Encyclopaedia of the Terrarium by Eugene Bruins

By Christina Miller - Herptiles.net (http://www.herptiles.net)

1999. Rebo Productions Ltd. 320 pages. ISBN: 1840531452.

Although concise with many topics, Encyclopaedia of the Terrarium falls short of being an encyclopaedia.

The first few chapters deal with some general concerns about keeping herps and arthropods, housing, and feeding. These topics are quite well-covered and pretty extensive. The author puts a lot of emphasis on learning about the hobby as well as the species before acquisition, rather then just following care instructions to-the-letter.I cannot make specific comments on the section covering arthropods, as I do not have much personal experience keeping them. However, it appears to be quiet extensive, and covers a lot of species.

A general overview of reptilian habits, anatomy, health and issues in captivity is given at the beginning of the chapter on reptiles, particularly focusing on breeding. Bruins then goes into detail about the various groups of reptiles, and provides more detailed information on commonly kept species. The number of lizards covered by far outweighs other groups, however, but there is considerable information on crocodilian care. The amphibian chapter begins roughly the same way as the reptile chapter, but with a bit less detail. Many species are again covered, however less than the reptile section.

Overall, this book is a good general resource for the average herper. There are some translation issues (as it was originally published in Dutch), and the author suggests the use of hot rocks (which are often very dangerous products), but it is not poorly written.

Last modified: Tuesday, July 19, 2005.