1 comments about Box Turtles: Facts & Advice on Care and Breeding (Reptile Keeper's Guide).

1. This book is great if you have JUST received a box turtle ,but really only gives general information on them. It has LOTS of great pictures..... Was very happy with the book and the wonderful pictures it contained. Great for a beginner box turtle keeper.

1 comments about Quick & Easy Horned Frog Care (Quick & Easy).

1. If you are interested in a horned frog, this book will point any newbie in the right direction. Well-written with good fundamental instructions that will help you with keeping one of the most entertaining and low maintenance pets on the market. What to feed, where to house them, how to breed them, all right here.

3 comments about The Guide to Owning a Bearded Dragon.

1. Bearded Dragons RETAIN SPERM. So, they almost ALWAYS multi-clutch...you CANNOT control or limit the number of clutches to 1 a year. Matter of fact, 3 is about average from a single mating session, and if housed together all year, female beardies can have up to 7 or even 9 clutches. (Best to house the male seperately to control the breeding to the extent possible.) I suggest you re-read the book, and if it doesn't have this information, that you throw it out and get The General Care and Maintenance of Bearded Dragons by Vosjoli and Mailloux.



2. I thought it had lots of info just not everything i neede



3. There is a lot of great advice in this book as well as great photos an format. The sections on breeding and behavior are especially good. Being an owner of a Bearded Dragon I found the information acurate and consice. I was however a little concerned to read in the section on breeding that the females could have up to three clutches a season. I felt that tis should be controlled to one clutch per year NO MORE!! Pregnancy takes a lot out of even the healthiest dragons.

3 comments about The Art of Keeping Snakes (Herpetocultural Library).

1. This book is different in it's approach than any other care book I've seen. The author argues for, and shows how to do, quasi-natural to naturalist setups for many common serpents.
   The difference is that most books do not touch natural vivaria for snakes. There has been some recognition of thier benefits with lizards and amphibians, but little to no discussion of thier role in snake husbandry.
   
   The book covers the basics of setting up different types of vivaria--i.e. desert and tropic, etc. and list some plants, and substrate mixes that are suitable. He then goes into some particular snakes he feels are well suited for this sort of display. This means the books focuses on small through midsized, diurnal snakes, as they are the best display animals in a natural set up. This excludes many common species, but includes many species equally suited to a beginner--some of which are actually more suited than many more popular species, and hey, it opens up new ideas.
   
   These setups, in my experince (I've been doing them for several years) make keeping snakes much more rewarding. I've tried the LAM method (sterile boxes, wood shavings, and a heat source) and it's not that much fun. It has it's place, but it should emphatically not be the approach employed by the average hobbyist. Allowing snakes a fairly large cage, with structures and possibly plants, appropriate to it's size and behavior, greatly enhances thier captive behavior. A boa constrictor can just sit in a 4X2X1 foot cage all day, with little to do, and live. Or, you can put it in a 4X2X3 cage with thick branches, places to explore, ect. and have a much more interesting captive.
   SOme of the book is common sense, some of it is fairly detailed, but for a novice keeper, it is a must have--and frankly, it's a good idea for many more advanced keepers.
   
   The approach advocated does have limits; truly large snakes (big boas, burmese, etc.) are not suited for planted tanks, because they crush anything smaller than a tree. Furthermore, I wish the book dealt with quasi-natural setups more--they're my preferred approach, and more flexible. You simply use wood shavings, or a burrowable mix of sand and soil, and structure large branches and rocks in the cage. No plants, true, so not as pretty, but provides much of the same stimulus and is easier by far. I also wish he dealt more with noctural displays; he mentions some ideas (i.e. use redlights) but he doesn't deal with ways to make truly amazing noctural displays--e.g. plants that flower at night, etc.
   But still, this book gives you info you will not get in any other avialable book for snakes. It also advocates an approach that makes keeping snakes truly much more pleasent. I heartily reccomend it for anyone, particularly new people, or people who use the LAM method and are burning out. It opens new ideas, better ideas.



2. Before getting into keeping a snake I wanted to know exactly what I was going to let myself in for. This book not only gave me that information, but more. It shows how you can create a territory for the snake that is enjoyable and healthy for the animal, ecological, pleasant to look at and requires relatively low maintenance. I ended up dividing the purchasing process into 3 phases: Creating a pleasant vivarium, where the buying of plants and composition were at least as much fun as the anticipation of getting a snake. Then the purchasing of quarantine equipment and finally the snake and food. This book helped me all the way through. I highly recommend it and read it before you purchase any snake.



3. Keeping snakes in plastic blanket boxes has its place in the warehouses of professional breeders but for the average keeper, we wonder why, after starting with a pair of snakes, we somehow become disillusioned and unsatisfied with them and move onto a different 'more advanced' species. Suddenly we find ourselves with corn snakes, kingsnakes, boas, green tree pythons and wonder, amid all the blanket boxes, why we ever started. The daily cleaning and feeding chores are only offset by the fact that we made a little money on the side by selling offspring.
   
   If you are thinking about owning a snake or are already drawn in the direction of purchasing more and more species - I would recommend this book above all others.

5 comments about Bearded Dragons (Reptile Basics).

1. This book is by no means complete. It gives a very brief overview of the animal and where it came from. It didn't really include anything about how to properly care for the dragon.



2. This book had no information about what to feed bearded dragons. It was not specific. Just said vegetables. Did not say what kind, how much. It had no information about the proper habitat. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was not very informative. I would appreciate a refund.



3. The book was easy to read and concise. It offered the information one needs to maintain these animals and keep them healthy, without launching into the seemingly mandatory 45 page narrative about the state of the global ecology and what you or I can do to help. I have seen the infomercials,... I don't need to get lectured in a book which I paid for.
   
   The information seems in line with all the other literature I have collected on these animals,... however to be frank the majority of information contained is also readily available for free on the internet. Having said that, the author does go beyond the precursory information one finds online to further explain the ins and outs. It is nice to get the "how and why" as well.
   
   This should be the only source a beginner will need to properly set up a habitat for, maintain, and breed bearded dragons.



4. This is a wonderful book for anyone who has recently acquired or are thinking of acquiring a bearded dragon. Whatever your questions are...this book has the answers. I recommend that this be the first book you purchase.



5. I happened across this gem in my local pet store the other week and have really taken a shine to it. The quality of the photographs is first class and the information is presented in a really easy to follow manner (as well as being very thorough). Although there are no earth-shattering revelations to be found between the covers, I heartily recommend this book to all Bearded Dragon owners- it's a definite 'keeper'!

   Bill Mears, BorderView Bearded Dragons

2 comments about Crested Geckos: From the Experts at Advanced Vivarium Systems.

1. I'm quite satisfied with this book, ideal for beginners or for people who are thinking should I or shouldn't I keep crested geckos.
   There's a lot of information, and for people who don't like to read, a lot of pictures.
   I'm glad I purchased the book.



2. excellent book, great photos to help id all these fancy terms people are giving the new color varieties being produced

5 comments about Turtles and Tortoises (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I just wanted to learn more about turtles and it has lots of info about different types of turtles. It is in a pretty easy format and has lots of photos too.



2. When I got my turtle, Tim, I didn't know a thing about turtles - so I got this book as well as did a ton of research online. This book has TONS of good information (and pictures) about how to care for and house turtles. My turtle is several years old now, and is very happy and healthy. I recommend this to anyone who is looking to get a pet turtle. The reality of turtle-keeping is that it is a LOT of work. Turtles are dirty, and even with high powered filters their tanks need constant cleaning. I didn't know what I was getting in to, but it's worth the effort! Turtles are wonderful pets, and this book will give you all the basic information you need to know.



3. This is a great book to get you started in the hobby. This book is loaded with valuable information in an easy to read format with loads of pictures and examples. The basics are covered as well as a few of the more in depth topics. The chapters on breeding and hybernating are a little confusing and more information and ideas could have been added. The differences in the requirments needed by different species could have been covered also. This is a general care book. Nothing to fancy. If you want specifics buy a book on the species you are interested in.



4. For such little investment a wealth of information. From species identification and care basics to 72 color pictures and great tips from true turtle experts. This is a must for a turtle enthusiasts library!



5. Though inexpensive, this book provides a wealth of excellent information. It is the most used book in my extensive collection of turtle identification and care books. All turtle owners, beginners and experienced alike, should have this book.

No comments about Aquatic Turtles (Complete Herp Care).

2 comments about Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates: An Identification and Care Guide.

1. If you really like to go to reptile shows to get your pets, this book is really great to carry with you. It consists of numerous one page entries on individual species. It includes nearly all of the reptiles (including snakes) and amphibians that you would encounter in the pet trade. Although I wish it had more information on whether or not a certain animal was easy to handle or good for beginners/experts, etc, it's a good "shotgun" herp book to have since it details lots of different species not just a select few. So if you ever have wondered how long a long-tailed lizard gets when you are at your local herp show, you can easily look it up in this book.



2. I liked nearly everything about this book. The format of one species per page with a high quality color photo made it wonderful to use. This info is for all the popular animals kept in captivity. The content of information was great, with one exception. I wish the temperature ranges for species were given, but the author directs the reader to other book titles with this and more detailed information.

5 comments about Frogs, Toads, and Treefrogs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. This book did a good job of telling about the different families of anurans, but there was very little practical information for the first time frog keeper. It isn't too bad of an investment, though, if you are trying to figure out what kind of frog you have.



2. This is a good picture book which the kids just love to look at over and over. It is also fairly comprehensive on the "how-to's" of raising all kinds of frogs.



3. This is a nice soft cover book my 12 year old loves it. It it easy for kids and adults to understand. Lots of great pictures and overall information!Its a very popular book I sell on my we page "Frogs and Amphibians". I own and use this book.it Covers many types of frogs and toads.



4. this book ofers hundreds of species and the care and maitnence of each one. overall will help you learn how to properly treat your frogs!



5. This is overall an exellent book. I do not think I agree with all the cage sizes Mr Bartlett states. Some of the one he reccomeds are larger than what most do. Still, if your a newbie, I would reccomend this book.