My name's Leslie Boyer. I'm a research doctor specializing in medical toxinology, which is almost the rarest field there is. What that means is that I develop treatments for people -- kids playing in the yard, scientists who do research with venom, zoo folks, field workers -- who have somehow tangled with a venomous creature and need emergency help.

Developing a new drug for a rare condition takes patience, observation, resourcefulness, a little bit of applied chemistry, and the ability to jump out of the shadows and get everyone's attention when the time is right. I figure those are pretty much the same skills it takes to be a venomous animal, so I'm in good company.

Since snakebites and scorpion stings are rare, there is not a whole lot of good information about them out there. But venomous creatures are really cool to study, and the people who work with them for a living have incredibly interesting stories to tell. I set this blog up for the purpose of answering a few questions that have come my way over the years, and to pave the way for a very interesting book.

I live in the Arizona desert, which is the most beautiful place on the planet Earth. The picture at the top of the page is the view from my front door.