REVIEW: Snake Men by Zach St. George
A wry and thought-provoking tale about the defiant, eccentric figures obsessed with Australia’s deadliest reptiles.
Raymond Hoser is known as the “Snakeman,” a moniker that he has zealously defended. As a day job, Hoser runs a Melbourne business that offers services such as snake removal and snake shows. But by the 2010s, he became famous around the world for an entirely different activity: naming thousands of new species, including more snakes than any other scientist. To some, Hoser’s accomplishments were a scientific triumph. But others have accused Hoser of what they call “taxonomic vandalism,” the results of which, they argue, could alter the very course of life on Earth.
Snake Men recounts this outrageous story, tracing the surprising intersection between taxonomists, the scientists who have for centuries worked to understand the order of life, and Raymond Hoser and other snake men. The chaotic results hint at the rebellious impulse that lies coiled somewhere deep inside us all.
Review
I had the (incorrect) impression that the book would mainly focus on Raymond Hoser, a current day snake man in Australia. Yes, I should have read the blurb more closely. And then there is the title with “men” instead of “man.” But the opening bit during which author St. Gregory meets Hoser who is cleaning snake shit from a carrier tub with one hand while loosely holding two venomous snakes with the other sets the (overall) humorous tone.
Intense chapters about nomenclature and taxonomy followed as well as details on historical Australian snake handlers (male and female) who usually touted their “works for all kinds” herbal snake bite cures. I’ll be honest and admit though these are well researched, both could have been edited down quite a bit. After a while, even a list of admittedly hilarious taxonomic names given to animals (Reissa roni, Riga toni, Pieza Pi.) gets tiresome and who knew – or needed to know – all the many people who ended up dying because their snake oil cure didn’t do the trick.
More taxonomic in-fighting is covered with the upshot being that without a name, species are at risk of not being protected by law and might go extinct. Yes, it is a problem. However I’m still waiting to get back to Raymond Hoser which takes a while. Hoser is, to put it mildly, a “colorful” character. I’m not sure I’d want to ride in a car driven by him either. He is passionate about what he does but tends to annoy others in science by not staying within the lines and at times resorting to lawsuits. I thought a scientific book only 270 some pages long wouldn’t head too far into the weeds but 12 pages of just species named by Hoser proved me wrong. This book is well written and researched but it does deep dives down rabbit holes and is only for readers intensely interested in the subject. B for the well done stuff and C for overall maintaining my interest.
~Jayne
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