5 top books

[Reptilegirl]

G'day all
Just wondering what everyones 5 (or more or less) top reptile related books are.. either ones that you own or have just read.. or even just heard about.
please include if possible..
* Title and Author...
* Approx how long ago it was written..
* If it's an australian book or written and published elsewhere...
* What kind of reptiles it covers (if not mentioned in title)
* And approx price (if known)
Cheers
Megz

[instar]

Care of Australian Reptiles in captivity ~ John Weigal First published 1988 republished yearly, mine 2003 copy
Best starter book imo, John Weigal Is a ledgend, works at Australian reptile Park. Covers a number diff sp, just about everything you need to know.

For turtles, Anything by John Cann, most older works, yet to find a major recent book (love to hear of any please)

H.Cogger 6th ed is the herp bible apparently, im yet to get it.

[Reptilegirl]

Cheers inny... do you know how much "care of australian reptiles in captivity" would cost? approx?

keep em comming.
Megz

[instar]

Megan my copy was $40 but you can get it cheaper, well worth it imo

[moosenoose]

I don't have many books, but the one book I do have, I just love reading! It's 'Australian Snakes - A Natural History' by Richard Shine.

I'd thoroughly recommend grabbing a copy

I'm not too sure what price they go for, mine was a present from my brother.




Link below for review:

http://www.terrificscientific.com/mi...ory_Code=Books

[geckodan]

In order of how useful they are to me:

1.The new Wilson and Swan Field
2. Barker and Barker - Pythons of the World - Australian
3. The old Wilson and Knowles Field Guide
4. Cogger new edition
5. Ehmann - White covered book, series of 4, Reptiles

[Hix]

Weigals book shouldn't cost much more than $20.

Hal Cogger's "Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia", last published in 1994 and worth about $150 (or thereabouts). As Inny said - the Aussie herp bible.

"Australian Snakes: A Natural History" by Rick Shine is an excellent book about general snake biology. About $30-ish. I think published about 1995.

"A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia" by Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan is a new Field Guide, published last year and worth $50.
Herpshop sells it. http://www.herpshop.com.au/Books1.ht...ILES_AUSTRALIA


The entire Australian Reptile Publications series on keeping australian reptiles. Several titles, all published in the last few years, retail in the stores for $15 - $20 or you can buy them online from the publisher for $12.95 at www.reptilepublications.com.au



Hix

[BeardyBen]

yeah I just bought a copy of Care of Australian Reptiles in captivity ~ John Weigal for $19.90 at the ARP great book for beginners also has some really good tips and ideas for experienced herpers

Originally Posted by moosenoose

'Australian Snakes - A Natural History' by Richard Shine.

I'd thoroughly recommend grabbing a copy

I'm not too sure what price they go for, mine was a present from my brother.

Me too!!! And mine was a gift from The Instar Mob!!!

[Reptilegirl]

cool!! thanx everyone... i think i might have to save up for the bible.. but in the mean time weigals book sounds like a go'er.
thanks again
Megz

[spooky]

I think you will have trouble getting Hal Coggers 'Bible'!

[Reptilegirl]

Oh well... it will take me a year (ok, maybe not that long) to save up for it anyway.. so hopefully it will be more readily avalible then... but i wont hold my breath.
Cheers
Megz

[spooky]

It's the other way 'round Megz, it has stopped being published, so everyone is after it for a collectors item!!

[Hix]

They are VERY hard to come by these days. And it is a reference book listing all the different species of Amphibians and Reptiles found in Australia, with dichotomous Keys to identify them. It has a few pages at the front of the book on captive care, and that's all. The species descriptions do not make any reference to husbandry or captive care whatsoever.

If you're after some good reading on general biology, or something detailing the aspects of captive husbandry (keeping and breeding), then go for the other books.



Hix

[herptrader]

The one by Ehrmann (sp??) called some thing like "Encyclopedia of Australian Animals: Reptiles". I don't know where you can get this one. It is not as comprehensive as Cogger but it is a lot easier to read and where it goes into detail it has excellent information. I think I got mine from a discount book store... which is also where I got Shine's Australian Snakes book. (It is always worth browse through those discount book stores.) (HS price $33 - very reasonable given the size of the book.)

The other one which pops up quite often is "The Complete Chondro" which I think is one of the best husbandry books around because of the detail it goes into. (HS price $70)

Others definitely worth a look if you have room on your book shelf:

PYTHONS OF AUSTRALIA, By Brian Kend. (HS $60) I reasonable read with a small number of good photos.
PYTHONS OF AUSTRALIA - A Natural History, by Geordie Torr. (HS $32.95) another reasonable read with really good photos
THE GUIDE TO OWNING AN AUSTRALIAN PYTHON, by John Coborn. (HS $22) A pretty good beginers book.
SNAKES ALIVE - Snake Experts & Antidote Sellers of Australia by John Cann (HS $30) The print quality of this one I don't think is all that great but it is a great read and clearly documents the history of Australian Snake men and the history of antivenene. It also has lots of B&W pictures, mostly historical photos. This is a much underated book.

I own and have read each of these books at least twice. I cannot get enough of good reptile publications.

A subscription to Australian Geographic is also worthwhile. Rarely does an issue come out missing good articals on herps.

While on the subject of good reptile books does anybody have any recomendations on books (or other publications) on geckos, particularly Austrlian geckos? I have not been able to find anything with much depth to it and hardly anything on Australian species outside of the general herp references.