Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World's Largest Viper

Raymond Ditmars (1876–1942), the first curator of reptiles at New York’s famous Bronx Zoo, brought cold-blooded animals to public attention as never before. Through wildly successful books and movies, he inspired a generation of zoologists with his fascination for snakes, insects, and other misunderstood creatures.

Ditmars was among the most celebrated naturalists in America. His reptile-collecting …