Product Description
Describes the care of a pet garter snake and discusses what can be learned about snakes in general from projects and observations involving a garter snake. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Seems uninformed about its own subject matter
It's hard to say whether this book merely reflects the state of knowledge about the care of garter snakes in captivity at that time it was published (1992) or whether the author simply didn't know his subject matter. Perhaps a little of both.

Like several other authors, Sweeney makes the mistake of associating vitamin B1 deficiencies with frozen fish -- in fact, only some fish contain the thiaminase enzyme that causes it, and they do so whether they're alive or frozen. But he also makes several other mistakes about certain species. For example, he says that Butler's garter snakes have a wide diet in the wild (no) and are picky feeders in captivity (not in my experience!), and that western ribbon snakes include earthworms in their diet (they don't). Nor is any mention made of the cannibalistic tendencies of the western terrestrial garter snake, an omission that could lead to a big surprise for keepers who house a pair together!

There is surprisingly little information here on garter snake care per se; too much space is given to talking about snakes as a whole, or to listing and describing the many different species and subspecies (taxonomy's out of date too). In general, this book is too imprecise to be of much value; don't bother tracking it down even if you are a die-hard garter snake enthusiast. ... Read more

Product Description

Exceptional nonfiction for children from two of the most trusted names in science education: Seymour Simon and the Smithsonian Institution.

Customer Reviews (2)

Snakes
My 5 year old son absolutely adores this book.The pictures are terrific and it had a few of the Cobras which are his favorites.It is also filled with very good information on a large variety of snakes.I think any child interested in snakes should take a look at this one.I plan to purchase more of Seymour Simon's books.

Nice quality book, usefull info
Very well presented book, with good quality photos and its very informative about all the aspects of snake life : reproduction andevolution of a snake is all covered here. Very good book for snake loversor just someone that is curious about snakes. ... Read more

Product Description
Snakes

Slithering, scaly, and sly -- snakes are fascinating reptiles. They are also hunters. Find out how snakes survive in the wild, and how they capture their prey.

Product Description
This book introduces you to black rat snakes and corn snakes. It explains the good points and not-so-good points about keeping these snakes and how to become the carer of healthy animals. Find out about the basic requirements, such as housing, food, water and exercise, and how to handle your snakes. Information on the natural behaviour of snakes and expert advice and tips on how to be a good snake carer is also included. ... Read more

Product Description
Part of a series which is designed to be an introduction to popular subjects for new readers, this work deals with snakes. Other subjects dealt with in this series include racing cars, sharks and dinosaurs. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Robert Mason, the current recipient of the National Science Foundation's Young Investigator Award, has been studying a mysterious phenomenon for over fifteen years - one of the most extraordinary events of the natural world - the reemergence from a winter spent in a state of suspended animation in subterranean caverns of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes - the world's largest concentration of snakes. The work of scientists can often seem mysterious and intimidating to the nonscientist. No longer! Introducing an exciting perspective on the important work of scientists in all areas of research and study. Scientists in the Field show people immersed in the unpredictable and dynamic natural world, making science more accessible, relevant, and exciting to young readers. Far from the research laboratory, these books show first-hand adventures in the great outdoors - adventures with a purpose. From climbing into a snake den with thousands of slithering snakes to tracking wolves ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Snake Scientist A Must Read
This is awesome book about snakes. If you are interested in snakes is it a must read. Did you know that a Boa can swollow something bigger than it's head? That is amazing plus the fact that there can be up to 18,000 snakes in one place. The book is filled with pictures and facts that will give you a new attitude when it comes to the way you look at snakes. This is the best but shortest book I've read. I would recommend it to anyone.

A unique look into one of the wonders of the world.
Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop have managed to bring this awesome display of nature and the man who studies it to life! This book would be a wonderful addition to any household, library or school, as it describes the work of adedicated scientist who has committed his life to understanding what we ashumans can gain from the lives of garter snakes. Dr. Mason obviously loveshis work and loves passing along his knowledge to others, young and old. "The Snake Scientist" is an accurate picture of an almostundescribable phenomenom.

An inspirational book for kids
This book about the adventures of Bob Mason, an Oregon State University scientist who studies snakes all over the world, is a must-read for any child (grades four to seven would be great) who loves science or nature -and a good gift idea for any parent who would like to steer their kids inthat direction. Easy to read, great photography, compelling stories aboutsnakes, science, the growth of a young boy who just started out watchingnature shows on TV and turned that interest into a career as a world-classzoologist. Excellent choice!

Stunning photography
A fabulous book, replete with color photographs of the snakes.Kids will gravitate to the pictures first, and then the text will engage them in Dr. Mason's research.His comments are child-oriented, yet will not insult theolder readers in the audience.Bob's stories of his childhood and careerpath are an added bonus to this book....and may even encourage more budding"Snake Scientists"!Well done! ... Read more

Product Description

"Discovery Channel junkie" meets "weekend warrior" in this true story of a terrified desk dweller who sets out to capture the world's longest snake. Out of funding, acclaimed poet Robert Twigger was surfing the Internet for poetry prizes when he came upon a cash reward being offered for the capture of a live snake in excess of thirty feet. Established in 1912 by President Roosevelt following the capture of a twenty-eight-foot reticulated python, the reward had gone unclaimed for eighty-six years, boosting the $1,000 prize to $50,000. About to be married but craving one last adventure, the scrawny Oxford poet sets off for the Far East without either hesitation or serious strategy. No matter that his closest encounter with a live snake was at the reptile house at the Howlett Zoo or that he suffers from ophicliophobia, a fear nearly universal among humans. Twigger is determined to win the moneyand to guarantee that his last escapade as a bachelor will be an unforgettable one.

Part travelogue, part classic adventure, Big Snake grapples with the mythic and symbolic status of one of the world's most fascinating yet dreaded creatures, which are generally the victims of bad press. Trekking through South-East Asia with a band of headhunters, Twigger stalks pythons in the sewers of Kuala Lumpur, is forced to survive on greasy civet cat (a relative of the skunk) deep in the jungle, attempts to date the most beautiful woman in the world, encounters the cobweb hunters of Buru, and evaluates the legacy of Alfred Russel Wallace ("the true discoverer of evolution"). Ultimately, after close encounters with snakes both petite though venomous and harmless yet gargantuan, Twigger eventually comes face-to-face with the big one-but the final capture is not quite what he had in mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A travel book without direction
Twigger is a great writer at publishing adventure novels in which he starts the quest but never seems to complete it. His books are about growing up and finding himself, but he rarely finds his subject (BIG SNAKE). A self-help book for the over educated who are looking at making their mark by desperately trying to find their niche in life ie: being a writer.

Snakes and more snakes
I liked this book - more of a travelogue than a snake book, but entertaining and inspiring. Went and saw some reticulated pythons afterwards, and thought about the world's longest snake... If you liked this book, try the Snakebite Survivor's Club also - hilarious and scary.

Big Ego: The Hunt for the World's Longest Whine
Well, as treatises on growing into manhood go, it's about average.What gets me is the title: why call it a hunt for a python?All the author hunted was other people to find a snake, and his own elusive maturity.I also cannot imagine going into such an endeavour so unprepared.It would have been more interesting, at least from a herp point of view, if a reticulated python hunted Twigger.

Buy this book only if you have a man in your family that refuses to grow up, and you want to show him into what he could deteriorate.

Big snake?NOT !!!!Try Big Bogus Bomb.
This Is not a story about the hunt for the longest python but the hunt for someone else to find the longest python. The Author spends very little time looking for the snake . When one is found at the end of the book he is off getting married. It never even tells us if some zoo bought the big snake the other guys found. I wanted to hear about catching the snake NOTabout a rave on the roof of a bank. if you want to read it wait for the paperbackor for the library copy. As a highschool Biology teacher who loves to go herping this was a total bust for me. feel free to e-mail me if you have Questions.Sheldon

reptiles4us@earthlink.net

The Best of the Best
Travel books just don't get any better than this. I've bought it for allmy friends!

Robert ... Read more

Product Description
Reptiles are among the more exotic pets - and owning them can be a very fascinating and rewarding experience. Each volume provides basic information on reptiles and specific instructions on care.All Reptile Basics Guidebooks start with a description of the animal's natural history, distribution, life expectancy, and notable characteristics. They are filled with handsome full-color photos, instructive line art, a bibliography, and an index. These brilliantly colored harmless snakes do well in captivity - if their owners know the fundamentals of housing, feeding, and general care. This book describes many subspecies native to both North America and Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great corn snake care book
as corn snakes are already easy to care for, this book covered everything you need.Most ov the corn snake care books i own come back to this one, as if all the books based their knowledge on this book.If you have a corn snake, or are considering getting a corn snake, and would like a book on 'em, this one aint bad for the price at ALL.

Everything you wanted to know!
This book is excellent for beginning snake hobbyists.It covers corn snake care, breeding and housing.The book also included some excellent pictures of the different kinds of corn snakes.Along with providinghelpful hints to keeping your snake healthy, the book provides informationon the correct way to obtain your first snake!In my opinion, the bestpart about this book was the detailed way the authors take the readerstep-by-step on constructing an incubator for snake hatching.Everythingin the book is well organized to provide easy reference. At the end, ahelpful glossary also allows easy reference.I would recommend this bookto a snake hobbyist that is interested in keeping and breeding snakes tolearn the correct ways to maintain a snake's health and overall happiness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Snakes and Snake Hunting
Kauffeld is seen as a pioneer in Field Herpetology. This book is a good read about some of his exploits in the field across our country. From the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to the deserts of Arizona it covers a wide array of adventures.
Kauffeld writes in an easy to understand style. This would be a good book for a young (or old) fan of reptiles and field herpetology.

The events in the book, mostly from pre WWII, and the period shortly after the war are well told and make you feel like you are there.

Also look for Kauffeld's "The Keeper and the Kept."

Author Carl Kauffeld:A Man Before His Time
First published in 1957, this book is a must-read for snake lovers. And by "snake lovers" I refer to those who have genuine respect for snakes in their natural habitats -- not those who collect exotic or native snakes, like trophies, to be ill-kept as "pets" in their homes. Author Carl Kauffeld had a genuine respect & affection for snakes, and it shows in every step of his adventures, which takes him from swamps to deserts to mountains and flatlands throughout the U.S. Very well-written and fast-paced, this book is a fascinating read, made even more so by the fact that it was written by a man who understood -- a full 50 years ago -- the impact of human development on snake habitat, plus the very real and urgent need for habitat conservation to protect snake populations. Today's kids are being brought up on a diet of thrill-seeking wildlife "hunters" on television, who -- oblivious to their surroundings -- barge willy-nilly into the outdoors, seeking out those hapless creatures deemed dangerous enough to boost TV ratings. Author Kauffeld, by contrast, notices (read that: revels in) his surroundings -- the sight of a Carolina moon rising through moss-draped oaks; the fragrance of a swamp magnolia in the Jersey Barrens.... Along the way, he discovers snakes. Lots of them. His journey, richer for his unique perspective, is ours to share in this book.

The Right Book At The Right Time!
I read this book about 1961.It was a big factor in my majoring in Biology, and then to a PhD in Zoology (Herpetology).The stories he tells makes the thrill of the naturalist's quest truly come alive!Give it toany young person who seems interested in our much-maligned fellowcreatures! It's an opportunity for "magical" experiences .....which reminds me: I'm overdue for another Oketee Diamondback hunt! ... Read more

Product Description
Full-color photos & full-color illus. "Using amazingly clear photographs

and well-known snake species, the author offers interesting bits of information

about individual species and snakes in general. One of the best in the

series."--Horn Book.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

FACTUAL AND FASCINATING
This is a wonderful book full of little tidbits of marvelous snippets on snakes of all kinds. Children will love it and adults will learn something as well. It has great illustrations and is easy to read and comprehend. It uses only small sentences to add meaning to well thought out photos and color drawings. Most of this set of books is a useful and fun addition to a child's library

Very okay
Thisssss book wassssss very good but it had too much sssssstuff about ssssnakessss. It gave me nightmaresssss.P.S. Sssorry, my 'ssssss' key kept getting sssstuck. ... Read more

Product Description
Species Accounts For The Six Venomous Snakes native to the Southeastern United States - Venomous Snakes And Their Habits - If You See A Snake - Avoiding a Bite - First Aid For Snakebite - All About Venom & Antivenin - Myths And Folktales - Lots of Photos! - Includes A quick Reference Guide with Photos and Range Maps and much more!

Printed: 75 pages, 6.0 x 9.0 in. (Trade Paperback), perfect-bound, black and white interior
Isbn: 1411617797
License: Standard Copyright License
Copyright Year: © 2004
Language: English ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very disappointing pictures and questionable information.
Great pictures on the front and back covers. Pictures on the inside are gray and lighter gray; printed on low quality paper. Actually suggests trying to suck or squeeze out the venom.

Save your money!!
Front and back cover are quality photo's both in depth and color. Everything else in between is in black and white on the cheap newsprint paper. Given that, there is no way to show any descent quality depictions or illustrations of snakes. Save your money and get "snakes of the southeast" by Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcus. It is absolutly the best snake book and reference guide along with more quality pictures than you could ever ask for. I checked it out at my local library first before buying it. Mark P. Mooresville NC

Southeastern Hots for the layman/woman
This is a must have book for those interested in venomous snakes of the southeastern U.S.A. and venomous snakes of the U.S. in general.
The book is very well written and presents an easy-to-understand language for the layperson or those with only a casual interest in these magnificent animals.
The author should be commended for his thoughtfulness in writing a book directed at people of all ages and all experience levels. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in venomous snakes looking for a straightforward good read.

marvelous book
This is a marvelous book. Its teaches mostly anything you can learn about venemous snakes in the south east. I would recomend this book to anybody because it gives a great message against animal cruelty. This is a book that i think anyone can read and is a fantastic book due to the educational values.

Luke Kable
Age 14 ... Read more

Product Description

Tim Palmer weaves natural history into a comprehensive account of the complex problems that plague natural resource management throughout the West, as well as the practical solutions that are available.

"Palmer's brightly written, compelling treatment of this major river system ought to commend itself to all who seek a deeper understanding of the American West." Charles F. Wilkinson ... Read more

Product Description
Five years in preparation, this award winning work is the first publication to depict in full color photographs 106 species and sub-species of snakes found the the nation's most extraordinary herpetological region. ... Read more

Product Description
Snakes live in many different climates and in most parts of the world. Here, several varieties are shown in detail, in their stages of growth, development, and activity in their habitats. The full-color artwork is scientifically accurate, and the text is written for upper elementary and junior high school students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Milk Snake Colors are Off
Awesome book...but on page 20 where there is a picture of a Coral Snake and a Milk Snake, the Milk Snake is depicted wrong.The colors should be black, yellow, black on the smaller bands since red and yellow do not touch on the non-venemous Milk Snake.I didn't notice this, my 7-year old did.:)

A GOOD CHOICE TO INTRODUCE YOUR CHILD TO THE STUDY OF SNAKES
This is an excellent addition to the Barron's science series for young people.This particular work is an introduction to the study of snakes.The illustrations are very good and very accurate.All illustrations are in full color.The text, while simple and easy to understand, is quite scientifically accurate and goes perfectly with the colorful illustrations.This is the sort of work that I find students leafing through at odd times.It is an excellent choice to introduce your child to the study of these fascinating creatures.I highly recommend this one and the others in this series. ... Read more

Product Description
Explains how long ago a self-absorbed snake became responsible for the hyena's spots, the lion's mane, the monkey's chattering, the ostrich's speed, and its own unique shape. ... Read more

Product Description
In this folktale, Beno and his sister Allita live in a time before there were stories.One day, they meet a snake who promises to tell them stories in exchange for the berries they've picked. He tells them how the stars were once bees, and what makes a rose smell sweet; he tells stories about what makes the sky blue, and why frogs croak.The children tell their parents about stories, and about the snake's tales. Like a snake that sheds its skin, this family's life cines alive with color as they learn the value of storytelling. ... Read more