No comments about The Guide to Owning Geckos.

No comments about Quick & Easy Tokay Gecko Care (Quick & Easy).

1 comments about Arachnomania: The General Care and Maintenance of Tarantulas and Scorpions (General Care and Maintenance of... Series).

1. This is probably the best book I have come across on tarantulas and scorpions. It is easy to read and understand, with lots of information that is useful for both beginners and experienced hands alike. Philippe De Vosjoli has a knack for making his book interesting with his style of writing. This book is definitely worth its price!

1 comments about Green Water Dragons: Plus Sailfin Lizards & Basilisks (Advanced Vivarium Systems).

1. Tells you about different kind of Water Dragons and a whole lot of things that you probably already knew.

3 comments about Tarantulas.

1. .....Yes this book is old, it was written in the 1970's. It was the first Tarantula book I purchased when I got into the hobby. All the pet stores sold it. It gives you all the necessary info you will need to successfully keep a pet Tarantula healthy and happy. I often wonder if Mr. Browning still keeps Tarantulas?



2. I am pretty new to the hobby of tarantulas and I am the type of person that actually enjoys research. I bought this book to add to my library and boy am I sorry I did. This book is soooo old. I know that it says that it's published in 1989 but the pictures are straight from the late 70's (light blue polyester suits,...imagine the movie "Boogie Nights"). The information is nothing that could not be found on the internet with a google search and if you have been in the hobby of tarantulas you will realize that information is hard to come by and tends to vary and change through the years. I'd have to say pass on this one and buy "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" or my favorite "Tarantulas and other Arachnids."



3. John Browning's Book, Tarantulas, Is the best, most comprehensive, book on tarantulas I own. It explains how raise and breed your tarantulas, whats kinds food and housing to give them, and how to enter them in local 4-H contests! If have you the slightest intrest in tarantulas, buy this book. Tell Em' Tarantula Boy sent you.

No comments about Snakes: For Those Who Care.

3 comments about Green Anoles: Selection, Care and Breeding.

1. The book is too old for starters. And to make matters worse the information present isn't the best. I've been keeping anoles for roughly 14 years and I've written plenty of care guides myself.

   His section on lighting is poor, especially how he tells you to setup the lamps on the enclosure. The lights should NEVER span the entire cage. Hasn't this guy ever heard of gradients and basking spots?

   He also promotes usage of bad substrates and items that are harmful, such as heat rocks and pet store reptile vitamins. He also forgets to mention which UVB lights and best and what types of lights are unimportant.

   As for his feeding section, he makes a few good points. But he takes the wrong path of telling people to stick to single insects if they choose to. You should always vary the diet with different insects. And in most cases, avoid hard meal worms and lipid filled wax worms! He also mentions that wax worm moths are a treat, but doesn't have the courtesy to tell people that meal worm beetles are bad.

   The information on describing anoles is also outdated; they're no longer members of Iguanidae.

   The only portion of his book that was even remotely beneficial was his Health section; in informing you of health problems anyway. How he discussed treating mouth rot is severely lacking and erroneous.

   I do not recommend this book, other than to get you started and interested. As for what books I do recommend, not many. Phillipe De Vosjoli's book is probably your best bet. But I'd stick to online references such as the Anolis contact group or anoles.com and kingsnake.com forum headers.

   ~AL




2. I thought this was a great and ilistrative book. it answers several questions ranging from where i can find and catch these little creatures, to breeding and caring for there eggs.

   Next time that i go to the pet shop that i seen it at i will actualy buy it instead of reading it there in the shop. :)




3. This book answered all my questions about my new pets, along with giving me lots of information I hadn't thought about. The book was easy to follow--even for someone who knows nothing about reptiles. Also, it wasn't so dumbed-down that it was too elementary. This is a good book for any anole owner. The pictures are great, too.

4 comments about Anoles, Basilisks, and Water Dragons (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I got this book along with receiving my new pair of green anoles and boy was I disappointed with the information! The title implies that this book is a "complete care guide", but that is far from the truth. There is no clear guidelines for exact temperatures, humidity or lighting. I was amazed at how they presented green anoles as a perfect "first pet" but then proceded to give little information for anything but an outdoor professional habitat inclosure. After reading this book I had no answers and only more puzzling questions.



2. Very little help concerning water dragons. Better information can easily be found on the internet. Next to useless for the beginning water dragon owner.



3. Great book for a person just getting started with anoles,basilisks or water dragons.



4. Check out the section on Australian water dragons if you get this book. The photos are beautiful and the paper quality is great (glossy). Dick Bartlett is a good writer, having written not only several reptile manuals, but also many articles in Reptiles Magazine and the Vivarium. Please check out the Australian water dragons again. I have to find out where to get some because I want them...:-)

No comments about The Guide to Owning Eyelash and Temple Vipers (Guide to Owning).

5 comments about The New Chameleon Handbook: Everything About Selection, Care, Diet, Disease, Reproduction, and Behavior (Barron's Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. I'm sorry, but I just had to counter the 5 star reviews for this book. Yes, there is a lot of good information and pictures, but there are far too many short-comings for this to be a reliable source. As another reviewer pointed out, Le Berre NEVER refers to species by their common name, only scientific name. This is very confusing for the beginner and beyond...you will need to go through and write all the common names down so you know what species he's referring to. Additionally, he rarely ever tells you the size of any of the chameleons. Considering chameleons range from 1 inch to 30 inches or so, this is an extremely important fact when considering species and housing needs.
   
   He also rates each species on a scale of Beginner/Intermediate/Advances. However, Le Berre isn't quite clear as to the criteria he is using for this rating system, or explicit as to why a particular species is more difficult. He seems to possibly include difficulty of breeding into the equation, which I could not care less about, since I don't intend to breed. For example, he lists the Montium as being an "Advanced" species, but says it has similar needs to the Quadricornis, which he lists as being for "Beginners". I'm confused.
   
   However, the biggest faux pas by far is Le Berre's suggestion of using a glass terrarium to house your chameleons! There is not a single reliable chameleon authority out there who suggests this (except for possibly babies/and certain pygmy species) and in fact pretty much EVERYONE else cautions that this is the worst possible idea and will probably lead to illness/death. Not only is glass conducive to stagnant air and bacterial growth, chameleons can often see their reflection in the glass, causing major stress (thinking it's a rival chameleon). They can also injure their tongues on the hard glass which can lead to serious eating issues.
   
   It is unfortunate that these issues exist with this book because there are some excellent parts to it. If you do buy it, be sure to supplement it with others. The most complete guide out there seems to be the Linda Davison book. Check that out as well as the dozens of excellent websites that will give you better and complimentary information.



2. What you need to know about chameleons is in this book! I enjoyed reading it and learning everything about this little creature. From it's history and evolution, to it's anatomy and manerisms. What I really wanted was a book which explained how to care for the chameleon and I picked the right one.Francois LeBerre makes me feel comfortable caring for the chameleon. The size of the book is good for handling and storing. The print is large and clear, easy to read and the pictures are messmerizing. When I browsed through other books on the topic, they seemed like a joke compared to this informative publication! I recommend this to beginners (which I am) because you'll feel like an expert (LeBerre) when you're done. Enjoy!!!



3. The book gave me a lot of information and it had a lot of grate pictures. The book is easy to understand and they tell alot of info.



4. My name is Nobu, I am from Japan. Here in Japan, Francois Le Berre is famous for his work on chameleons, this book is the best I have ever read on my favourite animals. Some Japanese publishers have found the pictures so good that they have been using them in some of the japanese magazines too. The information is very complete and the pictures astonishing, I am looking forward for Francois Le Berre's next book. He is unsurpassed and really is the Master of Chameleons!



5. In light of the two previous reviews, I felt compelled to add my own thoughts. It is a very good book, but lacks some information I think is essential for the beginner. The author makes little or no reference to common names of the organisms (where a common name is ascribed). This would make it difficult for the typical beginner to relate the scientific name of the organism with the common name that is usually available at the site of purchase. The author also fails to give adequate information regarding the size attained for a full grown adult specimen. This is especially important when a budding herptologist decides to embark on caring for a "beginners" specimen, but is not told that the animal will be two feet long as an adult. This can be critical when one is designing a habitat.It is not at all uncommon to see beginners think of these wonderful animals as being "small and cute", when in fact many of the easiest to care for become quite large. That being said, LeBerre has certainly prepared an excellent guide, and the photos are wonderful. It is the best book out there for the layman, and does in fact rate five stars.