Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,

I am thinking about buying BW Smith's "Venomous snakes in captivity" book pretty soon. Of those of you who have read the book, on a scale from 1-10 (10 being high) what would you rank it? Is it worth the money in your opinion?

Thanks,

Chris
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Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

np

I agree with Brett, this is a very good book, rated 8

I have not seen BW's book, so I cannot comment.

Al
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If you give somebody a match and they can keep warm for a while.
If you light them on fire, They will be warm for the rest of their life.

Trutnau's book is wonderful and a valued part of my library. It is important to remember that the scope of the two books is completely different. If memory serves, the scope of my book is only touched upon in about a page in Trutnau's. But, if you are looking for species specific husbandry info, then Trutnau's book is probably the best on the market at the moment.

B W Smith

It is well worth the money and a great addition to any venomous library. Sure some of the material you already know but there are lots of great insights that you may have never known or in my case forgotten.

I am sure you are asking because of his self promotion of this book on another site. I do not have his book but having looked through the website he provided and read his comments, I would say it is certainly worth a shot.

Having read through "Venomous Snakes in the Terrarium" I would say this is the "must have" book of the decade. I would deffinitely add this to your list as a priority.

But I still think both books would be more than worth their purchase cost.

So far, the reviews of the book have been outstanding and it is sold in 6 countries that I know of. This actually surprised me since there has been very little promotion done. About the only marketing I have done is putting a post up on about 10 forums or so. I actually never even put one here or on fauna. Most were smaller sites. I am scheduled for a book signing at the Colombia SC show on October 22 if you are in the area and would like to look through it. I keep a copy out for people to read in case there is something specific they want to look up. I will not comment on whether I think it is worth the money, as I am obviously biased. But here are some other comments.

It has been officially endorsed by the Miami Dade Antivenom Unit. Here are some of their comments:
"This is the perfect book for the experienced non-venomous keeper who is looking to keep venomous."

"This is as well an informative book with a very thorough, well though out reference for the venomous keeper."

"This is a must have addition to any Reptile Library with excellent illustrations that's easy to read and hard to put down."

A few other comments various other people have made:

"Venomous Snakes In Captivity, is a must have for all keepers venomous and non-venomous alike! It points out safety protocols and husbandry aids as well as proper herp room management. Very well written and high quality pictures. This is a book that should be in every herpetoculturist's library."
Scott Bice

"If it were up to me, you could not obtain a venomous permit without reading the book. "Venomous Snakes in Captivity" should be a part of every hot keeper's library." Ray Hunter

"This is one book that will most likely become a staple read for anyone who keeps any type of snake--not just venomous ones. No matter who you are or where you are at on your journey, this publication is a valuable--and in my opinion---a necessary, step. "
Nicole - New Jersey

"Brian's book is an excellent how-to that has been needed in this community for a very long time. I have the color version and cannot imagine why anyone would want anything less.

It covers an incredible range of topics from the ethics of venomous keeping to room set-up and tools of the trade. Cage construction, handling techniques, transporting and even some excellent and handy tips for making your room safer.

I am not a big fan of LD50 charts but they are there for use along with a contact list in case of emergencies and a list of federal and state agencies. Just an incredible amount of information for the discerning venomous reptile keeper.

I am proud to have a copy in my herp room."

Karl H. Betz
Vice President
Southeastern Hot Herp Society

The only real criticism I got was from Ray Hoser. He felt I put too much emphasis on the dangers involved in venomous herpetoculture. Any other criticisms are welcome so that I can take them into account for any future works. There is always room for improvement.

And as someone else mentioned it, I would highly recommend Trutnau's book. It is an excellent resource with incredible photography.

B W Smith

I'd hardly take Ray Hoser's criticism to heart.