ABOUT THIS ISSUE
The [cover picture] is a copperhead. This snake was photographed alive, but somewhat anesthetized with ether, by Dr. John Breukelman and the author, using a single-lens reflex 35 mm. camera, type A Kodachrome film and two photofloods. The illustrations on [page 14] were taken by these same two, using a Polaroid Land camera, photofloods, and graduate student George Ratzlafl as victim. The line drawings and color illustrations were made by the author. The color plates of non-poisonous and poisonous snakes were painted in water colors, using live and preserved snakes as models. The original paintings have been reduced one-half in this publication.
Poisonous snakes are only one aspect of the study of herpetology, which includes other reptiles, as well as amphibians. These together may be referred to as herptiles. There are 97 species of herptiles in Kansas: 9 salamanders, 20 frogs and toads, 15 lizards, 40 snakes, and 13 turtles. The turtles of Kansas have been described in a past issue of The Kansas School Naturalist (April, 1956), and an issue on the lizards of the state is in preparation.