1 comments about What's Wrong With My Snake (Advanced Vivarium Systems).

1. I'm a biologist, and this book contains a wealth of valuable information on snakes, and what can ail them, that would ordinarily be found only in a much more sophisticated and expensive title. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry.

1. This text is an excellent resource for zoo animal vets or small animal vets that are presented with amphibians. The book is very factual in nature, but the authors also offer their own clinical experience. Because their is a dearth of veterinary information on the treatment of amphibians, this is a welcome addition to the veterinary literature



2. A must book for any enthusiasts or veterinarian. It is the first serious book on amphibians medicine. It also covers some interesting chapters on captive care and rearing.



3. I bought this book when I had a sick newt on my hands and wanted to get some deeper insights as to what may be wrong. Even the vets I took my pet to were mostly unable to help much, so I tried to take matters into my own hands, at least this way when I went to the vet, I'd be able to bring some ideas and understandings to the table. Let me add that I am a science teacher, so I am no dummy with respect to scientific understanding, but my background is NOT in biology, which is what's essential in the understanding of this book. Also, the book is not meant for "lay people", such as myself, but rather veterinary or medical students. Now I see why. The book was very expensive, which I didn't mind if it had helped, and very difficult to underdstand. The book had very little information with respect to newts in general and rather focused on other amphibians such as frogs. There were very few pictures or chapters/paragraphs even devoted to newts. I wish there had been a copy of the book in a library for me to check out beforehand, as I would not have purchased the book if I did. I'm sure for a vet student the book is probably wonderful, but for someone with no biology background trying to search for some specific answers, it fell way short.



4. Kevin Wright and Brent Whitaker's Amphibian Medicine And Captive Husbandry is a comprehensive, in-depth, scholarly reference manual designed to introduce and assist veterinary practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in captive amphibians. However, it also serves as an invaluable, core addition to the library of any herpetologist, breeder or pet owner of an amphibian, for it extensively covers numerous details of the care, feeding, and reproduction of captive amphibians, as well as disease diagnosis, basic clinical techniques for treatment. The many diseases discussed include sicknesses that are infectious, metabolic, nutritional, neoplastic, and idiopathic. 243 color pictures, 317 black and white pictures, and 54 tables greatly enhance the meticulous and highly precise text of this exhaustively complete reference. An invaluable title for veterinarians and/or owners of amphibians.



5. Hello, I am Dr. Kevin Wright, co-editor of Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry. Given the global decline of amphibian populations noted at the end of the 20th century, Dr. Whitaker and I designed Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry to introduce the diagnosis and treatment of disease in amphibians to a wide range of audiences. Although our primary intent was to provide a practical but thorough text for the veterinary clinician, we believe this book will be an essential part of any biologist's library; the topics covered range from amphibian captive husbandry and propagation to the diagnosis of disease in amphibians by the application of basic clinicopathologic techniques. Topics are arranged by etiology. The pathology section is highly detailed and provides the only overview of amphibian pathology published.

   Recognizing that the understanding of veterinary medicine is facilitated by illustrations, Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry includes 243 color pictures, 317 black and white figures, and 54 tables.

   We highly recommend this book to any individual, institution or organization that works with captive or wild amphibians: veterinary clinicians, comparative pathologists, veterinary students, herpetologists, herpetoculturists, zoos, aquariums, biomedical research facilities, and libraries.

   ABOUT THE EDITORS:

   Kevin M. Wright, DVM, is currently Director of Living Collections at Phoenix Zoo. A resident in zoological medicine at the Philadelphia Zoo from 1990-1992, he subsequently served as Curator and Veterinarian of Amphibians and Reptiles from 1993-1999 and is an adjunct professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He is a past president of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians and a past session chair for the reptile and amphibian lectures at the North American Veterinary Conference. He has published over 120 articles on amphibians and reptiles and has lectured extensively on herpetological medicine at major national and international veterinary conferences.

   Brent R. Whitaker, MS, DVM, is Director of Animal Health at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Dr. Whitaker has intensively studied diseases of neotropical amphibians throughout his professional life. He is much sought after as a speaker on amphibian medicine and aquatic medicine in general. He has published extensively on fish, reptile and marine mammal topics in addition to his publications devoted to amphibians.

   Drs. Wright and Whitaker are 1988 graduates of the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine.

4 comments about Corn and Rat Snakes (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I bought this book with the hopes that two specific areas would be addressed. The first area was suitable substrate for snake habitats and husbandry in general. There was virtually no discussion about this topic, other than a brief mention that Europeans like to make elaborate habitats whereas Americans typically go simple. The book does address hide boxes, lighting, heating and water needs, but I really wanted to know what materials made for the best substrate. How often does it need to be cleaned/replaced? How should you go about cleaning a replaceable substrate like calcium sand, etc. Sanitation to me is one of the most important aspects of raising a confined animal and there is no discussion of it whatsoever. Secondly, I wanted to understand the feeding process a little better. After failing to induce a young Texas Rat Snake to feed in recent weeks, I wanted to be sure I understood the fine points of feeding. This book talks about different ways to induce feeding, but it doesn't offer any signs or symptoms to look for when one must consider the last resort of force feeding. Will the herp look gaunt? Will it show any other physical signs indicating starvation is fast approaching? How long is too long to go without eating? It further mentions that sometimes snakes don't eat during the winter months even in captivity. So now I'm really at a loss. This book is a very general guide best suited probably for someone who is sitting on the fence as to whether or not to own a rat snake and has yet to decide what type one is interested in purchasing. If you have already made the decision to raise a rat snake, especially if it will be your first snake, this book is not for you. Something much more specific with regards to the two topics above will be required; otherwise, you are jeopardizing the well being of the animal at worst and at best relying on your own instincts to provide a healthy environment for the snake.



2. I learned a lot from this book. Alaso I tired some of the sugestions.



3. I acually bought this book for the pictures,theres some real nice ones.The info is basic and great for a person wishing to learn more about them.But for someone like my self who has been keeping ratsnakes for 15 years, its a great picture book.



4. This book has every bit of information pet owners are looking for. There are great colour photos, and each page has a detailed scetch. If you are studying the history of corn or rat snakes, or you just plain like snakes, this book is right for you

1 comments about Terrarium Animals from A to Z (Compass Guides).

1. While this guide does not go indepth with each reptile and each terrarium type, it does provide all the information that you need as you look into setting up and maintaining a terrarium and selecting reptiles. The reptile information is broken down with easy to understand symbols and includes reptile characteristics, diet, behavior, times of day they are most active, level of difficulty for the reptile's care, terrarium size, type, substrate, temperature, and other habitat items that are needed to care for that reptile.
   
   This guide is well beyond the simple quick reference guide I was looking for!

2 comments about The General Care And Maintenance Of Garter Snakes And Water Snakes (The Herpetocultural Library. Series 200).

1. A nice addition to any snake library - I enjoyed reading this and hope it raises the popularity of this underated group. Basically, it contains everything you need to keep, raise and breed these species and contains instructions on how to prepare food to prevent thiamin deficiency. If you keep water and garter snakes - buy it!



2. It helped me alot after I found my garter snake! It told alot obout feeding and housing!

No comments about Land Hermit Crabs.

5 comments about Bettas.

1. This is one of the best betta books you can find out there. I always loved bettas, To me they are one of the most beautyful fishes out there. I got this book to learn more about them because i was so interested in them. This book taught me alot about them that i didnt know. So if your into these little guys defenatly get this book.



2. The subtitle of this book is very misleading. This is not a "complete pet owner's manual" at all. It's a very attractive book that contains some interesting background and technical information and truly gorgeous pictures. What it does not contain is the practical information I need to know how to prepare a suitable home for the betta I'm planning to get or care for him properly once he's here. The information about various foods is helpful, and I can see where the chapter on diseases will be nice to have on hand, but I don't need 28 pages on other betta species and 20 pages on breeding and genetics (out of a book that only has 95 pages, total, counting the index). What I do need is more more than 4 pages on basic practicalities like tanks, filters, heaters, and so on. I will keep this book as a reference, but I'm going to have to buy another one to tell me how to actually care for my betta.
   
   I'm giving it three stars, because it's not a bad book, for what it is. It's just not the practical guide for betta owners that the title implies.



3. Barrons's addition to the betta-care genre looks very nice, starting with a gorgeous closeup of a red male carrying the butterfly trait, right on the cover. Like most betta books, however, the emphasis is information for the breeding hobbyist, not for the basic pet owner - in spite of the title.
   
   The smallish book (95 pages) is divided into roughly three sections.
   
   The first is invaluable for anyone interested in learning about all the "Other" species of bettas...wild bettas, mouthbrooding bettas, fighting strains, bettas from Thailand, bettas from Maylasia. Did you know there were hundreds of bettas besides the popular Betta Splendens we all know so well? Some are pretty and some are drab, but all are within the overriding Genus of Betta. This is interesting background information for the advanced betta fancier, but is certainly more information than the beginning betta owner will need.
   
   Since this section, like the entire book, is chocked full of pictures, it is worth browsing. It really corners the market on betta species info!
   
   The middle section provides some beginner's information on betta tanks, feeding and disease treatment. The live food section is the most informative and has useful pictures. It's only a few pages, however and does not discuss in-depth info on actually developing live cultures. This section is useful for someone looking to figure out what the betta-acceptable various live foods are - how brine shrimp differs from daphnia, tubifex works, fruit flies, and so on.
   
   The disease section differentiates between environmental, chemical and infectious maladies, which I appreciated. Their treatment information focused on using available antibiotics and such, which I usually find to be overkill for the properly observant betta-keeper.
   
   Section three is all about the breeding, large-scale betta production and Punnet Square betta genetics. Honestly, this is also beyond the scale of the beginner, using terms like homozygous and phenotype. For anyone interested in figuring out how to plot dominant betta colors, this would be a good start, though.
   
   I would recommend this book to intermediate and advanced betta owners seeking breeding information, and for those wishing to study the expanded lineage of the Betta Genus.
   
   A beginner would appreciate the gorgeous photos, though! Some award-winning bettas with glorious and unusual colors are showcased. Often, pictures like this are enough to take a betta fancier to the level of hobbyist.



4. I agree with the other reviewers. This book is great for breeders and it is interesting, but holds little educational value for someone who just wants to improve the life of their betta pet. I was disappointed.



5. This book is definetly not for begginers. It has a lot of technical information that is virtually useless to to the begginer and average pet owner. I'm sure I would give it a 5 star rating if I were a breeder, but I'm not. Save your money and look for another book if you are a begginer to keeping Bettas.

5 comments about Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians for the Terrarium.

1. This is, hands down, the most useful and often-used text in my collection. If you want to know about *any* genus of reptile or amphibian, it's in here somewhere, with sufficient info to at least get a handle on what that group is like. Whenever I run across a name I'm unfamiliar with in a paper, I haul this book out.
   
   That said, it's a bit old, and much of the taxonomy is outdated. However, they also have an index of common and scientific names, so you can find the old name if it's changed. Given that taxonomy changes every time someone sneezes, that's a pretty minor drawback.
   
   Also, it's *HUGE*. Were someone to break into my home, I would have little difficulty blugeoning them to death with this massive tome. It's definitely *not* pocket reading, and you might actually be hard pressed to find bookshelves that can accomodate the size and weight of it. I've had to resort to just keeping it on the floor.
   
   "The Big Red Book", as it's colloquially referred to, is absolutely essential. I've had it since I got my first snake, and my prof, who's been in herpetology for over 30 years, has a copy too.
   
   There's no other word for it but "vital".



2. I actually bought this book many years ago and consider it one of the best investments I have ever made. As a taxonomist and herpetologist for the past 15 years it has been the book I could always rely on for a quick, easy to look up reference for what someone else is talking about.

   I read many articles, both scientific and general, many times they are not specifically about species I am immediately familiar with. This book has been my lifesaver. All packaged in one (rather hefty) volume in a way that is easily looked up I can find out exactly what someone else is talking about, see a picture, and get a little bit of information about the species. Its does not contain intimate details of each species, but that is not what it should be used for. It is like a big dictionary, but with pictures and a little extra information. I recommend this book not as one of your major texts but as a comprehensive list that will let you know what you are reading about when you are forced to admit you are outside your general knowledge. It will back up all your other readings.




3. This book is great both for serious and collectors of all ages. It's common name index allows for simple look up and every kind of reptile and amphibian is in it. There are alot of great photos to help id the animal.



4. Probably the most comprehensive atlas of reptiles and amphibians, widely used in pet owners' as well as serious hobbyists' circles. It is arranged alphabetically by scientific name, while the index is arranged by common names. This generously illustrated book (mostly in color) provides general information on snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads, salamanders, food animals as well as other terrarium related topics. A must in every herpetoculturist's library.



5. This is a very fine book. It includes information on thousands of different herps that proves to be useful when you work at a pet store like I do. Although the info on each species is not very indepth, it does tell you where the species are from thus allowing you to create a naturalistic terrarium.

5 comments about Giant Lizards.

1. For a book that's almost 20 years old, this is a really wonderful birds-eye view of big lizards. I remember that it came out about the same time as Vivarium magazine, the first serious lizard book that addressed herpetoculture. Yeah, a lot has happened since then, but I understand that there's a new edition coming out soon. This book is still a nice read, has great photos, and was put together by someone who really seems to like the lizaards he wropte about.



2. The pictures are great and some of the info on wild lizards is good, but dont try to use the info in this book to raise a monitor, it is outdated 20+ year old recycled info. For a good book on natural history get King a Greens book or Harold DeIsle book. Get Daniel Bennets new book for captive husbandry on grassland monitors.
   I dont think many of the authors monitors lived very long on some of his books advice and I know they didnt reproduce using that info. Dont get me wrong he has good intentions but some bad advice. Research many other books to reference any captive husbandry info contained. There are some good drawings,and some other good advice contained in it.



3. This book is an excellent overview of the "giant" lizards and touches on their biology and husbandry. It is packed full of beautiful photographs, and all the main families are covered: the Varanidae, Helodermatidae, Teiidae, Agamidae, Scincidae, and Iguanidae. I am always amazed by the variability in skin patterns exhibited by lizards, espeically in the Varanus tristis orientalis. You can feel the author's fascination with these marvels of the animal kingdom and he also gives a brief discussion on their vetinary care. I would have hoped he would have had more to say on the "black spot" problem in green iguanas but does not mention it.

   Lizard lovers and all those interested in the keeping them as pets will enjoy the book, as well as those who intend to make herpetology their chosen profession.




4. Giant Lizards provides excellent, easy to understand information for those interested in Monitors, Agamids, Iguinids etc. It's a must have for any serious collector or researcher.



5. This book is considered a land mark book by reptile breeders and hobbists. The primary focus is monitor lizards, but it does a complete over view of all giant lizards (3 feet or larger). This his all of the info one needs to properly care for a lizard.

5 comments about Kingsnakes and Milksnakes : Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Behavior, and Training (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. as another reviewer noted, you get what you pay for. You can certainly use this book; the info is sound. However, it's also somewhat basic, and most of it is available online. The range maps were cool, the photos were good, and even the info was OK. It's just all out on the web, for free. The book doesn't exactly go into great depth as to the natural habits and habitats of the animals (not really it's point), and is restricted to being a "pet store" type of book. It is what it is, and it's OK for it, but you can get better, more in depth info, for a little more, and pretty much the same info for free. It'll tell you how to keep your critter alive, and maybe breed it, but not much more.



2. I bought this book the day I got my Pueblan milk snake. It's interesting, but nothing special. You can get all of this information (plus some) off the internet for free. The only reason I gave as many stars as I did is because it had a lot of color pictures, there was one section in the back that proves useful. My snake was having some trouble shedding, and they had some helpful advice for when this happened. I live in a little hillbilly town in Oregon, and we don't have any exotic vets nearby, so without that info, my little Beetlejuice may have lost an eye, or worse.
   All in all, it's worth a read. You get what you pay for ^_^



3. the photos are the best of any of the "kingsnake" books, the maps are useful, and the care etc. sections are adequate.



4. I have been involved in keeping and breeding kingsnakes for years and this is by far the best book available in its price range. Packed full of photos and current husbandry techniques, I highly recommend it to both novice and experienced hobbyists. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book--a must read for any kingsnake or milksnake enthusiast!



5. This is an excellent book. We just got a Kingsnake and used the book to classify it; we found it informative for feeding and other care procedures. The book was well priced, had good photographs and the text was interesting, giving useful information about the hybrid Florida Intergrade Kingsnake (our pet) and how large it will get. John Ric