5 comments about The Guide to Owning a Red-Eared Slider.

1. This is a good little reference book for owners of Red Eared Slider turtles. I adopted one of these turtles and was clueless about how to care for it until I read this book. Although it's a small book, it is very comprehensive. I would advise anyone who is thinking of getting a Red Eared Slider to read it.



2. I'm the classic "how much is that puppy in the window?" case. I was in New York city walking in China town when I happened upon a bowl full of baby red ears. I just had to 'save' one of these squirming babies. Then I was worry about how to feed, house, and generally take care of my turtle, who was looking up at me with those moist, cat-like eyes while we sat on the subway. I had no idea how big it would get, or what to keep it in, or what to feed it besides the turtle pellets I got ripped off on.

   I tried websites about sliders, while my baby sat in his styrofoam enclosure with his bowl of water and pellets sprinkled around him. Then I found this book on amazon.com. Right away I ordered it.

   It has helped me alot. I bought a tank and food for my turtle, Mr. Dude. I learned how big he would get and where he came from. I also learned that it is illegall to sell baby red-eared sliders!!!

   If you have a red-eared slider, or are looking into getting one, this book is a must-have.

   (Good Luck!)




3. This book adequately covers the essentials of owning a turtle: housing, feeding, breeding, and diseases. The section on breeding is a little more extensive than in other intro books. A plus is that most of the pictures are in color. One thing missing from this book and others is a discussion of turtle behavior and sensory capability. Do they hear, see, smell, taste well? Do they like to hide? How long do they or can they stay submerged? Apparently and incorrectly, it is assumed this is all common knowledge. While this book will give one a start, owning a turtle is definitely a work in progress.



4. This was a very good book. It taught me a lot more than I used to know. I usually just look at the pictures but now that I've read this book I know a lot more. This book taught me how to take care of them and all of the diseases. If your looking for a good book to teach you every thing you need to know this is the one.



5. This was a very good book. It taught me a lot more than I used to know. I usually just look at the pictures but now that I've read this book I know a lot more. This book taught me how to take care of them and all of the diseases. If your looking for a good book to teach you every thing you need to know this is the one.

2 comments about Quick & Easy Fire-Bellied Toad Care (Quick and Easy).

1. I purchased this book BEFORE buying my Fire-bellied toads. Everything you need to know before you bring home the cute little toads.



2. This book is so informative for someone just starting out with this kind of pet that after reading it to my son, he knows what to do. And my son is only six.

1 comments about Turtles (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. This is a great book if you are a beginner turtle owner. Covers almost ever aspect of turtle care, from intial care to "training" your turtle. Could have been a bit more in-depth and detailed on cerain topics (e.g. the species guide) though. Also some of the ideas put forward seem to be a little out-dated or "incorrect" depending on what website you visit (e.g. hibertation in a fridge). One should supplement this book with reseach from other sources, especially the Internet.

   All in all a great beginner's book.

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.

3 comments about Come Back, Salmon: How a Group of Dedicated Kids Adopted Pigeon Creek and Brought it Back to Life.

1. Very well written with beautiful photographs and helpful illustrations. This nonfiction book is the perfect length for younger elementary students. My 3rd grade class enjoyed the book and became interested in the project. We wrote the school and they were very good about answering emails.



2. I used this book as part of a unit when I was student teaching and the children were enraptured with the theme of preservation. Perfect for the classroom setting, but don't underestimate the joy it'll bring the frog-lover in your family.



3. I first researched this project after reading newspaper accounts and was glad to see this story come into book form. It well illustrates the efforts of these determined students and even made the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children list in 1992. It's a good example of a community service project for students and and teachers.

1 comments about The Super Simple Guide to Koi (Super Simple Guide).

1. I love my Koi and need information on
   Koi's so this book was great to have.

No comments about Bearded Dragons: A Complete Guide to Pogona Vitticeps (Complete Herp Care).

5 comments about The Guide to Owning a Ball Python.

1. I have owned snakes but just bought my first ball python. I picked up this book at the pet store and read it cover to cover--a couple of times over. While it offers some good information to start, it leaves out so much. It leaves out common sense info that the new ball python owner will search high and low for. Such as: what do those rotten little mites REALLY look like, what are some real ways to REALLY get rid of them, what humidity level to really strive for--in actual numbers, when the first shed will occur, the fact that they are supposed to have "wrinkled corneas" (he didn't fail to shed his eyeball), how to gauge when your baby ball is ready to move from fuzzies to hoppers to adults, etc. After doing a lot of day-to-day research to supplement this average book, we found a FABULOUS vet who has personally owned and cared for hundreds upon hundreds of ball pythons. (If you live in/near Murrieta, CA, email me for her contact info.) I am really looking for a new book that will give me more confidence and comfort that I am caring for my sweet snake much more properly. And thank goodness for my vet!!



2. I read both books. Whenever I encounter problems , I refer to the ball python manual. Many pictures posted are Boa constrictors. All the informations in this book can be found in web sites.



3. This is a good book to own but should not be the first in your collection. It has excellent photos and can be very good for a reference but I find some of the information in it is inaccurate compared to other sources of information, which is why I don't think it should be your first Ball Python book.



4. The Guide to Owning a Ball Python and The Ball Python Manual form the cornerstones for the Ball Python Owner's Library. Both are available here at a great price. The hi-res pictures and information found in this book, combined with the information in the Ball Python Manual are informative and everything you need to know about your Ball or Regal or Royal Python.



5. this book has great pictures that will fasinate you and it tells everything you need too know about the ball python

5 comments about The Boa Constrictor Manual (Advanced Vivarium Systems).

1. Many pet shop workers don't know enough to give you decent care instructions for a goldfish, let alone a boa. These snakes are no joke. If you get one and decide you can't handle it after a certain point, you'll discover that finding someone to take it off your hands is not easy. (I would highly recommend not buying a snake at all, but rescuing one.)
   
   My Columbian boa was acquired as an 18" infant. By age six, he was ten feet long and, at his widest point, as big around as the narrowest part of my thigh. He gladly ate pre-killed food and never had a sick day in his life, thanks to a good exotic pet vet. and this remarkable book.
   
   De Vosjoli knows what he's talking about. From species ID to safe and appropriate handling to housing, humidity, and temperature requirements, this book can't be bettered. Given some of the snake-handling mishaps that end up in the news now and then, it's refreshing to find a book that dares to admonish us thusly: "Don't be stupid."



2. Anyone thinking of owning a boa constrictor must read this book. I foster abandoned boas and this book would save the snake and future owners lots of trauma. Buy it now!



3. If you could only buy one book on Boa Constrictors, this would be it. I had the first printing of this title, and just got the updated version- definitely an improvement. The book details all aspects of their care and breeding, and gives you the hard facts of owning these large beautiful creatures. You will not find redundant or conflicting information unlike some other boa books. Even if you are only considering getting a red tail, do yourself a favor and read this book to find out what you're getting yourself into. I also recommend the books "What's wrong with my Snake?" and "Understanding Reptile Parasites" if you own or are thinking of owning a boa.



4. I had owned a copy of the original version of this book, and I have to say that this updated edition is even better. It's got some great information about breeding, disease and care that goes far beyond what the original contained, making it even more valuable than before. Like probably almost everyone else says, if you're only going to buy one book regarding the proper husbandry of boa constrictors, this is the book you should buy. It's so reasonably priced, there's no excuse not to.



5. I was impressed by the no-nonsence approch of this book. If you are looking for useful, up-to-date information on Boas this is your book.

4 comments about The Ball Python (Advanced Vivarium Systems).

1. There's nothing new for advanced keepers here, but for those starting out, it's a cheap way to get basic care information. And it's an albino BALL python on the cover, not a Burmese as stated by another reviewer.



2. You can find a lot better and more up to date info on the web. Not particularly useful or informative, though there's a few nice pics. Check out The Complete Ball Python by Kevin McCurley for a real ball python book.



3. I can't see trusting the comments of a book that Says ball Pythons when its cover has a picture of an Albino Bermese Python. These are diferent snakes and many difference in the care of em just a thought my 2 cents worth. havent bought it but review is forcing me to rate it i will go middle ground for fairness



4. I enjoyed this book very much, especially all the information on breeding and morphs. If I had this book before, my poor python wouldn't have gotten burned on the heat source in his enclosure.
   
   The best book for the price that I've seen.