Exotic Pet Behavior is an excellent supplemental resource for any veterinarian whose practice includes birds, reptiles, or small mammals. The book is divided into major sections based on species: Rabbits, Psittacines, Reptiles, Ferrets, Guinea Pigs, and Small Rodents and Miscellaneous Small Mammals, including unusual pets such as fennec foxes, prairie dogs, short-tailed opossums, and sugar gliders. Each section describes normal and abnormal behavior in wild and captive bred animals, and includes a brief overview of natural history to provide context. Photographs and drawings depict behavioral communication postures and other normal and abnormal postures, while “Suggestion Boxes” covering training, socialization, and common clinical signs of illness serve as quick reference guides to specific topics. Each section concludes with an extensive list of recommended sources for additional information on biology or common diseases and their treatment.
In addition to the focus on the behavior of well and ill exotic animals, the book complements existing standard texts on exotic animal medicine and surgery with regard to coverage of symptoms and treatments for minor clinical diseases. Information concerning breeding and reproduction, as well as special husbandry considerations for hospitalizing exotic pets was particularly useful.
There is a great deal of practical (and, in some instances, difficult to find) information packed into this book. It is easy to read and to use as a quick reference aid to answering questions about normal and abnormal behavior, and applying this understanding to identify early signs of illness in most of the exotic pets commonly seen in current veterinary practice.