I bought this book on a whim. I was trying to find something that addressed all the problems that snake owners encounter. This book is wonderful with very clear descriptions of illnesses and injuries. You are able to look at your snake, and then immidiately look it up in the book. It gives you immidiate treatment, whether you need a vet's help or not. It covers all the most common antibiotics, their doses, and purpose. This is a MUST have for anyone with a snake, or an entire collection. This is the only book I found that covered just about everything I have ever needed to know about snake care and preventative care.

Anyone who owns a snake should own a copy of this book. Period.

We've been using this book for two years. During that time it has been an invaluable reference for our collection. Any time we suspect something may be wrong with one of our snakes, the very first thing we do is consult this book. If the problem is included (and it usually is), there will be a chapter outlining what the possible causes might be and what we can do to help prevent it or correct it. It also helps us figure out when we need to take the animal to a veterinarian -- and, for that matter, when we don't, and can look after the situation by ourselves.

But its real value is showing you how to keep your snake healthy and prevent medical conditions from arising in the first place. That means fewer snake deaths and fewer expensive trips to the vet, which makes this book an excellent investment. If you keep snakes, buy it if you don't already own a copy -- you owe it to them.

if u hade a snakes that die and u didnt know why or u have a sick snake that u dont how to handle or u just want in case some thing will happend that that book is for u its a great book tells u every thing u need to know + pictures

For anyone in the Eastern region of the US who enjoys keeping snakes (or anyone who might end up keeping a snake native to this region), this book is a must-have. It gives good solid information for anyone from novice to zoo level of expertise. All the basics are covered (eg housing, choosing, transporting, lighting, feeding, etc. ad infinitum)as well as many specialized topic like making "swamp tea" for keeping crayfish snakes healthy. You can tell when you read the book that much of it is based on personal experience and not just someone regurgitating what they read in other books. I have used this book many times to find information on how to keep the species that I have caught at various times and wanted to keep for a little while. Every time the advice in this book proved helpful, if not indispensable.

If you like snakes and live in the eastern US, buy it. If you like snakes and live in the western US, buy volume II (which seems to be just as good, if not better, but I have not actually tried any of the information in.) If you love snakes and live anywhere in the world, buy both of them.