Breeding Terrarium Animals

John Skillcorn

Author: Elke Zimmermann
Translator: U. Erich Friese
Publisher: TFH Publications Inc.
ISBN: 0-86622-182-4
Price: 

About the book
Because of the growing number of legal restrictions on the importation and possession of reptiles and amphibians and their increased cost, more and more hobbyists are turning to breeding herps in captivity. Not only does this help reduce the pressure on often already stressed natural populations, but it gives the hobbyist great satisfaction to be able to say that he has actually bred boa constrictors or marbled salamanders instead of just buying them and watching them grow old in captivity.

In Breeding Terrarium Animals the author, who has bred many common and uncommon reptiles and amphibians, provides the much-needed guidance to this often complicated phase of the terrarium hobby. She presents her experiences and those of her colleagues in condensed but very readable form filled with information of use to hobbyists and professional herpetologists alike. Profusely illustrated in colour, the book covers almost 100 species in detail, with basic information on dozens more. For the main species there are discussions of care, identification, and distribution, followed by detailed observations on the breeding behaviour, incubation, and care of the young. The other species are grouped with the major species by their similarity in breeding behaviour and listed with such essentials as number of eggs, incubation period, and temperature preference. In total, almost 350 species are covered, from axolotls to Xenopus among the amphibians and agamas to Xantusia among the reptiles. The discussions of the complicated life histories of the fascinating poison arrow frogs (Dendrobates and Phyllobates) are especially detailed. Good discussions of general terrarium maintenance, rearing food animals, and methods of egg incubation round out the book.

Breeding Terrarium Animals is essential reading if you are even thinking of making the jump from just keeping an amphibian or reptile to actually breeding it or if you just want to know more about the breeding habits of your pet. That lizard lolling around the tank today could be a parent next month.

About the author
The name Elke Zimmermann needs no introduction to people interested in maintaining reptiles and amphibia in captivity.  This book - bearing in mind it is published by TFH, notorious for glossy picture books - is exceedingly useful as a general reference book, and it is the first book I turn to when confronted with the idea of keeping a species with which I have had little or no prior experience.

She has obviously studied Dendrobatid frogs in some detail (more so than anyone I've met within the BDG!), and there are accounts of the breeding of several species: DD.  histrionicus, lehmanni, leucomelas, M. cowani and P. tricolor.  Interspersed between these texts are useful details of many other Dendrobatid species, as well as good quality photographs of many of these frogs.

Feeding, housing and treatment of disease are also covered.

Mindful of the detailed notes on all the other amphibian and reptilian species also included within these pages, this is a very useful book, and one which no-one should be without.