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06-04-2008, 03:47 PM
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Good Reptile Books
Hi guys
I have a fair amount of reps now, and while a lot of my reading is done online, i'd like to get some more printed material. I have 'beginners' books for each of my reps, and would like some more in-depth. I'd also be interested in full colour reptile photography. Have you guys come across something you've really enjoyed and would recommend? Maybe this would help others? Thanks in advance!
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3 corns 1 milk 1 rat 3 dwarf boas 1 royal 1 dwarf retic 1 bosc 1 collared 1 leo 1 mdg 2 cats 3 dogs 1 green iguana 1 Cuban boa 1 yemen cham 
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06-04-2008, 11:32 PM
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Well, where do you start?
 Books aimed at us pet keepers vary in quality, but I would say that the Barrons Pet Series and the Advanced Herpetocultural Library offer some good titles. Some of the TFH are not as bad as the old TFH reputation made them out to be, esp. ones by Jerry Walls. Books by German-language authors are often well-researched. I think the ".... of the World" series are good intros to a lot of herp species - all except the newts, salamanders and caecilians are covered by their titles (Lizards of the World, Snakes, Tortoises and Turtles, Frogs and Toads). Field guides are often good as they cover a wide range of species, including some that (for perfectly good reasons) the reader is unlikely to see in a shop or perhaps even in a zoo. The really comprehensive ones can be a bit expensive, but equally there are some very good ones for less than £20, and if you are more interested in the pics than the prose, then the prices drop lower still. A good field guide will also give you an idea of the creature's habitat, habitats and distinguishing characteristics such as scale counts and variations in colour. Good herp sites should include a bibliography at the bottom of a page on a species or genus to indicate where they got their info from. Monographs are books that focus on a particular species, genus or other group, eg rat snakes of the genus Elaphe or on Varanus komodoensis. They can be very informative but also rather expensive, although there are some exceptions. Books on the underlying principles of herpetology or zoology can be quite useful as well as they give you an overall view of the subject. The drawback is of course that they can get very technical, but the good ones are never dull. Again price varies, but you can get an entry-level book on zoology for under £20-£30. Scientific papers can also be a good source of info but the same warning applies, ie they can be very technical (lots of graphs, lists of museum specimens etc) which of course is appropriate but maybe not what you are looking for. However a lot of them do describe a particular species or group of species so are worth looking at as they are often cheap second-hand. Welcome to the wonderful and never ending world of herp reading! 
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07-04-2008, 12:20 AM
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Quote:
Just look up snake books in NHBS - For the best books on earth, worldwide all the books you need but not cheep but good quality. I get my books from here but check with amazon sometimes they are cheeper. slither61 
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07-04-2008, 09:49 AM
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I agree - NHBS are very good. Also try Steven Simpson books for 2nd hand, as well as Bibliomania! (US based, carry many new and 2nd hand books and papers) and Chimaira - Bcher und Medien zu Terrarien, Aquarien und Kleinsugern (German based, still a lot of English language stuff). I have used all of them in the past.
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07-04-2008, 06:08 PM
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As an individual book, I personally would recommend The Eyelash Geckos, Care, Breeding and Natural History.
I bought it for the section on Goniurosaurus, but there is a lot for the Eublepharis keeper to appreciate! Loads of information, it's a great general reference book for the Eublepharids.
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