The Complete Idiot's Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians

Part 1 - Is a Reptile Right for You?

• Chapter 1 - What Are Reptiles and Amphibians?
  • What Is a Reptile?
  • Age-Old Creatures
  • Modern Threats
  • What Is a Snake?
  • Why Is a Lizard Not a Snake?
  • What About Frogs and Toads?
  • What Are Newts and Salamanders?
  • Reptiles in Literature, Legend, and Popular Culture
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 2 - What Are You Expecting from a Reptile?
  • No Training Here
  • Definitely Not Soft and Fuzzy
  • Do You Treasure the Unusual?
  • Preserving the Different, the Rare, and the Threatened
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 3 - What Would Reptile Ownership Require?
  • Long-Term Commitment
  • Did You Get that Raise You Were Asking for?
  • Can You Spare the Time and Energy?
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 4 - What Does You r Family Think?
  • Are Reptiles Safe With Kids?
  • What About Salmonella?
  • Are There Other Health Threats?
  • What Does Your Significant Other Think?
  • What About Your Other Pets?
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 5 - What Kind of Reptile Would You Like?
  • Snakes as Pets
  • Lovely Lizards
  • Fun with Frogs and Toads
  • Secretive Salamanders and Nice Newts
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 6 - Finding the Right Reptile
  • Should You Buy a Wild-Caught Reptile?
  • Buy Captive-Bred Instead
  • Reptiles and the Law
  • What Else Do You Need to Know?
  • Some Common Mistakes to Avoid
  • The Least You Need to Know

Part 2 - Home Sweet Home

• Chapter 7 - Let the Sun Shine In
  • Why Is Natural Sunlight Important?
  • What Do Commercial Reptile Lights Do?
  • Photoperiods (Photo What?)
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 8 - Some Like It Hot
  • Why Is Heat Important?
  • Optimum Temperatures
  • What Are Heat Gradients?
  • Commercial Heat Suppliers
  • Watch the Bills
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 9 - The Elixir of Life
  • Water: The Magic Liquid
  • Water, Water Everywhere
  • You Can Lead Them to Water...
  • Water in the Air
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 10 - There's More You Need to Know
  • One Reptile or Two?
  • Can Different Species Live Together?
  • Is Your Reptile an Introvert or an Extrovert?
  • Is Your Reptile Diurnal or Nocturnal?
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 11 - Making a Home for Your Water Baby
  • Something to Hold Water
  • Filtering Through Filters
  • Viva Vivarium
  • Make It Easy to Keep Clean
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 12 - At Home in the Desert
  • Home Sweet Home (The Cage or Enclosure)
  • Home Furnishings
  • Make It Easy
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 13 - Making a Tree House
  • Start with the Cage
  • What About Furnishings?
  • Easy Cleaning
  • The Least You Need to Know

Part 3 - Herp Health

• Chapter 14 - Feeding Time
  • What Is Nutrition?
  • What Is an Herbivore?
  • What Is an Insectivore?
  • What Is a Carnivore?
  • What Is an Omnivore?
  • Commercial Reptile Foods
  • How Do You Feed a Reptile? (Very Carefully!)
  • What About Supplements?
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 15 - Bright Eyes, Dry Noses, and Bushy Tails
  • Finding a Veterinarian
  • Attitude Is Everything
  • Eyes, Ears, Mouth, and Nose
  • Skin, Scales, and Skeleton
  • What Goes in Must Come Out
  • What Else Should You Look for?
  • When Accidents Happen
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 16 - The Big Sleep
  • The Mystery of Hibernation
  • Are You Sleeping?
  • When to Let Sleeping Reptiles Lie
  • Off to Sleep
  • Time to Wake Up
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 17 - The Pitter-Patter of Little Reptile Feet
  • Should You Breed Your Reptile?
  • Which Is Which?
  • Building Up to the Big Moment
  • When Mr. Right Meets Ms. Right
  • Eggs or Babies?
  • Incubation Issues for Snakes and Lizards
  • Amphibian Eggs and Babies
  • Caring for Snake and Lizard Hatchlings
  • The Cutest Babies
  • The Least You Need to Know

Part 4 - The Who's Who of Reptiles and Amphibians

• Chapter 18 - Slithering Snakes
  • Beautiful Boas
  • The Royal King Snake s
  • Milk Snakes
  • Corn Snakes
  • Rat Snakes
  • Mud Snake
  • Rainbow Snake
  • Pine or Gopher Snake
  • Garter Snakes
  • Racers
  • Rough Green Snake
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 19 - Handle with Care
  • Some Particular Pythons
  • Reticulated Python
  • Hognose Snakes
  • Water Snakes
  • Emerald Tree Boa
  • Eastern Indigo Snake
  • Venomous Snakes
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 20 - Leaping Lizards
  • Gorgeous Geckos
  • Ever-Changing Chameleons
  • Interesting Iguanas
  • Adorable Anoles
  • Beautiful Basilisks
  • Some Spiny, Swift, and Fence Lizards
  • Kinky Skinks
  • Yucca Night Lizard
  • Northern Alligator Lizard
  • Southern Alligator Lizard
  • Giant Spotted Whiptail
  • Six-Lined Racerunner
  • Green Lizard
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 21 - Lizards Living Large
  • Tremendous Tegus
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 22 - Fantastic Frogs and Terrific Toads
  • Fantastic Frogs
  • Terrific Toads
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
• Chapter 23 - Nifty Newts and Super Salamanders
  • Super Salamanders
  • Nifty Newts
  • The Least You Need to Know
    
    
• Chapter 24 - Some Very Special Reptiles
  • Anaconda
  • Green Iguana
  • Slow Worm
  • California Legless Lizard
  • Bearded Dragon
  • Jackson's Chameleon
  • Chinese Water Dragon
  • Gila Monster
  • Great Plains Skink
  • African Pyxie Frog
  • Poison Arrow Frogs
  • Mantella Frog
  • Turtle Frog
  • Red Salamander
  • Mudpuppy
  • Hellbender
  • Axolotl
  • The Least You Need to Know

Appendix A - What to Do If You Get Bitten
Appendix B - Glossary of Reptile Terms
Appendix C - A Latin Lesson
Appendix D - National Herpetological Societies and Associations
Appendix E - More Reading

Index