Known throughout the world for its beauty and personality, koi is one of the most carefully bred fish species around. Raising koi is especially time-consuming and requires more than just sprinkling little flakes in the fish bowl. But thankfully, you don't have to be an expert to maintain your own koi pond. Koi For Dummies shows you how easy and fun it can be to own and care for these delicate fish. Whether building a pond or aquarium for the indoors or outdoors, this easy-to-understand guide explores all of your options. Clear, concise advice helps you:* Appreciate your koi's beauty* Build, design, and maintain your koi pond or aquarium* Find and select koi and the proper supplies* Keep your koi happy and healthy* Treat your koi for parasites, bacterial infections, and viruses* Breed and care for baby koi* Show off your koi to other koi enthusiasts This fun, friendly guide also explains what to do during a power outage and how to check your koi for illness. Featuring 8 pages of full-color photos, Koi for Dummies is all you need to get started raising your very own koi. No matter where you live, you'll be able to care for and breed this beautiful fish!

Written by two widely respected experts on reptile and amphibian ownership and care, B.E.S.'s Reptile and Amphibian Keeper's Guides pack a great deal of information into a small format that also features instructive charts and color photos. Corn Snakes describes the brilliantly colored and harmless corn snake and its many subspecies that are native to North America and Europe. They tend to do well in captivity when their owners observe the basics of proper housing, feeding, and general care.

More than 500 species and subspecies of amphibians and reptiles can be found in the western United States. This set of three field guides offers a complete survey of the frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, turtles, and lizards that reside west of the Rocky Mountains (north of Mexico) and in Hawaii. These animals are found in habitats that range from seaside sand dunes to rocky montane outcroppings, and from mossy grottos to deciduous forests. Uniquely adapted to their environments, all are interesting, a few could be considered beautiful, and a small number are venomous. In each volume, species are grouped alphabetically by scientific name within each order. Color photographs are accompanied by descriptive text that details the appearance, naturally occurring color morphs, behavior, range/habitat, and prey of each species - as well as species with which it may be confused. Geared toward a popular audience of people interested in reptiles and amphibians, the three volumes allow for greater depth in the descriptions of species than other field guides that survey all herpetofauna under one cover. R. D. and Patricia Bartlett employ a writing style that is accessible and informative without being overly technical. In their completeness, the authors even include information on introduced species. These are comprehensive, informative, and fully illustrated guides designed for the general reader and amateur naturalist!

Accessible, accurate, and up-to-date, with striking color photographs and range maps!"If you love snakes, read this book. If you are repulsed by snakes, definitely read this book and you might just find yourself warming up to these fascinating creatures of mystery and myth."--Daniel Beck, Central Washington University "Vignettes in the book let the armchair reader feel he or she is part of a herpetological adventure. These personal interludes make the book unique, as the straightforward identification varies little from field guide to field guide."--Traci Hartsell, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History "The most impressive aspect of the book is its completeness. Each species account is very complete and includes information far beyond the diagnostic characters and distributions. I learned quite a bit from reading this book."--Jeffrey R. Parmalee, Simpson College Information on how to search for herpetofauna, habitat descriptions, captive care, and a special section on reptiles and the law make these guides the perfect resource for amateur or professional naturalists. They also are ideal for anyone living in or visiting a western state who is interested in knowing more about the natural world around them.