# What books do you have?



## burmman (Oct 30, 2008)

So i got a beautiful book on Anaconda's, seems fitting as thats what i keep! Its more about there wild behaviour, habitat etc. 
What do you have or are reading?


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

None.
I had a huge collection of herp books but when I had a difficult time in my life I sold them all.
Looks to be a very interesting read.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Most of my books are circa 1980's - 1990's - a lot of outdated information, with much still based on wild caught or captive farmed animals... and not a morph in sight !

Newest is "Good Snake Keeping" - Philip Pursher - but again, being a TFH publication it's predominantly US based husbandry techniques with a lot of irrelevance to UK trends.

Other publications include:
"general care and maintenance of ball pythons" - Philippe de Vosjoli (1990)
"the boa constrictor" - John Coote (1993)

My prized possession is John Stidworthy's "snakes of the world" published in 1969. Not because of the content but because it was a 1970 Christmas present from my late father (I was 8 at the time) and it was the reason I have kept and bred snakes for over 35 years now. That and the image below taken by my father whilst out in the far east post WW2


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## spigotbush (Feb 8, 2019)

i have a few, i am always looking for new things to read. i have a few Chris Mattison books, which are good if outdated sometimes. i have the nutrition and bioactivity books from arcadia which are really good (but could have done with a good editor). 
i also have a nice one called Snakes and Lizards by Tom Langton, which is an older book but interesting. its surprising how much of his concerns, like habitat loss/isolation, have come true and how some of his descriptions of range have sadly shrunk since writing. he clearly loves it though and its a nice read.

i like reading old books though, even if they are hopelessly outdated. provided you start knowing that a lot of the information doesnt apply. for people like me who are only a few years into keeping they are a fast track to learn how things were and why things have changed. little things like realising how experimental things were helps me appreciate just how easy things are now. also shows how much the hobby has shrunk as far as diversity goes. so many references to species that are all but vanished from the hobby in favour of morphs.


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## Central Scotland Reptiles (Nov 23, 2008)

I have a small collection of books although I NEVER read them: Pythons of the World, Boas of the World, The Complete Chondro, The More Complete Chondro, The Black Python and several on South African Reptiles.

I used to have near 500 reptile magazines spanning many years and different publications - it was getting to the stage that the ceiling was bowing in the middle due to the weight of them all. The most interesting thing was the pricelists were often published in the adverts (before the time of the internet) but by the time the magazine was published - the pricelists were often out of date!!


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Personally, I really enjoy books. 
I have a fair number mostly hobby related books (mostly trees/bonsai, aquariums and arachnid related).

The first Herp book I got, and what started me off keeping ‘exotics’ (corns and royals) in the early 1990s. 

Said to my mum and dad ‘can I get a pet snake’. 
Mum said ‘no, you are not getting a snake’. Dad says ’research and get a book’. …….

Far from losing interest, it captivated me and encouraged my interest, and a year later a passion exploded 😁


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Some years later we even persuaded my mum to keep some chequered garters 🤣🤣🤣

My older sister was never a fan of the snakes or spiders, but you can’t convert everyone 😳


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Some of my current favourites


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Looking forward to the new Mutton/Julander book on Morelia, when it finally gets published.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Some of the older books


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

This one is great.
These not so much


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

When these came out, there was quite a buzz around the number of colour photos, though the sticky pages were a bit odd (TFH)


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Got a couple on care / disease. Not checked whether they are massively outdated (probably)


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Quite a few by Chris Mattison. I remember attending a meeting (ASRA) at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and Chris doing a talk about adventures in Namibia, and getting in trouble for leaving the road to photograph geckos, as they thought he was trying to steal diamonds, and couldn’t believe he would risk being imprisoned or shot just to take photos of lizards 😂


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

A few more tucked away


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)




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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

I got this on recommendation last year, but not looked through it yet 🤫 
I got the bio activity one, a few years ago, but found it a bit too protracted, although I appreciate the intention by JC-S.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Off topic - inverts. I also have lots on theraphosids.


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## Bombjack (Jan 16, 2015)

I've got a few,god knows where they are,gathering dust.I remember reading loads from the library.

Got this one.Found it basic but helpful at the time.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Swindinian said:


> Quite a few by Chris Mattison. I remember attending a meeting (ASRA) at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and Chris doing a talk about adventures in Namibia, and getting in trouble for leaving the road to photograph geckos, as they thought he was trying to steal diamonds, and couldn’t believe he would risk being imprisoned or shot just to take photos of lizards 😂
> View attachment 357478


Now that's a blast from the past!! I used to go to the ASRA meetings every month.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Nick Mutton has posted on Facebook that he finally has the new Carpet python book published!

I have been waiting for this for a couple of years! 

Sounds like they get printed and sent to the states, before being released elsewhere?

Hopefully be available in the UK before Christmas………….


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

So is anyone pre-ordering the More Complete Carpet Python book from the states?

I don’t think we have many frequent Morelia fanatics still on the forum.


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

Swindinian said:


> Quite a few by Chris Mattison. I remember attending a meeting (ASRA) at the Cotswold Wildlife Park, and Chris doing a talk about adventures in Namibia, and getting in trouble for leaving the road to photograph geckos, as they thought he was trying to steal diamonds, and couldn’t believe he would risk being imprisoned or shot just to take photos of lizards 😂
> View attachment 357478


I've got a copy of 'Snake', I use it all the time when children pop round to see my snakes or I do any Cub Scout nights with them. It has great pictures in it which the children really like looking at.


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

Apart from 'Snake' by Chris Mattison, I also have
Honduran Milksnakes by Douglas Mong/James Tintle
Systematics and Natural History of the American Milksnake, Lampropeltis triangulum by Kenneth L Williams
Snakes are Hunters by Patricia Lauber (for the children)
and a book I got through here years ago that someone was publishing through Kickstarter called An Unlikely Refugee by Max Dowdle which is a beautifully illustrated comic book.


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## Malum Argenteum (5 mo ago)

Here's what's on my shelf. I starred my favorite in each category.

General interest/popular press reptiles:
Snakes: the Evolution of Mystery in Nature, Harry Greene*
Tracks and Shadows, Harry Greene
Bushmaster, Dan Fatherly

Trafficking (not only reptiles, but that's why I own these):
Stolen World, Jenny Erin Snith
Poached, Rachel Newer
The Lizard King, Bryan Christy*
The Illegal Wildlife Trade, Daan P. Van Uhm
The Extinction Market: Wildlife Trafficking and How to Counter It, Brown

Reference:
Maders Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed.*
Herpetology, Vitt and Caldwell, 4th ed
Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry, Wright and Whittaker

Snakes:
Mountain Kings, Brian Hubbs*
Rainbow Boas, Bellosa and Bisplinghof
The New Encyclopedia of Snakes, Mattison
Rosy Boas: Patterns in Time, Limburg, Montoya and Merker
Alterna, Merker and Merker
Boas and Pythons of the World, O Shea
The General Care and Maintenance of Milk Snakes, Applegate

Lizards:
Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families, Estes and Pregill
Leopard Geckos: the Next Generation, Ron Tremper
Gargoyle Geckos, de Vosjoli
Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons, Martin
The Green Iguana Manual, de Vosjoli
Geckoes, Henkel and Schmidt
The Eyelash Geckos, Seufer et al*
Chameleons, Ferguson et al

Amphibians:
Aposematic Poison Frogs of the Andean Countries, eds Kahn et al
Poison Frogs, Lotters et al*

Chelonians :
The Complete North American Box Turtle, Franklin and Killpack*
Health Care and Rehabilitation of Turtles and Tortoises, Ebenhack


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