Scorpions (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) [Paperback]

Manny Rubio (Author)

Book Description

Series: Complete Pet Owner's Manual | Publication Date: April 18, 2008

These exotic creatures are distant cousins of spiders. They feed on many insects that humans consider undesirable, and in their natural setting are environmentally beneficial. They also make fascinating inhabitants in a terrarium. Barron's extensive line of Complete Pet Owner's Manuals presents information for non-specialist animal owners and prospective owners, with facts about each animal's origins and traits, as well as advice on purchasing, housing, feeding, health care, and much more. Each book is individually written by a trainer, breeder, veterinarian, or other animal specialist. Titles in this series cover every popular breed of dog and cat, freshwater and marine fish, many bird varieties, and virtually all other animals that are kept as pets. All books are filled with handsome color photos and instructive line illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)
Information and advice to help you take good care of Scorpions

Typical Scorpions: their origins, anatomy, life cycle, and more

Expert advice: feeding, breeding, and housing

Understanding Scorpions: their needs and natural habitats

Step-by-step directions for everyday care

Informative and attractive illustrations and sidebars

Helpful table with all you need to know about their species

(picture caption)
These distant cousins of spiders make fascinating additions to your terrarium.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (April 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764139819
• ISBN-13: 978-0764139819
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Insects & Spiders
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Home & Garden > Animal Care & Pets > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book for the beginning arachnoculturist, March 19, 2000

By 

Brent E. Hendrixson "chalcodes" (Greenville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scorpions (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals) (Paperback)

Rubio's book is one of the few focused on the captive husbandry of scorpions -- he gives great information on breeding, housing, and raising these magnificent animals. In addition, his photos are of excellent quality, surpassed by no other that I have seen published in similar books!

There were a few drawbacks though -- some of the venom toxicity tables are clearly inaccurate! Species such as Centruroides gracilis are relatively weak all across their range, not just southern Florida! In addition, species such as Buthus occitanus have a more potent venom than illustrated here! Also, Rubio should have had his photographs identified by experts in the field before being published! Many of the photos were mis-labeled -- for instance, there is a photo of Androctonus australis that is labeled as Leiurus quinquestriatus, and there is another photo labeled Leiurus that is probably a Buthacus sp. Finally, a few of the photos were clearly of dead specimens (ala Hadrurus arizonensis pallidus and Vaejovis flavus -- I think that was them)...

Looking through the "minor" problems, if you're looking for a book with good information on the captive rearing of scorps, this book is the competition!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BOOK for those new to scorpions, September 7, 2005

By 

Lucian Ross "Barkscorpions" (Detroit, MI, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scorpions (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals) (Paperback)

Despite a few inaccuracies and errors described elsewhere by another reviewer, this book will offer anyone new to keeping scorpions or who is curious about these most remarkable of animals an easy to read offering covering many diverse aspects of scorpions.
For those interested in keeping scorpions in captivity with little or no experience, this book should be considered a must read (along with "The Biology of Scorpions" by Gary A. Polis), as it offers a great deal of general information and care and maintenance information in an easy to read format for layperson and advanced keeper alike.
I'd recommend this book (and have dozens of times) to anyone with even a passing interest in scorpions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE beginner's book, June 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Scorpions (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals) (Paperback)

A concise look at scorpion biology for the pet keeper. Has a good section on species commonly available (arranged in groups as easy, difficult and dangerous). Has a good overview of habitat requirements, but I wish it had more specifics in keeping the various species...this section is arranged in table form only. It only took me an hour to read it, and I wish it had gone into more detail in general.