Guest Review by Jim Wellehan, DVM, MS (Click on stars for an explanation)

This book is Out of Print.

Although only crocodiles are mentioned in the title, this book covers the biology and medicine of all crocodilians (there is an American alligator on the cover). The author is South African, so farmed Nile crocodiles are emphasized, but this is an excellent and much-needed review of Crocodylidae as a whole.

The first chapter addresses the biology of crocodilians. This is, overall, a very well done chapter, although the brief section on immunology incorrectly states that other reptiles are incapable of an anamnestic response, and an important reference on mugger crocodile blood work is omitted.

The second chapter deals with clinical examination, procedures, and necropsy. The chemical immobilization/anesthesia sections here are brief and somewhat dated. The necropsy section is especially well written.

The third chapter deals with husbandry and other aspects of crocodile farming. Herd management for health is emphasized in this chapter.

Chapter 4 deals with diseases of eggs and hatchlings.

Chapter 5 covers transmissible diseases. This chapter is particularly well written and very comprehensive.

Chapter 6 covers nutritional, toxic, and miscellaneous non-transmissible diseases.

Chapter 7 presents diseases by organ system. While much of chapter 7 reiterates information from chapters 4, 5, and 6, presentation in this format is useful in clinical cases.

The reference section is complete and well done, which is necessary for any good text in a field such as zoological medicine.

This text is expensive for a book that contains only four pages of color photos. However, there is no comparable single source for information on these species, and this should be considered an essential reference for all those working with crocodilians.

CABI Publishing (2003).

337 pages.

ISBN-10: 0-85199-656-6.

ISBN-13: 9780851996561.