Customer Reviews

Rhacodactylus: The Complete Guide to their Selection and Care

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This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in this amazing group of geckos. Rhacodactylus are a small group of geckos that are found only on the island of New Caledonia, that lies roughly between Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. For such a small group, these geckos occur in a diverse array of beautiful and often bizarre forms. One member of this genus, Rhacodactylus leachianus, holds the distinction of being the largest living species of gecko in the world, reaching a total length of up to 17 inches and weighing nearly a pound!

I have been keeping reptiles for 30+ years. I can remember back when the only readily available books on reptile or amphibian care had lots of pretty (or sometimes not so pretty and often mislabeled) pictures, but little useful information on the natural history or husbandry of these animals. Worse yet, what little information was there was frequently just plain wrong! Those of us who were really dedicated to the hobby had to go to university libraries and search out obscure zoo and animal care journals to gain insight on how to keep our animals healthy, happy and reproducing.

That all changed when Philippe de Vosjoli introduced his Advanced Vivarium Systems "Care and Maintenence" series of books that emphasized good, solid husbandry information, based on years of research by the top experts in the field. Many of these he authored or co-authored himself along with some of the other top reptile and amphibian keepers in the world. The goal of these books was to make good, solid information on proper care of reptiles and amphibians readily available, both to long time keepers and people just starting out in the hobby.

This latest work by he and his co-authors, Frank Fast and Allen Repashy, is one of his best and most ambitious works yet. In addition to the main authors, the information in this book has been compiled from many of the other top gecko keepers/breeders in the the U.S. and Europe. The book covers all six species and 2 subspecies of Rhacodactylus, giving descriptions of each, and excellent information on all aspects of their husbandry and breeding. Everything from nutrition, caging, breeding and much more are covered in great detail. In addition, the book contains some of the latest information on the habitat and ecology of these animals, along with numerous beautiful pictures of the different forms and color morphs of the geckos and their habitats.

This book is also an excellent companion volume for anyone lucky enough to own the now out of print Rhacodactylus - Biology, Natural History and Husbandry by Robert Seipp and Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel. The new book updates and greatly expands on much of the information presented in the earlier book.

I would highly recommend Rhacodactylus: The Complete Guide to their Selection and Care to not only those of us that work with, or want to work with these animals, but also to anyone who just wants to know more about these beautiful and amazing creatures.

This book is excellant! The text is thorough, and the illustrations are phenomenal. There is virtually no stone left unturned. Every question concerning the husbandry and natural history of rhacodactylus is explored and explained. The authors attention to detail is unmatched. This book is a must have for any person whom wants to own, or already owns any species of rhacodactylus, novice and expert alike.

This is by far the best book in print on Rhac's. It covers Crested, Gargoyle, Chahoua, and the Giant Leachianus Geckos among others. It has sections on all aspects of careing for them including breeding. Many helpful photos to demonstrate the various color and structure morphs (especially of the Crested Geckos). The only thing that could be added here (maybe in a second edition) is what combinations of different morphs are likely to produce what morphs. Also some info on on temperature sex determination for incubation temps would be helpful in the future after more research is done in this area. The Authors all have plenty of first hand experience and some of the largest collections of these geckos in the world. All in all, the best book available on Rhac's at this time.

The nature of human beings is to explore, to examine, and to try to understand everything around us. This book benefits our instinctual search for information about the natural ecosystems around us. It provides us with an insight into the world of some of the rarest and most beautiful creatures in the world and lays bare the world in which they live. Anyone who has an interest in herpetology or is simply hoping to delve into the amazing world of reptile study can gain so much from this book and from Phillipe De Vosjoli's other outstanding and contemplative works.

This Book is a must have for anyone who is thinking of owning a Rhac species. It has eveything you will ever need to raise your animals. I got this book just before my month old Gargoyle gecko came. I read it in 1 day. I t has every type of Rhac and even if you are only interested in owning one species it is facsinating to read about all the others. It has great sections in care, housing, handleing, and everythign else! I recommend to everyone. It is worth the money many times over! Buy It you Won't be dispointed!

This book is a description in very specific details of the rhacodactylus family. I find it very important to know where these animals come from, how to maintain them in the most naturalistic way possible, etc. This book is a must need for Rhacodactylus keepers!

5 big thumbs up!

Great book covers everything you wanted to know about the Rhacodactylus species easy to read. I'm glad I got this book when it first came out they really need to do another print as the price for this excellent resource is crazy but if you are interested in this unique and brilliant genus it is well worth the money. This book Covers all species of the genus: Leachianus (Giant gecko), Chahoua, Sarasinorum, Ariculatus (Gargoyle gecko), Trachyrhynchus, and of course the Ciliatus (Crested gecko).

This book was for my boyfriend and all I know is he loves it. I do know the shipping time was fast and received in a couple of days from placing the order.

This book is fantastic if you need the basics to advanced details on the Rhacodactylus family; written to be understood by even young hobbyists without being childish for the adults. Though it already needs to updated on the morphs of Crested Geckos at the very least. Rhacs have already at least matched the Leopard Gecko in popularity and diversity through captive breeding.

I don't have this book yet, but I will as soon as it becomes available here at amazon. I've heard nothing but good things about it from fellow gecko enthusiasts. Just this past week, at a reptile show, I was able to look at a copy that a gecko breeder had brought. It looked great! I wasn't able to spend too much time looking at it, but from what I did see, it definitely looks like the definitive guide for anyone who wants info on the Rhacodactylus geckos.