Anyone who has ever studied or taught veterinary clinical parasitology recognizes the occasional oversight regarding parasites of reptiles. And yet, reptiles continue to represent a significant segment of the “pet” population. For this reason, they are more frequently being presented at clinics for treatment and preventative medical services. Therefore, it is essential that veterinary technicians be familiar with and recognizes the internal as well as external parasites commonly seen in reptiles. This book addresses the parasites frequently encountered within the reptilian blood sample.
Telford has created a comprehensive, yet well-organized textbook which will be used again and again. Broken down into seven chapters, parasites are classified by genus and species according to animal species. For example, there are 15 different reptiles addressed in regards to Trypanasoma infection. There are many color plates of stained specimens (blood and tissues) with adequate identifiers and descriptions for comparative purposes. The book is supported by over 400 references as well as a beautiful appendix of additional color plates.
Although reptile parasites are not likely to take up more than 1-2 classes of lecture and lab time, this book is one which should be in every parasitology instructor’s library and listed as a supplemental text on syllabi. It is a book that is timeless in one’s veterinary education. Those preparing to specialize as veterinary technician specialists in the area of clinical pathology will embrace this as a go-to book when studying reptile parasites. A solid 5-star read if ever there was one!
Publisher: CRC Press-Taylor & Francis Group (2009)
ISBN 13: 978-1-4200-8040-7
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