A Field Guide to Spiders and Scorpions of Texas (Gulf Publishing Field Guide Series) (Paperback)

by John A. Jackman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Classified into more the 45 families, this guide describes the fascinating spiders and other arachnids of Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Gulf Publishing (May 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891230483
• ISBN-13: 978-0891230489
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #548,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat good pictures and descriptions but not very helpful, November 14, 2003

By	Brad Hutchinson (Katy, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This book is less suited as a field guide and more of a biology lesson on overall spider taxonomy. In my opinion a FIELD GUIDE should provide pictures of spiders that you would commonly run into in the FIELD, but this book does not fulfill that expectation. There have been only about one or two spiders i've came across that I have been able to identify by using this field guide out of literally thousands (I spend a lot of time in wooded areas). With the extremely low amount of photos in this guide, any other spiders I am absolutely not able to identify by using this guide. Out of all the Texas Field Guides this is clearly the poorest written one since it probably only has pictures of about 1% of the spiders in the state of Texas. I had originally bought this in order to see which spiders carry the most potent venom other than the obvious black widow & brown recluse, but that is not in here either...just biology. If you are looking for something to help identify spiders in the state of Texas this is about the only choice at the moment, although an average one at best.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good, but incomplete, March 3, 2004

By	Mary Nears (anahuac, texas United States) - See all my reviews

The only problem i have with this book is that, as a Texan living in Texas, i keep encountering spiders not identified or even remotely mentioned in this book. To top it off, neither can the county agent.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A real regional Field Guide for Arachnids!, November 14, 2000

By	Kari J McWest (Canyon, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Field Guide to Spiders & Scorpions of Texas (Texas Monthly Field Guide Series.) (Paperback)

Dr. Jackman is a well-known entomologist/naturalist at Texas A&M University. This handbook is a well-researched guide to its subject and he enlisted the help of leading authorities (including W. David Sissom for the scorpion section) for information in areas in which he is not familiar. The book lacks in several areas, such as in the Orders Mygalomorphae, Pseudoscorpiones and Solifugae, but this is due in part to a general lack of literature and knowledge in that field for Texas. The full-color photographs, mostly by the author, are excellent, yet small. A great addition to the Texas Monthly Field Guide Series!