Product Description
Alternating whole and half pages provide plenty of surprises in a tale of Snake and his search through the forest for something good to eat, starting with a mouse and ending with his efforts to consume an elephant. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A solid, if patchy, general guide to snake keeping
The first edition of this book appeared in 1988. This second, "fully revised" edition is essentially an entirely new book. Some material has been reduced (for example, breeding tables and information on keeping venomous snakes), and the new photographs, found throughout the book, are spectacular.

As a general introduction to keeping snakes in captivity, this book is first-rate, if only because there are few such books on the market. While there are many guides to specific kinds of snakes (e.g., boas, corn snakes), few approach the subject in general. This book does so in a thorough and authoritative manner. Very little is left unsaid and, for an adult beginner, this book can serve as a useful reference. Its principal shortcoming is its patchy coverage of individual species: for some snakes it is excellent, whereas for others it leaves much to be desired. Its usefulness to the reader will depend on how well it covers the particular snakes in which the reader is interested.

Its coverage of boas and pythons is very comprehensive, and even lists species rarely available. The exception is its coverage of sand boas, which is limited to a single species.

Coverage of colubrids is more uneven; the one long chapter on this very large family of common snakes affords very good coverage to the genus Elaphe (rat snakes), New World and Old World species alike. Its coverage of kingsnakes is fine but less detailed. Those interested in other colubrids may well be disappointed; the material on pine and gopher snakes and garter snakes is underwhelming, and some species, such as the rough green snake, are omitted altogether. While no book can credibly claim to cover all species equally well, these omissions and shortcomings are surprising when you consider that there are sections for blind snakes and snakes from other families that are seldom kept.

The first edition's section on venomous snakes has been reduced to the most cursory of summaries; those with an interest in this subject must look elsewhere for information.

Keeping and Breeding Snakes
A great book for anyone.It gives details on breeding specific species of snakes.It is also good for anyone who owns or is thinking about buying a snake; or for those who just want to learn about them. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Wonderful photography
This is a very comprehensive book on snakes. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about identifying southern snake species. Range maps and photography are first class.

Best of its kind
As the webmaster of [...], I have a pretty large collection of herpetology books. This is the single best book on the snakes of the southeast that I have found. The sections are divided up logically and usefully; it has great range maps, and excellent photography. When I teach classes on snakebite to medical personnel, this is the book that I recommend, because one of the main things that people need to be able to do is differentiate the non-venomous snakes from the venomous ones. And the majority have no idea that there are 41 species of snakes in Georgia alone. It's definitely the one book on snakes that every family living in the southeast should own.

really educational
My 4 year old son loves this book. There are so many different photos. He (and I) has learned a lot from this book.It categorizes the snakes.We recently caught a snake in our home on a glue trap and were able to identify it using the book. Non poisonous, thank goodness. Hope that doesn't happen again.

Snakes Defined
My home is in a rural wooded area, and ocassionally I will see a snake and wonder if it is harmful or not.The books photos are useful for the ID and the information about each type is very useful.

Perfect Guide to Southeastern Snakes
Every household should have a copy.

- Well organized
- Great color photos
- Makes identifying snakes in the Southeast easy, even sub-species an juveniles.
- Covers all the vital information for every snake.
... Read more

Product Description
This book will provide essential information for thelong-term care and maintenance of this beautiful and variable speciesin an informal manner by the top expert in this field.Includes: whatto do before buying a milk snake, acclimation, housing andmaintenance, feeding, schedding, breeding, record keeping, diseasesand disorders and much more. 71 pp. color. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a colorful collection of photos andinformation on this popular snake and its varieties. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Must have for Corn Snake Fanciers
The photographs are breathtaking; so much so that you want to see more. It's concise and intelligently written. This book should be in every corn snake fancier's library.

Dated, but still an excellent primer on corn snake genetics
So many new corn snake color morphs have been developed since this book was first published that its coverage of the morphs that existed at the time seems a bit dated. Nevertheless, this book is still of considerable use to corn snake breeders, as well as anyone else interested in breeding for recessive traits, for its clear explanation of Mendelian rules of inheritance. Novice corn snake keepers ask too often the question of what you get when you breed this kind of corn snake with that kind; after reading this book, they'll be able to figure it out for themselves.

Readers interested in descriptions of the latest corn snake morphs, and how they're made, should consult The Corn Snake Manual by Bill and Kathy Love.

One of the Best
Although somewhat small in size and length (especially at a first glance), this book is packed with great, surplus info about every factor that makes up corn snakes and their appearance.It first gives a short explanation ofwhat a corn snake is and details about the general species, and then goesstraight into what makes up and causes corn snakes' coloring and markings. This book explains all types of corn snake morphs, phases, mutations,changes, and more about how different-looking kinds of these snakes surfaceand how they occur.It even explains breeding techniques and possibilitiesfor breeding such different phases, morphs, and mutations.This bookdoesn't provide much general info on the species, such as captive care, soI thus recommend it for people who already know the general care andmaintenance of these snakes.Therefor, it's best for those who areinterested in collecting and even breeding these colorful kinds andvarieties of snakes, as it explains much of that subject.So altogether, Ibelieve this book is one of the best for explaining it's subject clearlyand thoroughly, and there aren't many books that could have explained itbetter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Little Disappointed
This book reads more like a textbook for high school or college. It is very thorough, but lacks enough color pictures to make identification easy, which was the reason I ordered the book in the first place! I have 2 curious elementary school grandchildren who saw a snake near my front porch. We never could identify it using "Snakes of Virginia".

"Snakes of Virginia" book
Since I am originally from New Jersey, I felt I needed a book on snakes specific to Virginia.I am not one to kill snakes because I know they serve a purpose in nature.I also find them interesting from a distance.This book has been helpful to me for identification purposes and has also spared the life of a Mole Kingsnake that my husband thought was a copperhead!I would highly recommend this book!

Most complete VA snake guide EVER!
Didja know that some juvenile snakes may not look anything like adults? Wanna identify them all, positively?Wanna know EVERYThing about them, where they hang out, what they like to eat, when and where to find them?
THEN BUY THIS PUPPY!!! You will not be disappointed. My name is in the library book 4 times in a row, back in my borrowing days - now I own one.

Excellent book to learn about and id our snakes
I was so glad to find a snake book that's centered on our area.I have a field guide for the broader East Coast but this is a neat one in that it centers in on species right here.The maps are full-page maps (with VA counties delineated) showing with dots where the particular species has been seen.I wish they had also used color or gray-scale to shade the counties rather than just the dots but having the counties shown is so neat that I'm willing to get my colored pencils out and shade in the maps when I need to.The descriptions of the snakes are terrific too.They cover description (colors, patterns, sizes), habitat, range (beyond VA borders), habits (what they do during the day, night etc), reproduction, food, enemies, success/failure of keeping them in captivity, and folklore which I find interesting too.A great reference on snakes.There are photographs too - all at the center of the book, about 54 in all, as well as line drawings in other places of the book

Terrific book
I checked out this book from the library and liked it so much I had to have my own copy!It's a great reference book and has good pictures of the snakes and maps of the areas of Virginia they are found in.The text isinformative and has subtle humor in places.These guys really like snakes,and it is contagious, even to someone who really doesn't like them!It hashelped my daughter's fear of snakes greatly. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice pictures, but...
This book has some really good photos, but is more of a travelogue than a good source of information on venomous snakes.A fun read with pretty pictures.Look elsewhere for in-depth information.

A good book
Overall, this is a pretty good book.The photographs are what make it great.The text is informative, though not very techincal, so if you are looking for a more in-depth book, this may not be what you are looking for.However, for the price it is well worth it. ... Read more

Product Description
An excellent pocket-size reference and field identification aid describing the 237 species of reptiles and amphibians found in East Africa. 271 full-color photographs, and distribution maps. ... Read more

Product Description
Struggling with a run of bad luck, Ollie Sullivan finds his life further complicated by the appearance of a boa constrictor in his bathroom that results in chaos throughout the entire apartment building. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

There's a Snake in the Toilet
Hi! My name is Tyler. I am from Gettysburg P.A. I go to the
Gettysburg Area Middle School. I want to tell you a little bit
about the book There's a Snake in the Toilet. I think the book is O.K.,I would recommend it.There is a boy named Ollie, he
is a victom of a bully named D.K. Ollie is scared of D.K. so he stays in for recess becaus he is scared he will get beat up.One day wile walking home,he sees D.K. picking on a little girl but Ollie does nothing.The next morning he wakes up and goes to the bathroom and sees two yellow eyes in the toilet.IT IS A SNAKE! Is this a dream or is it real. If you want to find out,I suggest you read this book.

awesome
My mom bought me this book and I really liked it a lot.It was very funny and it was a true story which happened right in our area. I remember my teacher talking about it too.It was very interesting and also entertaining. Yours truly, Morag MacLean(age 8)

Oliver Traps the Snake
If you haven't read There's a Snake in the Toilet you better read the book because it is terrific.My favorite action scene went like this. "Quickly I stepped up to the snake. My right arm shot out like arocket and grabbed its skinny neck.The boa constricter squirmed a lot butOlliver held on. He could not let it go." The next minute the snakejust flipped its tail up and Oliver grabbed it. I would give this book a 10 because ithas a lot of action. Another reason I like the book is because I likesnakes! The last thing I like about the book is that it reminded me of thebook I wrote about snakes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great book and well worth the money.
First off, I gave this book four stars only because some of the taxonomy is out of date. Other than that, I think that this book is one of the best. It doesn't go into as much detail as the books that only cover certain regions, but for a book that covers so many different snakes, I think it's great. Each snake has a brief description of it's habitat, geographic range, natural history and captive care with the exception of the sea snakes, which do not have a care section.

Since you can buy this book for under $20 it is a must have; I think anyways. It has a total of 480 pages, which cover, according to the dust jacket, 413 species and 453 subspecies. As I said before, some of the taxonomy is outdated but it is still worth getting.

One of the best
For a combination of photos, natural history, and care notes on so many species of snakes, this book cannot be beat.I just bought my second copy, so that i can have one in mint.

Even though this book was published several years ago, the care info in it is solid.If you are halfway interested in snakes, this is a definate book for you.

An excellent, basic guide to a large number of species.
The book is intended to provide a basic overview of 400+ species of snake.Therefore, no time is wasted on introductions.The book is divided first into 3 categories: primitave snakes, Colubrids, and venomous snakes.These groups are further divided into family groups/regional groups.The author provides usually one (often more) color photograph to accompany the description of each individual species.Information is provided on habitat, geographic range, natural history, size, care, and reproduction for each species.With a few exceptions, the phototography is excellent.The overviews are brief, but the author provides information & photos of more species that I have found in any single book. The book is excellent for readers interested in venomous snakes.Over 1/3 of the book is dedicated to hard-to-find information/photos on sea snakes, elapids, viperids, and crotalids.The book contains a brief section on snake venom.The biggest weakness of the book is probably it's age (1987), but it is still well worth the investment.While the information on each snake is brief, I have not found a book containing species-specific information on as many species as the Mehertens book.To receive equivalent information, you would need to purchase multiple regional guides.A great guide for professionals and amateur snake lovers!

Great starting point for herpetoculturists
I have had this book for a while now and still refer to it when I have questions about food and habitat for certain species. I am still for a book that talks about all species of snakes whether they are common in captivityor almost(in some cases thought to be) extinct. The book covered thematerial it was designed for and was all in all a very good book.

A useful overview, though not comprehensive.
This book attempts to provide expansive coverage of snakes commonly seen by the public in zoos, private collections, and the pet trade. Ultimately, I was a bit disappointed by the book.

This book provides minimal, and I do mean minimal, coverage of "164 genera, 413 species, and 454 subspecies" according to the dust jacket. Of necessity, the amount of coverage devoted to each snake is limited. Still there's enough text to provide an overview of the species. Unfortunately, the book fails to mention many of the species that are currently available as reptile pets. More than half of the book is devoted to poisonous snakes, most of which the average reader is unlikely ever to encounter. I would have traded, say, the 15 pages of coverage on poisonous sea snakes for more discussion of snakes I'd be likely to see in my backyard or neighborhood pet store. Additionally, because the book is now over 10 years old, its taxonomy for a number of species is not longer correct or complete.

One of the big distinctions of this book is that it provides color photographs of all the species it describes. In most cases, the photographs range from good to excellent. This makes the blurry and out-of-focus pictures (e.g. Dumeril's boa on pp. 23 and blood python on pp. 59) stick out like a sore thumb. Some of these problems may be related to the printing of my copy, but in a number of cases the problems are a result of poor photographic technique. Especially frustrating when the species being photographed is commonly available! Still, these flaws are forgivable when compared against the general quality of the book.

"Living Snakes of the World in Color" succeeds at providing a pictorial introduction to hundreds of species of snake. Those uninterested in poisonous snakes, or those looking for comprehensive coverage of snakes available as "pets" might be better off with another book (although I have yet to find a reasonably priced book that fits the bill).

... Read more

Product Description
Learn five shapes with Baby Snake ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Superb Photographs
A well-assembled, passionate, generalist overview of venomous snakes. But the pictures! Over 200 pages of glossy photographs that convey a ton of information and a lot of drama.

This book lacks bite!
I bought this book to add to my reptile library and to use a reference.Before my trip to the jungles of Costa Rica, I thought I'd read up on some of the more onery snakes that I might encounter, such as the bushmaster andfer-de-lance.Not only were there no pictures or information on thebushmaster, it wasn't even listed in the index!As for the fer-de-lance,there was a single picture but no information.I have since read theentire book, and have found it to be extremely lacking in usefulspecies-specific information.The chapter titled "A Few InterestingSpecies" is very short (about 30 pages),not to mention it excludessome fairly important species!For the beginning enthusiast who just wantsa general overview, this would be a good place to start, but don't let youreducation stop here!The book's only redeeming qualities for me were somenice glossy photos and the anecdotes written by herpetologists with snakebite or near miss experiences.

Good, but needed more detail
This was a good introductory book but did not go into enough detail for my taste.I did like the anecdotes and the pictures were great.

An often too simplistic general overview of venomous snakes.
This book provides a basic general overview that is good, but is geared towards the inexperienced snake enthusiast and does not get into depth on any subject. Ironically, the subject that is covered in most depth is mousebreeding. That space could have given room to more thorough speciesdescriptions covering most genera. Also, too many photos that have beenseen elsewhere in TFH Books. ... Read more

Product Description
Doktor Snakes Voodoo Spellbook offers spell-workings drawn from strands of Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean spirituality - Voodoo, Santeria and Macumba - which collectively form one of the largest religions in the world. This book is an instruction manual in authentic techniques of Voodoo and Hoodoo to get you started in casting spells that will help you gain money and prosperity, love and sex, health and well-being. A lucky mojo charm doll accompanies the book. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the physical characteristics, habits, natural environment, and relationship to human beings of the various species of coral snakes. ... Read more

Product Description
Briefly describes the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat of garter snakes, along with some interesting facts about these snakes. ... Read more

Product Description
• Beautiful four-color photographs on every page
• Covers an extraordinary range of snake species

This book showcases snakes as beautiful creatures that play an important role in ecology. It portrays—up close and personal—most of the species found in Australia, such as tiger snakes, copperheads, brown snakes, death adders and sea snakes. It also includes some unique photographs that offer a rare glimpse into their lives, such as the hatching of scrub pythons.

With informative text based on the latest research, readers will gain an understanding of the reproductive biology, behavior, predators and prey of these reptiles, as well as their habitat and conservation values. They will explore the importance of colors and patterns in allowing snakes to blend into their environment, their defense and attack mechanisms, and the adaptations they have undergone to cope with their surroundings. In addition, the author provides some anecdotes on his encounters with snakes, and clears up a few myths regarding snake behavior.

Richly illustrated with exceptional photographs, Spectacular Snakes of Australia describes the deadly serious as well as the quirky—from snakes that love water to those with potent venom, and even snakes that are blind! This book is a real treat for any snake lover. ... Read more

Product Description
Snakes, the best-known members of the reptile family, are some of the most popular animals in the world today. With over 120 species in the United States aloneincluding 17 poisonous varietiessnakes thrive in every region of the country. From the Rainow snakes to the Western Shovelnose snake to the Sharptail snake, dozens of species are shown in beautifully drawn detail. Anatomy, behavior, reproduction, and geographic distribution are included in the engaging text. Despite their reputation, thisHbook explains how snakes are an essential component of the web of life. ... Read more

Product Description
Illus. in full color. A scintillating survey of sensational serpents, from

blood-spewing West Indian boas to "flying" golden tree snakes.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shannon's Review!
I learned that a snake can eat an egg without cracking it!A snake from Austrailia is the most poisonous snake in the world.A snake can swim in the water.They can also fight in the spring.You should read it too because I learned lots of new facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Full-color photographs help document a year in the life of red-sided garter snakes as they emerge from their mass hibernation and adjust to the cold climate of Manitoba, Canada. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a wonderful intro to garter snakes
Wow, the photography make this purchase worthwhile. Whether it's the myriad piles of snakes in a cavern or a social garter snake visiting a woman cooking dinner, you are up close with the serpents in all their glory. This book is wonderfully informative, and my seven-year-old read this title with a lot of enthusiasm, despite its higher reading level. The author/photographer does these snakes justice, and I would recommend this title for any snake enthusiast. ... Read more