The Corn Snake Manual is one reptile care book from the highly acclaimed Advanced Vivarium Systems series. The AVS series, founded and guided by herpetocultural pioneer Philippe de Vosjoli, is the #1 series on reptile care. From choosing a pet to selecting a veterinarian to feeding, housing, breeding, and more, these books deliver the most helpful and up-to-date information available on popular reptiles and amphibians kept as pets.
Packed with tips to care for your special critter Choose the right lizard, turtle, or snake - and give your pet the best care Fanatical about frogs? Gaga over geckos? This essential guide tells you what you must know before you own a reptile or amphibian, with authoritative advice on everything from proper caging and feeding to health care, socializing, transporting, and more. You'll find out about the different species, normal and abnormal behavior, the basics of breeding, and complying with laws. The Dummies Way * Explanations in plain English * "Get in, get out" information * Icons and other navigational aids * Tear-out cheat sheet * Top ten lists * A dash of humor and fun
Still the most popular large snake in the pet world, the boa constrictor of South America is a hardy, beautiful snake that is fairly docile and considered safe when handled properly. In The Boa Constrictor Manual, world-renowned herp expert Philippe de Vosjoli has written a concise and useful guide, well illustrated with color photographs, that offers all of the information a boa keeper needs to maintain a pet snake safely and in the best of health. This Advanced Vivarium Systems title includes information about selecting and purchasing a healthy boa constrictor, proper housing and maintenance needs, feeding, and safe handling. Dr. Roger Klingenberg, a herp veterinary specialist, has written a special health chapter on diseases and disorders, with particular emphasis on the dreaded boa AIDS (inclusion body disease or IBD) as well as parasitism, respiratory disease, and more. The chapter concludes with a six-page chart on troubleshooting health concerns, which all boa constrictor keepers will find useful for general upkeep and recognizing and dealing with serious issues. Beyond the husbandry and health of boa constrictors, this book offers an excellent chapter by Jeff Ronne on breeding Colombia boa constrictors, beginning with the size and health of breeding and animals and the female’s cycling to the birth and care of newborns. Resources and index included.
A Beginning Vivarium Systems guide, Snakes is an entertaining and educational introduction to the world of snakes of all sizes, colors, and personalities. Beginning snake keepers of all ages will find intriguing information about common and unusual snakes in this colorful guide by herp expert Russ Case. The book offers readers who are looking to adopt a snake the right guidance for purchasing a healthy specimen and for creating a safe, comfortable home where the pet snake can thrive. Beginners will learn about the anatomy of snakes and their behavior in the wild and in captivity. The chapter “Snake Food” is a lesson in how to feed snakes so that owners meet all of the special needs of their pets. The chapter “Great Beginner Snakes” present the most common species for newcomers to snakes, including such favorites as the corn snake, California king snake, ball python, and the rosy boa, each illustrated with color photos and explained in clear everyday language. Additional examples of “Other Amazing Snakes” are included, such as the boa constrictor, Burmese python, reticulated python, king cobra, rattlesnake, which are fascinating to read about though not recommended for beginners. A chapter on potential health problems gives a basic overview of how to care for and maintain captive snakes in the best of health. Sidebars throughout the text give the reader good advice on dos and don’ts to avoid common mistakes keepers make with these pet animals. Glossary included.
Good Snakekeeping offers complete coverage of vital snake care topics, including selection, housing, nutrition, and health care. This comprehensive guide contains entries on more than 35 snake species, from those commonly available—such as boas, rosy boas, pythons, rat snakes, corn snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, hognose snakes, pine snakes, longnose snakes, garter snakes, ribbon snakes, green snakes, and more–to subspecies and related species, desirable rarer species, and even species to avoid altogether. Written by an expert snake keeper, the chapters detail the natural range, habitat, pet suitability, and specific care requirements of different snakes. The book also discusses creating habitats for pet snakes, including cage types, substrates, heating, lighting, humidity, and terrarium fixtures, and provides instructions for setting up the enclosure for desert, forest, rainforest, and semi-aquatic species. Full-color photos, sidebars, and tip boxes highlight interesting topics throughout the book. Good Snakekeeping is a must-have for hobbyists of any experience level, from beginner to advanced.
For beginning aquatic fancier looking to start out right with fish, Freshwater Aquariums by David Alderton is the ideal primer. A vertebrate that breathe primarily by means of gills and swim by means of fins is the author’s lead-in to the first chapter called “What are Fish?” Alderton builds the reader’s confidence by providing solid information about what fish are anatomically speaking, how they evolved, how they breathe, how they move, where they live, and how they behave. The new fancier’s aquarium begins in chapter two with instructions on setting up the tank, including selecting the right size, figuring out how many fish, setting the tank, equipment, substrate, heating, lighting, filtrations, plants, water chemistry, assembly, and more. Choosing the freshwater fishes that appeal to the reader is the subject of “Introducing the Categories of Fish,” which schools readers in seven categories: Cyprinids (e.g., goldfish, minnows, and barbs), Characins (e.g., tetras), Cichlids (e.g., oscars, angelfish, and discus), Anabantoids (gouramis, bettas/Siamese fighting fish, and paradise fish), Toothcarps (guppies, swordtails, platies, black mollies, and killifish), Catfish, and others (loaches and Chinese algae eaters). The purchasing, maintenance, and feeding of fish are described in considerable details, and the author gives a basic overview of breeding and keeping fish healthy as well. Resources, glossary, and index conclude the book.
Keeping giant snakes requires large caging and the knowledge of certain procedures for safe handling and maintenance. Husbandry and captive breeding of this popular species is covered in great detail. The original AFH guidelines for responsible ownership and handling of large pythons are included. A chapter presents information on other giant pythons with similar care. Although a black and white book, it remains one of the best on the subject
A budgie, as the common parakeet is typically called, is the subject of this Complete Care Made Easy pet guide that presents new and experienced bird keepers with insight into every aspect of selecting, caring for, and maintaining well-behaved happy pet birds. Angela Davids has written an ideal introductory pet guide, with chapters on the characteristics of the irresistible budgie, the history of budgies in the wild, selection of a healthy, typical pet bird, housing and care, feeding, training, and health care. The selection chapter offers potential owners excellent advice about selection of the color and sex, suitability of the delicate budgie with families, children, and other pets. In the chapter on housing and care, the author discusses selection of the right cage, placement of the cage, and the purchase of toys, cups, perches, and more. A bird’s diet is critical to its ongoing health, and the chapter devoted to feeding the budgie gives the reader all the info he or she needs about choosing the best diet, different types of seeds, greens, fruits, veggies, grit, as well as human foods to avoid. The chapter “Training Time” addresses finger training, towel training, perch training, and offers an easy-to-follow primer on teaching a budgie to talk. The final two chapters of the book will be useful for bird fanciers interested in learning more about the breeding and the basic color variations and genetics of this perfect beginner’s bird. The book concludes with an appendix of bird societies, a glossary of terms, and a complete index.
A fully revised edition of the classic book on snake care! Featuring the most up-to-date equipment, expanded facts on feeding, and newly written species accounts, along with 70 full-color photographs and updated diagrams, this guide provides all the essentials that every snake-keeper should know. * Set the correct degree of temperature, humidity, and light for your snake to thrive--it not only wants to be warm, it needs to be. * Fix up a cage in ways that make snakes feel comfortable and secure. * Keep your snake healthy with valuable advice on disease prevention, covering overhandling; the introduction of wild species into a cage; bacterial, viral, and parasite infections; and other miscellaneous problems. * Mate and breed snakes--even incubate eggs. Plus--special information on selective breeding. * Full species accounts include boas, pythons, colubrid, venomous, and small snakes. You'll turn to this handbook again and again! 224 pages, 95 color illus., 6 x 9.
