Green Water Dragons

Interest in green water dragons has surged in recent years. This concise and comprehensive book offers information on choosing a healthy specimen, as well as easy-to-follow instructions on housing, feeding, and caring for these impressive lizards. It also provides direction on treatment of the species' most common diseases and disorders. Revised and updated with new photos, this edition has all the information a first-time or advanced keeper will need.

Excerpt from Green Water Dragons:

Despite their protected status in several countries, green water dragons are still imported in large numbers for the pet trade. This is not altogether surprising, considering these semi-arboreal Asian reptiles are among the best large lizard pets available. They are attractive, can be handled, and display well. Most adapt well to captivity and readily breed in proper captive conditions. They do not grow nearly as large as green iguanas and tend to be somewhat calmer. Iguanas often display more responsive behaviors and more signs of intelligence than water dragons, but a somewhat less responsive personality has certain advantages. Green water dragons are less likely to become stressed when moved to a new enclosure. Unlike iguanas, they can also be displayed in large, attractive, planted vivaria and are less likely to damage landscaped plants and materials than most other large lizards.

In scientific nomenclature, green water dragons are classified as Physignathus cocincinus, one of the largest members of the Old World family Agamidae. Two other Physignathus species are occasionally offered in the herpetocultural trade: the Australian water dragon, Physignathus lesueurii , and the small Southeast Asian Physignathus temporalis .

The highly acclaimed Advanced Vivarium Systems ^TM books, founded and guided by herpetocultural pioneer Philippe de Vosjoli, are the #1 books on reptile care. From choosing a pet and selecting a veterinarian to feeding, housing, breeding, and more, these books deliver the most helpful and up-to-date information available on popular reptiles and amphibians kept as pets.

The Leopard Gecko Manual

The leopard gecko is one of the hardiest of all lizard species-easy to keep, easy to breed, and potentially long-lived. This book features information that is invaluable for all levels of leopard gecko hobbyist from the beginning owner to the advanced breeder. Whether you are looking for the most current, accurate and reliable information on selecting and identifying a healthy specimen to keep as a pet or something more advanced such as genetic information on breeding for sexes, this is the book for you.

Excerpt from The Leopard Gecko Manual:

Leopard geckos typically feed on live, moving insect prey. Before the consistent availability of commercially raised crickets, many herpetoculturists successfully maintained their lizards for years on a diet consisting primarily of mealworms. However, breeding success was inconsistent and raising hatchlings was problematic until herpetoculturists started feeding insects that have been gut-loaded (fed a nutritional meal prior to offering) and dusted with a powdered vitamin/mineral mix.

Size of Prey: As a general rule, food items such as insects and so-called pink mice should be no more than the length, and less than half the width, of the lizard's head. Pink or pinkie mice are newborns that have not yet begun to grow fur. Older mice are often referred to as fuzzy mice .

Diet Selection: The best diet for leopard geckos consists of appropriately sized commercially-raised crickets and/or mealworms. As part of a varied adult diet, occasionally include pink mice, wax worms, and king mealworms in small amounts. King mealworms are optional but are used by some breeders to fatten up animals. You should be careful not to overfeed with mealworms. Some large commercial breeders have been quite successful in maintaining their animals exclusively on mealworms that are raised on a high-quality diet and supplemented with a vitamin/mineral powder.

Other diets currently on the market include supplemented dried crickets and a frozen prepared diet. Leopard geckos usually need to be conditioned to feed on these non-moving diets. Some take to them, others don't.

The highly acclaimed Advanced Vivarium Systems ^TM books, founded and guided by herpetocultural pioneer Philippe de Vosjoli, are the #1 books on reptile care. From choosing a pet, to selecting a veterinarian, to feeding, housing, breeding, and more, these books deliver the most helpful and up-to-date information available on popular reptiles and amphibians kept as pets.

The Herpetoculutral Library® series, published by Advanced Vivarium Systems™, is recognized nationally and internationally for its efforts in establishing high standards of amphibian and reptile care. Advanced Vivarium Systems™ books have been praised and recommended by numerous herpetological societies, veterinarians, and experts in the field.