No comments about Tortoises: A Beginner's Guide to Tortoise Care.

No comments about Beginner's Guide to Guppies.

4 comments about Scorpions: Keeping & Breeding Them in Captivity (Re-154).

1. I probably have every book ever written on scorpions and can state without any hesitation that this book offers nothing to anyone looking to keep their scorpions alive and thriving in captivity. The ONLY legitimate reason to ever buy this book is for the fine photographs (many of the scorpions in the photos are actually misidentified) that accompany the mostly useless, and to some groups of scorpions, dangerous text.
   If you're a novice level keeper or you're looking to acquire your first scorpion then, pick-up a copy of Manny Rubio's "Scorpions: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual".



2. With respect to the reader from Chicago, this book will give the wrong information on scorpion species, care and identification. There are no acknowledgments in the book which obviously was not reviewed by experts in scorpion biology. It does have some good photographs, though most of the species illustrated are misidentified. Ms. Webb is known as a tarantula keeper, and probably a good one at that; scorpions she does not know well and apparently did not research the literature when preparing this book.

   I was among the reviewers of the book for the above mentioned American Tarantula Society. I recommend reading those reviews for the problems with this book. Further, I am an arachnid biologist who was among several scorpion biologists who reviewed the manuscript for Manny Rubio's book, also mentioned above and available here at Amazon.com. (Read the reviews at the Manny Rubio/Amzaon.com section.)




3. Aside from a few nice photographs that can be cut out and pasted on to a posterboard, I would honestly recommend that the rest of the book be thrown away. I will not go into detail on this book and its problems [there is a published review from colleagues of mine in the American Tarantula Society's Forum Magazine, Volume 7, Number 5 (September/October 1998) on pages 156-159]. TFH Publishing has always set the standard on "what not to do", and this book continues along the same path! There is no evidence that the book was reviewed by other people in the field, especially professionals! I have a bad feeling that many of Webb's scorpions have died in the past...

   Now, I am not here to plug another book, but if you're looking for a quality book that is geared towards the scorpion enthusiast/hobbyist, I suggest Manny Rubio's "Scorpions: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual". It has a few minor drawbacks as well, but is far superior to anything that has been published to date on this topic.

   My credentials: I am an arachnid biologist.




4. Excellent intermediate book on the captive care of these amazing creatures. Detailed information on the various species one might find in the pet trade and their respective charateristics.The author obviously has a great deal of knowledge and experience in raising these animals, and does an efficient job of conveying that to the reader.

5 comments about Goldfish: Everything About Aquariums, Varieties, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, and Breeding (Pet Care Series).

1. I found this book to be very useful in preparing me to get my first goldfish. I would recommend reading it before you go out and buy your aquarium and fish, because it has lots of information about selecting an aquarium and setting it up. It also describes some of the different types of goldfish, so you can determine what type would be best for you (some are not as hardy as others and so are not good for beginners).
   
   The book is rather short, but it's meant as more of a basic informative guide for the beginning goldfish keeper rather than as a detailed manual for advanced raising/breeding of goldfish. It's full of useful tips on everything from how to make your aquarium aesthetically pleasing, to what types of goldfish are best kept together. It also talks a little bit about the history of the goldfish species and about goldfish anatomy, and why some types are more prone to problems than others. The author stresses the importance of maintaining a clean aquarium and preventing health problems before they start.
   
   I own several of the Barron's line of pet-keeping manuals, and I've found it to be a very good series. I would recommend this book to someone who's thinking about getting their first goldfish; it's a fun and informative read.



2. This is a very basic beginners book. It is not well versed on disease and treatment. However, my 2 year old likes the photos!



3. Very informative. This book had some information that I was looking for. I especially found the section on goldfish varieties helpful.



4. Overall this is a good beginners book. Lots of helpfull information on the more common types of goldfish both flat and eggshaped, setting up your aquarium and maintaining it, common diseases, diet, ponds, breeding and plants.



5. A good book for begginers. The title misguides the reader into thinking it is a complete reference for goldfish. The author briefly touches many of the topics. I regret buying this book because it did not solve my questions about diseases, plant care, water quality, and nutrition. A good book for kids. Nice photographs.

No comments about Boas, pitones y anacondas/ Boa, Python and Anacondas (Serpientes).

No comments about Tarantulas: Fascinantes y Exoticas / Fascinating and Exotic (Mascotas En Casa / Pets at Home).

No comments about Tortugas Terrestres/ Tortoises.

No comments about Turtles.

No comments about Red-Tailed Boas (General Care and Maintenance of Series).

1 comments about Step-By-Step Book About Iguanas (Step-By-Step Book About Series).

1. I read through the whole book and it told me about the lizard I am going to get. It told me how much it will be, what to feed it, how big it will be after a juvenile, and it told me what size tank I should put in there.