This is one of those books I found absolutely fascinating to read and would never in a million years want to experience myself. Not because of the snakes (I like snakes) or the dissection parts (I'm not particularly squeamish) but because the thought of being out in a humid swamp with tons of mosquitos is my idea of hell, surpassed only by the addition of large numbers of people. This is why, among other reasons, I no longer live in the south!
However, despite the drawbacks of field research, Messner's enthusiasm for learning about these beautiful but destructive creatures shines through. She accompanies and interviews scientists, interns, and wildlife experts as they try to manage the rapidly growing population of Burmese pythons that are devastating Florida's fragile ecosystem.
Readers will learn about pythons and other invasive species, methods of containment and eradication, the current state of python invasion in Florida (not good) and how scientists are learning more about the snakes so they can try to better protect native wildlife. There's plenty of back matter, further information, and individual interviews with scientists, including how they got involved in this project.
Verdict: Fluent readers and science lovers will be fascinated by this story. There are copious photographs and smaller bites of information to break up the narrative and a variety of perspectives are shown. Recommended.
ISBN: 9781541557062; Published March 2020 by Millbrook; Purchased for the library
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