Corn and Rat Snakes (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) (Paperback)

by Richard Bartlett (Author), Patricia Bartlett (Author) "Compared to the lizards, from which they evolved, snakes are evolutionary newcomers..." (more)
Key Phrases: rat snake species, leopard rat snake, green rat snake, Great Plains, United States, Glades Herp (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Because corn and rat snakes are brilliantly colored, harmless to humans, and do well in captivity, they have become popular reptiles to own and breed. This manual describes most subspecies found in European and American collections, including the corn snake, the many races of black rat snake, the green rat snake, the Mexican corn snake, many European rat snakes, and similar forms from Africa and Latin America. There is information on feeding, caging, breeding, and health, plus a bibliography and glossary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812096223
• ISBN-13: 978-0812096224
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,398,220 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Awfully vague, November 27, 2005

By	Nathan A. Caruso (Waskom, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book with the hopes that two specific areas would be addressed. The first area was suitable substrate for snake habitats and husbandry in general. There was virtually no discussion about this topic, other than a brief mention that Europeans like to make elaborate habitats whereas Americans typically go simple. The book does address hide boxes, lighting, heating and water needs, but I really wanted to know what materials made for the best substrate. How often does it need to be cleaned/replaced? How should you go about cleaning a replaceable substrate like calcium sand, etc. Sanitation to me is one of the most important aspects of raising a confined animal and there is no discussion of it whatsoever. Secondly, I wanted to understand the feeding process a little better. After failing to induce a young Texas Rat Snake to feed in recent weeks, I wanted to be sure I understood the fine points of feeding. This book talks about different ways to induce feeding, but it doesn't offer any signs or symptoms to look for when one must consider the last resort of force feeding. Will the herp look gaunt? Will it show any other physical signs indicating starvation is fast approaching? How long is too long to go without eating? It further mentions that sometimes snakes don't eat during the winter months even in captivity. So now I'm really at a loss. This book is a very general guide best suited probably for someone who is sitting on the fence as to whether or not to own a rat snake and has yet to decide what type one is interested in purchasing. If you have already made the decision to raise a rat snake, especially if it will be your first snake, this book is not for you. Something much more specific with regards to the two topics above will be required; otherwise, you are jeopardizing the well being of the animal at worst and at best relying on your own instincts to provide a healthy environment for the snake.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cool, interesting, and very informative book., May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This book has every bit of information pet owners are looking for. There are great colour photos, and each page has a detailed scetch. If you are studying the history of corn or rat snakes, or you just plain like snakes, this book is right for you

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad...., September 3, 2001

By	"[e-mail]" (Elmwood Park, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

I acually bought this book for the pictures,theres some real nice ones.The info is basic and great for a person wishing to learn more about them.But for someone like my self who has been keeping ratsnakes for 15 years, its a great picture book.