Recommended Read: The Lizard King

[Dave Legacy]

Hey all,

I wanted to recommend a book:

THE LIZARD KING
The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers
by Bryan Christy

0-446-58095-3/978-0-446-58095-3
$24.99 (in Canada: $28.99)
384 pages • 6 x 9 • True Crime
World

Imagine The Sopranos—with snakes!

When Bryan Christy began investigating the world of reptile smuggling, he had no idea what he would be in for. In the course of his research, he was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased by an alligator, sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula, and ejaculated on by a Bengal tiger. But perhaps most challenging was coming face to face with Michael J. Van Nostrand, owner of Strictly Reptiles, a thriving family business in Hollywood, Florida. To some, Michael is a dutiful son of Ray Van Nostrand, Sr., founder of the family business and a living legend among the snake-hunting set. But to Special Agent Chip Bepler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michael and his father are suspected smugglers and targets of a five-year investigation that has become his personal mission.

Strictly Reptiles imports as many as half of the green iguanas brought into the United States (America’s most popular imported reptile), and hundreds of thousands of snakes, frogs, turtles, spiders, and scorpions. The Lizard King is Christy’s evocative tour through the wild subculture of hunters, enthusiasts, and collectors willing to pay $175,000 for a rare African snake. It is the story of virtually every reptile for sale in America, and it is Christy’s personal story of his attraction to life’s underbelly, borne from his experiences in his family of morticians. Best of all, it is a tale of reptile smugglers, a family business, and a cat-and-mouse game with a federal agent determined to expose their cold-blooded crime.

I actually heard about this book in PLAYBOY a couple weeks ago and decided to make it my next read. I'm a long time hobbyist in both aquarium and reptile husbandry who feels very strongly about conservation especially when it comes to the pet trade (I speak out about this regularly). I felt the need to read this with the hopes that I'd get a lot out of it; I did. However, to be honest, I had a really hard time getting through this book. The book is chocked full of interesting information, yet failed to hook me. I simply found it to be a good read that was simply difficult to get into.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the pet trade/wildlife trafficking. If you've ever wondered where your animals are coming from then this is the book for you. I DO NOT recommend this book for those who are looking for a thrilling story. Don't be surprised if you look at your Captive-bred Certified CITES APPENDIX II chameleons, or any you see up for sale, differently after you read this book.

Best regards,
Dave

 

[THECHAMMAN]

i saw it while surfing the net. i bought in on amazon for like 15 dollars. im getting it this afternoon. looked like a good book,

 

[TylerStewart]

I actually heard about this book in PLAYBOY a couple weeks ago and decided to make it my next read. I'm a long time hobbyist in both aquarium and reptile husbandry who feels very strongly about conservation especially when it comes to the pet trade (I speak out about this regularly). I felt the need to read this with the hopes that I'd get a lot out of it; I did. However, to be honest, I had a really hard time getting through this book. The book is chocked full of interesting information, yet failed to hook me. I simply found it to be a good read that was simply difficult to get into.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the pet trade/wildlife trafficking. If you've ever wondered where your animals are coming from then this is the book for you. I DO NOT recommend this book for those who are looking for a thrilling story. Don't be surprised if you look at your Captive-bred Certified CITES APPENDIX II chameleons, or any you see up for sale, differently after you read this book.

Best regards,
Dave

So honestly, what was the better read; Playboy or the Lizard King?

 

[mattjillson]

Playboy naturally Tyler, you know that! The articles are awesome!! In all seriousness, The Lizard King is an excellent book you'll power through even if you aren't much of a book reader. The stories about the Crutchfields are priceless, especially if you have been around for a while as you would have undoubtably heard bits and pieces of these stories over the years. Bill Love wrote a review on Amazon that is a great brief synopsis of the material you'll be buying, check it out. WORTH THE READ!

 

[Dave Legacy]

Playboy naturally Tyler, you know that! The articles are awesome!! In all seriousness, The Lizard King is an excellent book you'll power through even if you aren't much of a book reader. The stories about the Crutchfields are priceless, especially if you have been around for a while as you would have undoubtably heard bits and pieces of these stories over the years. Bill Love wrote a review on Amazon that is a great brief synopsis of the material you'll be buying, check it out. WORTH THE READ!

I barely made it through the book, but it followed "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. Now that was an awesome read!

 

[Dave Legacy]

So honestly, what was the better read; Playboy or the Lizard King?

I knew that was coming...