3 comments about Reptiles & Amphibians for Dummies.

1. This book does quite a good job at covering a lot of great information about herps (turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, caecilians, and even the non-pet herps crocodilians, amphisbaenians, and Rhynchocephalia) and things that ever herper needs to know to have a happy healthy pet. Topics include keeping your herps in an outdoor cage, tank, or pool, what kinds of plants to put inside of an indoor terrarium, who eats what (or, more likely, who eats whom), breeding, how to determine a herp's sex, zoos with great herp collections, how to get involved in one's local community, common health problems, how to transport one's herps, and what to do if you need to get rid of your herp. In the middle of the book is a section of nice color photos of some of the more popular varieties of pet herps, such as the painted turtle, corn snake, water dragon, veiled chameleon, horned frog, and fire-bellied newt. It finishes with an appendix running down the basics (diet, behavior, origins, etc.) of some of the more popular herps, such as the kingsnake, Greek tortoise, fire salamander, leopard gecko, bumblebee poison dart frog, and aquatic caecilian. The only shortcomings I noticed in the book were that there isn't a huge amount of species-specific information (though this book is only meant as a general guide, not something covering every single thing about all of the herps in the pet market; that's what species-specific books are for!) and that it recommended the pet store as the place to get frozen/thawed prekilled rodents for one's snake. It would have been better had they talked about some of the businesses who breed rodents and then euthanise them before freezing them and selling them in bulk, such as RodentPro, Mice on Ice, and Mice Direct. Unless I knew that a pet store had gotten their prekilled prey from such a reputable company, I wouldn't exactly trust their prekilled rodents, given how a lot of pet stores aren't known for top-notch treatment of their animals! It also would've been nice had they mentioned some of the companies that breed and sell insects for lizards and amphibians, like Cricket Ranch and Timberline Live Pet Foods. But overall, this is a really good guide to get the first-time herper started, and as one reads more literature on the subject and interacts with fellow herpers, one will learn about the things that this book overlooked or didn't go into a lot of detail about.



2. very thorough and also humorous. one small disadvantage, species specific information is very limited(though snake selection is acceptable). this, and a species specific book will give you a perfect referance with a new pet.



3. We have a California kingsnake and two leopard geckos. We've gotten some other books on these reptiles, but for basic advice the "Dummies" book is the best so far. Very good at explaining what each species is like so you can get an idea of how the animal would work out for you.

5 comments about The Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.

1. This is one of the best books that I have found on Koi. Beautiful color
   photographs abound in this informative book. If you have to have only one book on Koi-this is the one. Lot of good advice on building a pond, what to do if there are problems such as illness, identifying fish pathogens and their treatment, different kinds of koi. I especially like the pictures of other people's ponds and landscaping-full of good ideas.



2. I lost half of my Koi in the space of 6 hours, because I was counting on this book, and it does not even mention the catastrophic disaster known as PH Crash. Unless you find out about that, and take preventative measures, this WILL happen to you!!

   This book fails to describe water chemistry in sufficient detail, and these days it's pretty outdated. However, it does have a fantastic photo catalogue of koi varieties, and a decent overview of health problems, pond construction, and seasonal care. If you have fish, make sure to get multiple books in case one is missing important information.




3. I have kept koi and bred them for around 5 years now. And when I pick up a koi book this always seems to be the first one I go to. As far as I'm concerned, if I had only one koi book this would be the one. If you're about to get into koi don't do it without the Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.



4. Amazing. The only problem I had with this book is getting it out of my wife's hands. It covers EVERYTHING. Sections on Filtration, Pond design, Feeding (listing alternative foods that Koi enjoy), Anatomy (first rate), Selecting & showing your koi, a detail listing on the different patterns and scale formation and probably the best ( in my opinion) Parasites and Diseases, what they are, were they come from and how to destroy them.

   This could be and should be renamed to "The koi instruction manual". If you are a koi breeders, I highly recommend this book, after reading it, I would wager that it would be THE book to recommend to your customers. The reason being that they would have less problems and get better enjoyment out of their hobby. It truly would be hard to go wrong with this book.




5. This book is as easy to read as any grade school book and as indepth as books which I have read that cost 5 times as much. I have enjoyed reading it so much that the day after I was done reading it, I started reading it again. I own a nursery for watergardening plants, fish and supplies, and I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Lake Tanganyika Cichlids (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. Barrons in general, does a great job in presenting thier information in a concise and clear manner. Even beginners will have no problem following along in this 'pocket reference' publication. Do not let the price or size of the book sway you. It is packed with all of the pertenent information. Tanganikan cichlids are wonderful fishes and barrons does an excellent job of intoducing all of the husbandry techniques needed to keep these fish happy and healthy. One drawback is that more experienced aquarists or ichthyologists might find the book lacking in some of the detailed areas. Although overall, you pretty much can't go wrong when purchasing this book



2. Mr. Smith covered all the bases with this book. From giving an educational step by step way to set up and maintain an African cichlid tank. he offers good quality pictures of a wide variety of fish with a very informational care and breeding for each fish. I recommend this book to all interested in keeping these fish.

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.

No comments about King & Milk Snakes (Complete Herp Care).

2 comments about The Guide to Owning Discus.

1. I read this book two years ago and it was the most important literature that helped me to get started. This is an ideal book for the beginner



2. I've read several Discus books, some really good ones from Bernd Degen, and I really didn't like this one. It doesn't focus on anything at all and it has no hints about keeping them (despite the sub-title in the front page) beside temperature. Some average pictures after all, from the TFH archive.

3 comments about The Guide to Owning Guppies.

1. This book does lean heavily toward being a brochure for "Gan Aquarium Fish Farm" in Singapore who provided the majority of the guppy photos. It is still a worthwhile book if you are starting out with setting up an aquarium and wish to pursue raising guppies. The author covers all the basics such as the tank setup, water quality, heating, feeding and even breeding. Note the book is only 64 pages and is a quick and easy read for beginners and does cover all the necessary aspects of caring for guppies.



2. I found this book to be most helpful in setting up an aquarium and maintaining water quality. It also gives great tips and insight into what look for in keeping your guppy healthy and with breeding. The color photographs were a great tool. The book was not too advanced and never got too technical like others I've read.



3. Only buy this book if you want to see pictures of Guppies raised by the Gan Fish Farm in Singapore. Of 55 pictures of Guppies in this book, 35 are Gan Fish and 17 are from some guy named Tanaka. That leaves only 3 pictures of other guppies. This book should have been a sales brochure for Gan and Tanaka. None of the Guppy pictures are of more recent and nicer looking strains that you see out there, at least in my opinion. In addition, the information in the book is better covered in some of the guppy web pages. Good thing I only paid [$] for a used book.

5 comments about The Leopard Gecko Manual (Herpetocultural Library) (Herpetocultural Library).

1. It's really outdated. Since it was written, there have been many more studies done on reptile husbandry. It says calcium sand is THE substrate to use and it's one of the worst ones. BEFORE you get the animal I suggest joining reptile forums, as most reptile breeders/books are also outdated on care. Leopard geckos make wonderful pets, if cared for properly can live a long time also.



2. This is a great book.I got my leopard gecko yesterday (12/21/05)
   and this book helped me alot on care,feeding ect. and on making the desision to get one.



3. this is a great book it tells you allot about leopard geckos I could have done without the part about the african fat tail gecko but it is a good read buy now



4. In terms of printed text on Leopard Geckos, this book sets the standard. The information is brief and comprehensive. It's a must own for Leo keepers. I spend a lot of my time giving advice to people about these guys and the first thing I always tell new owners is: Get the Leopard Gecko Manual, read it cover to cover.



5. This is a very informative book and should be required reading prior to purchasing a gecko. The authors have covered topics on: selecton, housing, feeding, breeding & raising geckos,and problems and diseases that an owner may encounter. The gecko photographs in this book are excellent. If you only read one book on this subject this would be your best overall choice.

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.

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.