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

Dan Eatherley

Jun 2015 · Skyhorse

About this ebook

The amazing story of one man’s obsession with an enigmatic and deadly reptile.

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 trips for the zoo spawned newspaper headlines across the world. Although a serpent lover, he was all too aware of the devastating effects of snakebites and was instrumental in the development of antivenom. His films and writings brought him fame, but he remained a devoted zoo employee, doing what he loved most: caring for animals.

Bushmaster tells the story of this remarkable man and what became an obsession with the mysterious bushmaster of the South American rainforest. Measuring up to thirteen feet in length, this is the world’s largest viper, and its scientific name, Lachesis muta, translates as “silent fate.” Despite numerous expeditions to jungles from Honduras to Brazil, Ditmars could never capture a bushmaster for himself.

Now, British author Dan Eatherley follows in Ditmars’s footsteps, revisiting his early haunts in the United States and South America. He attempts to do what Ditmars himself failed to achieve: to find a bushmaster in the wild. But eighty years later, will Dan have any more luck? Through the author’s own quest, Bushmaster reveals the life of a pioneer herpetologist, wildlife filmmaker, and zoo curator.

Ratings and reviews

I just finished Dan Eatherley's fascinating telling of the life of the founder of the Bronx Zoo's Reptile House, the self-educated Raymond Ditmars. Starting with snakes found in New York City's central park in 1880's, Mr. Ditmars' passion for snakes (particularly venomous ones) made he (and many of his deadly objects of interest) famous with the general public. The Author attempts to retrace Mr. Ditmar's snake-hunting path... from the central park rock outcroppings that still host non-venomous serpents, to the rocky hills surrounding the New York City Metropolitan area, and, ultimately, to the tropical environs of the "Big Daddy" of deadly serpents, the Bushmaster. The writing is totally engaging, at times funny, at times frightening.

About the author

Dan Eatherley is a writer, filmmaker, and environmental consultant. He has made natural history documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel, and worked as an assistant producer on two BBC series hosted by David Attenborough. He currently resides in Exeter, England.