Describes the habitats and behaviors of boa constrictors and pythons.

Foreword --[pt. 1]. Introduction -- Evolution of leglessness as an advanced state -- Anatomy of snakes -- Basal snake diversity and distribution -- Constriction -- Giant snakes : myth or monster? -- Man-eating snakes -- Life underground -- Conservation -- [pt. 2]. The Americas -- American blindsnakes -- Slender blindsnakes -- Blindsnakes -- Early blindsnakes -- American basal snake -- South American Pipesnake -- American macrostomatan snakes -- Meso-American python -- American boas -- Neotropical treeboas -- Rainbow boas -- West Indian boas -- Boa constrictor -- Anacondas -- North American Rosy and Rubber boas -- Eyelash boas -- Central American Dwarf boas -- West Indian Dwarf boas and woodsnakes -- [pt. 3]. Europe and Asia -- European and Asian blindsnakes -- Slender blindsnakes -- Blindsnakes -- Asian basal snakes -- Little Pipesnakes -- Asian Pipesnakes -- Shieldtails -- Asian macrostomatan snakes -- Sunbeam snakes -- Spine-jawed snakes -- Eurasian sand boas -- Sand boas -- Asian pythons -- Short-tailed pythons -- Asian rock pythons -- Reticulated python. [pt. 4]. Africa and the Indian Ocean islands -- African blindsnakes -- Slender blindsnakes -- Blindsnakes -- African boas -- Sand and ground boas -- African pythons -- Small pythons -- African rock pythons -- Indian Ocean boas -- Madagascan boas -- Round Island boas -- [pt. 5]. Australasia and the Pacific Ocean islands -- Australasian blindsnakes -- Blindsnakes -- Indo-Australian basal snakes -- East Indonesian Pipesnakes -- Australasian pythons -- Black-headed python and Woma -- Children's pythons -- Water pythons -- Olive pythons -- White-lipped pythons -- Papuan Archipelago pythons -- Carpet pythons -- Rare Australian pythons -- Tree pythons -- Scrub pythons -- Montane pythons -- Sunda Island pythons -- Pacific boas -- Pacific Island boas -- Further reading and bibliography -- Index -- Acknowledgments and picture credits.