BOOK REVIEW: Turtles in the Terrarium
Assoc Reptilian Amphibian Vet 9[2]:34 Summer'99 Book Review 0 Refs

- ... 'The author informs the reader in the foreword that the book is meant as a guide for the serious hobbyist, hoping to spare unnecessary suffering of captive chelonians. .... A brief introduction to chelonian anatomy and evolution is provided, and is written at a level appropriate for the average hobbyist. The text then addresses the basics of chelonian care, including selecting a healthy specimen, choosing an appropriate species, and indoor and outdoor housing for terrestrial and aquatic turtles. Line drawings of sample enclosures are provided. While generally sound, I feel that the housing section is rather brief and lacks details of proper lighting, filtration, and general construction. .... Proper diet is discussed in chapter five, and the importance of a varied diet is emphasized. Diets for aquatic turtles are given more emphasis than diets for tortoises .... Specific nutritional topics, such as vitamin and mineral supplementation, proper protein levels, etc. are not addressed in detail. ... The chapter on hibernation, like those on diet and breeding, is short and lacks detail. .... Diseases are discussed in the final chapter before individual species accounts are provided. As a veterinarian, I am generally critical of medical chapters in books intended for the layperson, and this chapter did little to change my opinion. While the translator added a number of comments encouraging the reader to seek veterinary advice, the chapter does not reflect the advances in herpetological medicine that have been made in the past decade. .... The majority of the text .. is devoted to descriptions of nearly every known species and subspecies of chelonian, with notes on their captive care. ... The taxonomic nomenclature used throughout the text may cause mild (or strong) protest from many readers. .... Despite my above criticisms, I feel that the book is a worthwhile investment at its modest cost. The comments and personal experiences of a successful, long-term, herpetoculturist are always valuable. It is well bound in hard cover, has many beautiful color photos, and has some information on certain species that I have not found elsewhere. Reviewed by Charles Innis, VMD