Best Snake Books

[Cazador]

My list would include:

Best all-around garter snake book:
Rossman DA., Ford NB., & Seigel RA. 1991. The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman, OK.

Best intro to garters:
Bartlett RD & Bartlett P. 2001. Garter and Ribbon Snakes. Barron's Educational Book Series, Inc. Hong Kong.

Best Care and Maintenance book:
Perlowin D. 1994. Garter Snakes & Water Snakes. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc. Lakeside, CA.

Best non-garter snake book:
Ernst C & Zug GR. 1996. Snakes in question. Smithsonian Press. Washington DC.

Book I'd most like to see in English:
Hallman M & Chlebowy J. Strumpfbandnattern.

What are your favorites? Make up any categories you'd like.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I agree on all but the "Snakes in Question" book....haven't seen that one. I own the other 3, and have been waiting on Juergen to translate his book, but it hasn't happened. I used to be in contact with him a few times a year and he was working on trnaslation...but it never got finished. :(

[Cazador]

Very cool. I'm glad to hear he's working on it. Be sure to let us know if you hear any more about his progress, okay?
Rick

[Daniel]

My list would include:

Best all-around garter snake book:
Rossman DA., Ford NB., & Seigel RA. 1991. The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman, OK.
and
Hallman M & Chlebowy J. 2001 Strumpfbandnattern. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster.

Best intro to garters and Best Care and Maintenance book:
DRACO Strumpfbandnattern 1/2006. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster.

Best snake book for north american snakes:
Ernst CH & Ernst EM. 2003 Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithonian Books, WA


Magazine I'd most recommend to english speeking readers, even though it´s in german:
DRACO Strumpfbandnattern 1/2006. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster.

It includes gorgeous pictures of most Thamnophis spec. so only because of this it´s a must for every Thamnophile.

Best wishes,

Daniel

[Thamnophis]

I would add the two following books...

Strumpfbandnattern by Thomas Bourguignon
Die Strumpfbandnattern by Frank Mutschmann

And I agree on the Draco-heft. Is very nice! Still available, I think, so when you want to order it...

[Cazador]

I would add the two following books...

Strumpfbandnattern by Thomas Bourguignon
Die Strumpfbandnattern by Frank Mutschmann


Hi Thamnophis,
What category would you put these two books into? Best overall garter snake book, best maintenance & husbandry, or another category?

My thought process is that if there's a concensus about the best books two things might happen: 1) People won't waste their time and money buying inferior or misleading books, and 2) If the best non-English books are identified, and the interest level is great enough, their authors might be more inclined to translate them into English to satisfy customer demand.

Rick

P.S. You're shedding again :).

[Thamnophis]

Both books would not be my number one and two, but are nice books to have if you want to spend your money.
The book of Mutschmann is not that spectaculair.
Die Strumpfbandnattern - Frank Mutschmann (http://www.kousebandslangen.nl/mutschmann.htm)

The book of Bourguignon is a nice one with fine colourpictures and quite a lot of information.
Strumpfbandnattern - Thomas Bourguignon (http://www.kousebandslangen.nl/bourguignon.htm)

My Top 2 would be: (in random order)

Strumpgbandnattern - Martin Hallmen & Jürgen Chlebowy (http://www.kousebandslangen.nl/hallmen_chlebowy.htm)

and

The Garter Snakes - Evolution and Ecology (http://www.kousebandslangen.nl/rossman.htm)


I like buying books and mostly want everything there is on the subject.
From every book you learn something.

And Rick, now I know why I have that itch on my back... I'm going to shed again :D

[Cazador]

Wow! I'm really impressed that Strumpfbandnattern (by Hallmen & Chlebowy) is on the level with The Garter Snakes (by Rossman et al.). Now I really want it ;) . Thanks, Thamnophis.

A good book to buy for the stunning photography is Garter and Ribbon Snakes (by W.P. Mara), but I wouldn't rely on its information. Mara says, "Heated rocks have become very popular in the herpetocultural hobby over the last few yearas and are perfectly usable with garter and ribbon snakes." However, there is no caution of any sort about their potential dangers. Likewise, goldfish are recommended with no discussion about thiaminase. It is meant to be an introduction, but there are more examples where its statements are at best, questionable. With that said, it offers great photography and short, but interesting, facts about many of the different species. Cheers,
Rick

[Thamnophis]

Do you know: Garter snakes & their allies by Coote?

The book of William Mara and the book of Coote I have ordered and they will arrive this week. I will let you know what I think of it.

I saw that Mara has written a lot of books about different snake-genera in the USA.
Maybe he´s not a specialist, but only a good phographer with only little knowledge about how to keep them.

[Cazador]

Hi Fons,
I hope you like both books, but I suspect you're right about Mara being a generalist. As for Coote, I don't know of his work. I did a quick search and found out he's from the UK. I hope its a good book.

This is the part of the forum that I love... learning new things and sharing discoveries. It makes learning so much faster and more enjoyable. I'll eagerly await your review. Best,
Rick

[Thamnophis]

That is indeed the nice side of a forum that is specialised in one genus or one species or so.
When I read them, I will let you know what I think of them.

[Cazador]

My next book will be Understanding reptile parasites: A basic manual for herpetoculturists & veterinarians by Roger Klingenberg. It's expected to arrive before December 6. Has anyone read this or other good snake books?

[Markus18]

the best book about gartersnakes i ever read is the book "strumpfbandnatter" from jürgen chlebowy and martin hallmen!they work with gartersnakes since many many years.all people that want to know about gartersnakes ask them because they have much experience!

[Cazador]

Be sure to vote in the poll on getting the book Strumpfbandnattern translated into English. It seems to be the best non-English garter snake book (and possibly the best one overall). New copies sell for the equivalent of $35 USD, but it hasn't been translated, yet. In comparison, The Garter Snakes by Rossman et al. is widely considered to be the best English book on garter snakes, and new copies sell for $64 USD.

The poll is in the "General Talk" forum under the "Strumpfbandnattern" thread. Cheers,
Rick

[abcat1993]

I think Petco sells a snake book with hundreds of pages for $100. Although that's a lot of snakes to cover with only a couple hundred pages.

[Thamnophis]

Do you know: Garter snakes & their allies by Coote?

The book of William Mara and the book of Coote I have ordered and they will arrive this week. I will let you know what I think of it.

I saw that Mara has written a lot of books about different snake-genera in the USA.
Maybe he´s not a specialist, but only a good phographer with only little knowledge about how to keep them.

The book from Mara has arrived ans I will start reading it today, I hope.
The other one, from Coote, has not arrived yet.

[Cazador]

I got my copy of Klingenberg's Understanding reptile parasites today. I've only read a few pages, but I wish I bought it a long time ago. It seems to be a very good book. Unfortunately, I decided to euthanize one of my snakes yesterday :(. It was in very poor health for quite a while, and was too sick to brumate. From what I've read so far, I think this book may have made a difference. I'll let you know if the rest of the book is as good as the first part.
Rick

[Thamnophis]

The book from Mara has beautiful pictures, but the text is not that interesting.
The other book, from Coote, did not arrive yet.

[Thamnophis]

I mailed the company that would send the book from Coote and they answered me that this book is sold out and will not be published again.

[Spiderqwan]

I have a copy of the Jon Coote book T-Rex Education Series, Garter Snakes, The ribbon snakes & water snakes thier captive husbandry & reproduction, my local store has copies of the book as well I'm assuming that this is the Coote book you are refering to, it was £4.95 English pounds if any would like me to get them a copy I'm sure we could work something out via paypal or money transfer i dont mind posting to people if they cant get a copy I dont think scaning it and uploading a PDF file would be a great idea as I'm sure it would be illegal:rolleyes: let me know what you think its not a huge book only 46 pages.

[Thamnophis]

I will first shop around in Holland, Spiderqwan.
If this does not work, I maybe ask you.
Thanks anyway.

[Cazador]

Is the Coote book well written and informative?

[Spiderqwan]

Thats a difficult question to answear as i'm a complete novice. However i did feel confidant after reading the book to be able to set up and look after a garter snake. Having read the book, information in the book, has been reinforced by you guys. so yes i would say that it is well written and informative. I need to read some other books to get a more definitive opinion.

[sschind]

Just ordered my copy of The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology. Found it on amazon.com and with $30.00 savings for applying for a cc I got it for around $20.00. I can't wait to get it. I'd also get the Strumpfbandnattern if it were translated to English.

[Spiderqwan]

Do any of the books available list clearly and with pictures all of the genus sub species and morphs and can you tell me the name of the book please I would love to know for example the difference between T. Marcianus and T. m. Marcianus and for that matter all other differences for all the varients of garter snakes.

[Thamnophis]

These two books come close to what you ask.

Best all-around garter snake book:
Rossman DA., Ford NB., & Seigel RA. 1991. The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman, OK.

Hallman M & Chlebowy J. Strumpfbandnattern

[Cazador]

We haven't mentioned What's Wrong With My Snake by John Rossi D.V.M., M.A & Roxanne Rossi, yet. With certain reservations, I have to say that I think it's one of the best veterinary books out there for snakes hobbiests. My reluctance to give it a full recommendation is because even though it is very comprehensive, it is biased toward the treatment of larger snakes (boas, pythons, etc.). Yet many principles apply to large and small species, alike.

For example, they recommend treating snake mites with "Seven Dust," which works terrific, but they recommend leaving the snake in the powder for 24 hours. This is probably fine for larger snakes, but it is way too long for garters. After treating a newly acquired garter (a few years ago) with seven dust the snake started showing neurological disorders after just over an hour. The active ingredient in Seven Dust kills pests by overstimulating nerves. (It's an acetytlcholinesterase inhibitor). Luckily, I was paying attention, removed and rinsed the snake, and the symptoms disappeared.

With that caveat (and with the knowledge that all of its doseage recommendations may be biased toward larger snakes), I feel that the other 38 topics ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics make this book well worth the money. Does anyone else recommend or have reservations about this book?
Rick

[GarterGuy]

Do any of the books available list clearly and with pictures all of the genus sub species and morphs and can you tell me the name of the book please I would love to know for example the difference between T. Marcianus and T. m. Marcianus and for that matter all other differences for all the varients of garter snakes.

Some books that I've found that tend to get over looked on this subject are the many field guides for snakes. I often end up relying on them to help me with id. of the various species and subspecies. It'd be really nice to see a book out there that would be like a serious guide to garters, having not only care info. and the usual descriptions, but some good hard scientific data on scale counts, and other such identifiers. Hmmmmm....maybe I'll have to talk to my publisher friend???;)

[sschind]

Hmmmmm....maybe I'll have to talk to my publisher friend???;)

and start writing:)

[sschind]

Some books try to be all and they end up suffering for it. I wouldn't mind if a book were lacking in husbandry details if the identification was top notch, and vice versa. Within the tarantula hobby, the book that is considered the best in the English language, has very little information on individual species. Still, it is a must have. Now if you want to know how to keep or identify individual species you will have to get another book. Sadly, I haven't found an ID/husbandry book that comes even close to this one.

I am really looking forward to my Garter book. I'll have to tell my mom I want it for Christmas and she can move some of my Christmas presents to my birthday in February. I picked out pretty much everything anyway so I know what I can wait to get.

[Cazador]

I think a great snake ID book would have to include many pictures of each morph, similar to what Fons did on his website. Then it would have to include the descriptions and dichotomous keys, and I agree with Steve that husbandry techniques would only detract from the ID book. There are enough of these already in circulation.

[Thamnophis]

I do not know the book "What's Wrong With My Snake" so I cannot give my opinion about it.
The problem with specialized books is that when it is published, some matters have changed )new opinions and so', so there will never be a complete book.

[Cazador]

Hi all,
I finished reading Understanding reptile parasites: A basic manual for herpetoculturists & veterinarians by Roger Klingenberg D.V.M., M.A. and his wife, and I was amazed at all the information that's packed into that little book. I only paid about $8.50 (USD) for it at amazon.com (including postage), which was well worth it.

It was written by a veterinarian and among other things, it talks about parasitic life stages and forms (trophozoites, metazoans, etc.), so a background in biology is helpful. However, it also talks about how to identify if your snake has these parasites, how to identify them (including pictures of common forms under a microscope), which medications to use for treatment, doses, and how to calculate the doseages. It also mentions the risks associated with feeding live prey (worms, fish, amphibians, lizards, rodents, and other snakes. Once you have the basic husbandry down, this is the next book to buy. Definitely, one of the best for hobbiests.
Rick

[Thamnophis]

Anyone know the book Garter Snakes from Matt Doeden?

[KITKAT]

[SNIP]...they recommend treating snake mites with "Seven Dust," which works terrific...

[SNIP] Does anyone else recommend or have reservations about this book?
Rick

I am not familiar with the book, but am very familiar with SEVIN. I would have a hard time treating ANY snake with it, due to the fact that SEVIN has been shown (by repeated research) to cause severe and lasting reproductive problems in mammals. In fact, when I was of child-bearing age, I refused to allow it on the premises, despite the fact that it was touted as a safe garden treatment.

[Daniel]

Hi Thamnophis,

yes, I know the book from M. Doeden. It´s written for children and so you will not find any extremly helpfull things in it. It gives you a small overview about the biology of garter snakes, where they come from and how they look like.

If you´re interested in some other interesting books about garter snakes have a look for the following ones:

"garter snakes" by Roger Sweeney, Blandford

"discovering what garter snakes do" by Seymour Simon, McGraw Hill

"garter and water snakes" by David Perlowin, Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc.

"garter and ribbon snake care" by Philip Purser, tfh Publications

books written for children but interesting because of some nice pictures or other points of view:

"garter snakes" by Mary Ann McDonald, Capstone Press

"a gathering of garter snakes" by Bianca Lewis, Dutton Children´s Books

"the snake scientist" by Sy Montgomery, Sandpiper Houghton Mifflin Books

"gliding garter snakes" by Buffy Silverman, Lerner Publications Company

Fieldguides:

"Reptiles of the Northwest" by Alan St. John, Lone Pine Publishing

Some other interesting garter-snake-books written in german:

"Die Prärie-Strumpfbandnatter" von Martin Hallmen, Natur und Tier-Verlag

"Die gewöhnliche Strumpfbandnatter" von Martin Hallmen, Natur und Tier-Verlag

"Strumpfbandnattern" von Thomas Bourguignon, Ulmer

"Strumpfbandnattern" von Frank Mutschmann, Westarp Wissenschaften


That´s not a complete list of all garter-snake books that are available on the market, but I think, that these books are the most interesting ones.


Best wishes,

Daniel

[Thamnophis]

Thanks Daniel,

I will not bother to look for the Doeden-book.

Thanks for the list of books! :)

[Stefan-A]

Rossman DA., Ford NB., & Seigel RA. 1991. The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology. University of Oklahoma Press.
Does anybody know if there's another book out there about garters (or Nerodias), that is on the same level as this one? I've pretty much had it with the usual care & breeding books (or should I say pamphlets). I mean I want more in-depth information about the snakes, the general advice on how to keep them just bores me.

[Cazador]

Hey Stefan,
It seems as if only Hallman & Chlebowy's Strumpfbandnattern is on the same level as Rossman et al.'s book. I hope you've seen and voted in the poll to get Strumpfbandnattern translated into English (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/211-strumpfbandnattern.html). In my personal opinion, Perlowin's Garter and Ribbon Snakes is the next best general keeping/maintenance book written in English, but it is a very distant second. From reading your other posts, though, I think you would really appreciate Understanding reptile parasites: A basic manual for herpetoculturists & veterinarians. Best,
Rick

[cascabel]

Hi,
I haven't read this book, but I know the authors. They are top-notch researchers, so I imagine this is a great book, on par with Rossman et al:
"North American Watersnakes" (Gibbons and Dorcas)
Welcome to the University of Oklahoma Press - home (http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=978-0-8061-3599-1)
It looks like you guys have the Thamnophis books covered. My favorite field guides for the US are the reliable Peterson's (east or west, depending on where you herp). A really good book is Harry Greene's "Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature". This is really well written (much more interesting than many science and textbooks) and full of information about all aspects of snake biology/ecology/behavior....

melissa

[Cazador]

Hey Melissa,
I thought the photography in Snakes: The evolution of mystery in nature was spectacular, and they cover fascinating factoids about a lot of different species. It's a great book that gives a broad introduction into the world of snakes. However, I thought they tried to cover too many species and ended up with an interesting book with little tidbits, but they didn't go into a lot of depth on anything, in particular.

The locomotion chapter, for example, had to cover gliding, burrowing, sidewinding, rectilinear, concertina travel, etc. I thought it was glossed over (as would be necessary when covering so many topics in a generalized book). Same thing for the reproduction chapter. Being a rattlesnake fan, I see how you would have appreciated it, but I thought it was lacking in specifics for garters; despite multiple references.

Does the watersnake book cover garters or specifically Nerodia spp?

[cascabel]

I believe that it is Nerodia only. Someone asked about a Nerodia book...


Hey Melissa,
Does the watersnake book cover garters or specifically Nerodia spp?

[Cazador]

We've had quite a few new members join the forum since we've discussed the best garter snake books, so I wanted to revisit this topic as well as ask the new members to please vote in the (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/211-strumpfbandnattern.html) poll after they've reviewed this thread. I plan to present the results of the poll to the publishers to see if they will publish an English version of http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/211-strumpfbandnattern.html when/if the results become favorable enough. Thanks,
Rick

[Stefan-A]

I just got Strumpfbandnattern in German. It's definitely worth it every penny. I'd say it's the best book available for garter snake owners, with the Rossman et al. book being the best out there for anyone interested in, well, garter snakes' evolution and ecology.

[Daniel]

Hey Stefan,

do you understand German. Your post above makes me thinking so.

Best wishes,

Daniel

[Stefan-A]

Yes, I took a number of courses in school. It's still easier for me to understand than it is to use.

Understanding the text or translating it is not a problem, even if it would sometimes help to have a dictionary. Just don't ask me to write anything in German, mein Deutsch ist leider nicht so gut and I wouldn't want to make a complete *** of myself by getting the grammar wrong. ;)

It's pretty much common knowledge here though, that the best herp literature is usually in German. Decided to give Strumpfbandnattern a shot and I'd say it paid off.

[Daniel]

Hi Stefan,

sorry that it took me so long to answere you. Dein Deutsch ist sehr gut, aber ich verzichte lieber darauf hier weiter auf deutsch zu schreiben und mache mich selbst zum Idioten und schreibe weiter auf Englisch ;)

The book you´ve bought is really one of the best ones on the german market. But if you´re interested in some newer informations about garter snakes and some really nice and especially new pics, than you definitely have to buy the DRACO-Magazine with the titel "Strumpfbandnattern". Just give it a chance and please let me know, how you liked it, after reading it!

you can order it right here: Natur und Tier Verlag: DRACO 25, Strumpfbandnattern, Februar/März/April 2006 (http://www.ms-verlag.de/index.php?90&backPID=90&tt_products=1322)

Best wishes,

Daniel

[Gijs & Sabine]

The Draco-magazine Daniel is telling about is a very nice one. We can recommend it:) And the pics are really beautifull !!!

[drache]

Oh, I wish I'd known about the Draco magazine when I got all that stuff from Germany.
I did get the Mutschmann book as well, and it's a really good book in terms of the information, but not so much visually - it's mostly black-and-white - there's a total of two colour pages with small pictures for species identification. So it's more something for folks who can read German, whereas Hallmen/Chlebowy has lots of great colour photos, as well as illustrations and it's worth looking at, even if you can't read it.
"Understanding Reptile Parasites" is a must.
Same with "What's Wrong with my Snake".
"The Snake Scientist" primarily features the Narcisse snake dens" and while it's geared toward children, I really love the photos.
I also like "227 Secrets Your Snake (and Lizard) Wants You to Know" - for fun and informative snake reading - there's even a section on how to convince your mate to let you get just one more snake.
Of course there is Rossman et al
and
I just found a used copy of Reptile Medicine and Surgery (Mader) on the Internet - still a big jump at $40.-, but not as bad as new. Can't wait to get it.

[adamanteus]

I have some really interesting scientific papers on Thamnophis, many from The University of Louisiana, including a few of D. Rossmans early work. I guess some are outdated now, but still good to read. I buy them through specialist dealers in the UK.

[drache]

Question:
I'm looking to get the West Coast Peterson Guide.
So of course I looked on Amazon and there are two that have an identical cover.
One is titled "A Guide to Wester Reptiles and Amphibians", the other "A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians: Field Marks of all Species in Western North America, Including Baja California".
The former is clearly the later edition and probably more up to date, but looking at the title I wonder whether the field marks and Baja are still in there. Does anybody here have that 2003 edition?

[drache]

Sorry
Correction of the title of the 2003 Edition. It's
"A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians".

[Cazador]

I have a copy of the 2003 edition of Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd Ed., and I have to admit to being a little bit disappointed. It's probably a great source for distinguishing between thousands of easily recognizable taxa, but I think it lacks a bit when distinguishing between species that look similar. I bought it specifically for help distinguishing between T. ordinoides and T.s. pickeringii. It provided clues, but there were no dichotomous keys. Instead, they gave general descriptions of each (sub)species with limited reference to morphs. Based on the reveiws at Amazon.com, I hoped for more out of this book, but maybe it's simply the best of what's available? Perhaps someone could recommend a better "Western field guide" for garter snakes?

Rick

[abcat1993]

Wow, this got big. I have a book on all (not really though) North American reptiles and amphibians. It has some interesting facts about garters (3 pages worth).

[adamanteus]

Has anyone read R. Bartlett's book "In Search of Reptiles and Amphibians"? It's all about his early experiences in the field. Very entertaining read, made better because he knows exactly what he's talking about! Recommended!

[abcat1993]

I'll look at it or for it. Sounds good and I want to know more about looking for wild snakes and other herps.

[abcat1993]

Well, as an early birthday present, my grandmother got me "Garter Snakes & Water Snakes" By David Perlowin; and a humid hide or whatever they're called.

[Stefan-A]

Got that book, too. :)

[Cazador]

Matt,

I think you'll really get a lot out of that book. It covers a lot of material in a small amount of space, and the information is nice and reliable. Your grandmother has good taste :D.

Rick

[abcat1993]

I forgot to say the end. I think it's pretty good, and definitely a lot longer than it looks. And my grandmother didn't pick it out, she said that she told someone at the store that I had a snake and was wondering what to give me.

[Cazador]

If truth be told, I had a hunch your grandmother didn't pick that book on her own ;). I think Perlowin's book is one everyone who's seriously interested garters should own. It's that good, yet concise.

[adamanteus]

There's a new book out (2007), for those with sufficient interest and funds..."Infectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles" by Elliot Jacobson. It's quite expensive at £115- ($225-) but it brings the subject right up to date, full colour photographs rather than the usual B&W and line drawings.

[adamanteus]

Is the Coote book well written and informative?

I have had Jon Cootes book "Garter Snakes and Their Allies" for years.....It holds no surprises, just the usual "how to house snakes", "how to heat the viv", blah blah blah...and a few mediocre black and white plates. Unless you're a total novice you probably wouldn't want it. Plus the species list is now out dated, even though the book was only published in 1993.

Roger Sweeney's book "Garter Snakes" is a little better by virtue of it's individual species descriptions and distribution maps.

Non come close to Rossman's Garter Snakes, Evolution and Ecology.

[Stefan-A]

Bump.

Does anybody know of any good literature similar to Understanding Reptile Parasites: A Basic Manual for Herpetoculturists & Veterinarians? Doesn't matter if it's meant for veterinarians. In fact, I'd consider it a plus.

[hissy100]

I'm with Daniel on this one, The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology is a wonderful book. It has species guides, Behavior analysis, and information about keeping garters, and lots more

[adamanteus]

Bump.

Does anybody know of any good literature similar to Understanding Reptile Parasites: A Basic Manual for Herpetoculturists & Veterinarians? Doesn't matter if it's meant for veterinarians. In fact, I'd consider it a plus.

Stefan, there's this one that I mentioned earlier in the thread;

Quote: [There's a new book out (2007), for those with sufficient interest and funds..."Infectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles" by Elliot Jacobson. It's quite expensive at £115- ($225-) but it brings the subject right up to date, full colour photographs rather than the usual B&W and line drawings.] Quote:
__________________
James.

[Stefan-A]

716 pages / 2.6 kilos, 207.80€. Definitely interested. :)

[adamanteus]

Is the weight important to you, Stefan? Is it to hold the lid down on your snake tank?:rolleyes: :D

[Stefan-A]

Oh yes. If you can't figure out the number of pages, the weight works as a good indicator of whether or not a book is worth considering. :D

But seriously, I just meant it's a big book. :D

[drache]

I highly recommend Rossi & Rossi - Snakes of the United States and Canada - Natural History and Care in Captivity
my vet recommended it because it has more than 4 pages on ringneck snakes
when I got it I found that it also has a whopping 50 pages on gartersnakes which is more than the entire Bartlett book (and these are bigger pages)
the book was published in 2003 and the info is pretty up-to-date
however
it's a bit pricey
I had to save up for my "as new" used copy @ $125.-
new new it's $152.50 on amazon
oh and Stefan - it's got 520 pages

[Stefan-A]

Do you have an ISBN for that book?

edit: Nevermind, I found it. ISBN: 9781575240312
Damn expensive, 244.80€ (not amazon, I really need to start using it)