Once determining, with great difficulty, the species - Northern Diamondback Terrapin - this book was a tremendous help. After I hurdled the basics, I appreciated the fact that this was more of an intermediary than a beginner's guide. It is nearly impossible to find any decent reference material on the subject, particluarly on Diamondback Terrapins, let alone something this easy to follow, in-depth and pictorial. The photos alone, which are sharp, nicely composed and plentiful, make this book worth having.


Very pleased   March 13, 2002
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

Diamondback Terrapins and Map Turtles are not easy to find good information on. Although the book only lightly covers the subjects, it is enough to help the average owner of these turtles. I found no glaring errors. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful photos (and there were a lot of them). Altogether a well written beginner's book for all ages.


Good book for someone already in the hobby   January 10, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a decent book for the map turtle enthusiast in the hobby and I'm glad to add it to my collection. The text is easy and fun to read with impressive glossy photos that make the book
stand out. This book covers all the basics of the hobby concerning map turtles in general. I do however, feel that additional material and a basic knowledge of turtles will be needed if the reader plans on purchasing a map as a first turtle. Painted and sliders are far more hardy and maps
can be tricky to care for by a beginner. This book is not very precise on care and the information in this book is general. For instance, it is stated in this book that map's enjoy eating snails, but cautions are left out to inform the reader of the dangers of parasites commonly found in pet store feeder snails that can be harmful to a turtle. Certain specifics are left out and as said before additional reading will be needed for the beginner. This book in my opinion is for the already seasoned hobbyist who needs general information and a brief overview of the care of the map turtle species. All in all a good book for this particular species.