In the just published “Snakes and Lizards in Your Pocket: A Guide to Reptiles of the Upper Midwest,” Terry VanDeWalle provides a thorough and accurate guide for amateur and professional herpetologists alike.  This compact visual guide is part of a series published by University of Iowa Press providing colorful laminated guidebooks written in an easy-to-read style and packed with information.
  

From the rare and docile massasauga, which relies on camouflage to remain unnoticed, to the more familiar bullsnake, which defends itself by hissing loudly and vibrating its tail from an S-shaped position, to the eastern racer, often seen crawling at more than 3 miles an hour during the daytime, snakes are beautiful animals with habits both fascinating and beneficial to humans.

Terry VanDeWalle has been researching reptiles and amphibians in the Midwest for almost 20 years.  He is a Principal Scientist for NRC in Independence, Iowa.  Suzanne Collins is an executive officer of the Center for North American Herpetology.
  

For information on purchasing a copy of this guidebook, visit:  http://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/2010-spring/vandewalle.htm