grew up in Kenya and Malawi and caught his first snake at the age of twelve. Since then, he has spent the past fifty years studying the reptiles and amphibians of Africa. In 1996, Rupert was made a Founder Fellow of the Zoological Society of London, and in 1998, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He has been part of numerous expeditions in Africa and recently worked with the University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad, collecting DNA samples from reptile species in the Atlas Mountains. In 2020, he won the Cambridge University Student Led Teaching Award for Inclusive Practice. As an accomplished author, he has written extensively on reptiles and African history. He is a member of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Society of Authors. Rupert is currently Team Principal at the Hyam Institute.
Sarah Nann moved to Africa when she was six years old, first to Zambia, then Malawi and Kenya. She obtained an Honours degree in Zoology from Edinburgh University. Since arriving in Eswatini thirty years ago, she has been actively involved in snake rescue and relocation. Research for her Master’s degree in psychology led to the publication of a paper about snakebites in rural communities. Sarah is a member of The Herpetological Association of Africa (HAA) and in 2024 was made a Paul Harris Fellow for her educational work with reptiles.
