Download or read book Turtles of the World written by Franck Bonin and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Turtles of the World written by Jeffrey E. Lovich and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A lavishly illustrated guide to the world's turtles that covers every family and genus Turtles of the World reveals the extraordinary diversity of these amazing reptiles. Characterized by the bony shell that acts as a shield to protect the softer body within, turtles are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs and are even more ancient in evolutionary terms than snakes and crocodilians. Of more than 350 species known today, some are highly endangered. In this beautiful guide, turtle families, subfamilies, and genera are illustrated with hundreds of color photographs. Each genus profile includes a population distribution map, a table of information, and commentary that includes notable characteristics and discussion of related species. More than 250 beautiful color photos Each profile features a distribution map, table of information, and commentary Broad coverage includes every family and genus
Download or read book Galapagos Giant Tortoises written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-11-25 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Galapagos Giant Tortoises brings together researchers and conservationists to share the most up-to-date knowledge of Galapagos giant tortoises. Despite being icons of the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago and the target of more than 50 years of conservation research and management, Galapagos giant tortoise evolution and much of their ecology remained unknown until recently. This book documents the history, the pressing conservation issues, and success stories recovering several of the 15 different species of Galapagos tortoises from near extinction. The book begins with an overview of the history of the relationship between humans and Galapagos giant tortoises, starting from initial heavy exploitation of tortoises by pirates and whalers, and extending to the start of the modern conservation era in the 1960s. The book then shifts to biology, describing Galapagos tortoise evolution, taxonomy, ecology, habitats, reproduction, and behavior. Next the decades of conservation efforts and their results are reviewed, including issues of captive breeding, invasive species, introduced diseases, and de-extinction, as well as the current status and distribution of every species. The final portion of the book turns to four case studies of restoration, and then looks ahead to the future of all tortoise populations.The latest volume in the Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscape series, Galapagos Giant Tortoises is a valuable resource for researchers and conservationists, as well as students of biology, wildlife conservation, and herpetology. Provides a comprehensive overview of the Galapagos giant tortoise species as written and edited by the world's leading experts Presents examples of restoration of tortoise populations following the near extinction of many of them Describes conservation strategies to ensure the full recovery of all extant species Explores recent efforts using replacement tortoises for extinct species to restore island ecosystems
Download or read book Tortoises of the World written by George R. Zug and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2024-04-23 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book dedicated entirely to the fascinating ecology of the world's tortoises. Tortoises of the World is the only book to offer a comprehensive exploration of the biology, natural history, and conservation of the fascinating family Testudinidae. Renowned reptile scientist George R. Zug and acclaimed science writer Devin A. Reese bring a wealth of research to life in this beautifully illustrated volume, the first dedicated wholly to tortoises. Focusing on the diversity of the 47 known tortoise species and their evolution from ancestral turtles, this approachable and informative work explores: • Tortoise adaptations, their unique body plan, and their behavioral ecology • The odd anatomy and physiology that enables tortoises' life in shells • Their resilience to extreme temperatures and aridity • Tortoises' role as ecosystem engineers in the diverse habitats they occupy • Their intricate life cycle, from mating rituals and nesting to the tenuous survival of eggs and hatchlings Zug and Reese also examine the challenging nature of interactions between tortoises and humans while highlighting ongoing conservation efforts to secure their futures.
Download or read book Turtles Tortoises and Terrapins written by Ronald Isaac Orenstein and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book surveys the myriad of turtle anatomy, habitat, & life cycles throughout the ages. Project director of the International Wildlife Coalition, Orenstein presents a popular book about turtles, the term he uses for almost all marine, aquatic, and terrestrial species of the order Testudines. His own background is in ornithology rather than herpetology, but his work in wildlife conservation has made him aware of the plight of turtles throughout the world, and hopes people will help protect them if they get to know them a little better. He includes many color photographs. Turtles, almost alone among reptiles, have earned both human interest and affection. Our fascination with turtles, though, has not helped them much. Sought after for food, as pets, and for tortoiseshell, their habitats under attack on land and sea, turtle populations are in decline around the world. Understanding turtles is not only interesting, but also important. Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins have been on earth since the Triassic Period, approximately 200 million years ago. Their exact origins are uncertain, though - it is still unclear from which group of reptiles turtles sprang. Although the earliest fossils are clearly turtles, their anatomy has changed dramatically over time. In addition, turtle species vary greatly in such basic characteristics as anatomy and habitat preferences. Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins surveys the myriad of turtle anatomy, habitat, and life cycles throughout the ages. Human activities on the land and at sea pose the greatest threat that turtles have faced in the last 200 million years. The battle to save turtles goes on, and this book provides an important voice in turtle ecology. Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins is the perfect resource for anyone interested in all facets of these amazing and diverse reptiles.
Download or read book Tracking Tortoises written by Kate Messner and published by Millbrook Press ™. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Galápagos giant tortoises are fascinating—and endangered. They live only on the Galápagos Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador. These tortoises face threats from the humans who live on—and visit—the islands, as well as from Earth's warming climate. Join author Kate Messner on an a journey to the Galápagos Islands to see these incredible creatures up close and discover how cutting-edge technology is helping scientists to study and protect them.
Download or read book Turtles and Tortoises of the World written by David Alderton and published by Facts on File. This book was released on 2003 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for the previous edition: "An excellent source for research. Highly recommended."—The Book Report While reptiles often receive an ambivalent reaction from the public, turtles and tortoises are surely the exception. People have kept them as pets for centuries and their affection for these creatures with attractively colored shells is reflected in art, literature, and popular culture. Turtles and Tortoises of the World fills a significant gap in available literature on the chelonia turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Noted naturalist David Alderton presents a comprehensive account of these fascinating creatures, featuring recent chelonian research. The information on lifestyle, habitat, distribution, and human involvement is clear and easy to read. Enhanced by informative maps, as well as many color and black-and-white photographs, this volume emphasizes turtles' and tortoises' diversity of form and adaptability for survival.
Download or read book The Sonoran Desert Tortoise written by Thomas R. Van Devender and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most recognizable animals of the Southwest, the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) makes its home in both the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts, as well as in tropical areas to the south in Mexico. Called by Tohono O'odham people "komik'c-ed," or "shell with living thing inside," it is one of the few desert creatures kept as a domestic pet—as well as one of the most studied reptiles in the world. Most of our knowledge of desert tortoises comes from studies of Mohave Desert populations in California and Nevada. However, the ecology, physiology, and behavior of these northern populations are quite different from those of their southern, Sonoran Desert, and tropical cousins, which have been studied much less. Differences in climate and habitat have shaped the evolution of three races of desert tortoises as they have adapted to changes in heat, rainfall, and sources of food and shelter as the deserts developed in the last ten million years. This book presents the first comprehensive summary of the natural history, biology, and conservation of the Sonoran and Sinaloan desert tortoises, reviewing the current state of knowledge of these creatures with appropriate comparisons to Mohave tortoises. It condenses a vast amount of information on population ecology, activity, and behavior based on decades of studying tortoise populations in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and also includes important material on the care and protection of tortoises. Thirty-two contributors address such topics as tortoise fossil records, DNA analysis, and the mystery of secretive hatchlings and juveniles. Tortoise health is discussed in chapters on the care of captives, and original data are presented on the diets of wild and captive tortoises, the nutrient content of plant foods, and blood parameters of healthy tortoises. Coverage of conservation issues includes husbandry methods for captive tortoises, an overview of protective measures, and an evaluation of threats to tortoises from introduced grass and wildfires. A final chapter on cultural knowledge presents stories and songs from indigenous peoples and explores their understanding of tortoises. As the only comprehensive book on the desert tortoise, this volume gathers a vast amount of information for scientists, veterinarians, and resource managers while also remaining useful to general readers who keep desert tortoises as backyard pets. It will stand as an enduring reference on this endearing creature for years to come.
Download or read book TURTLES OF THE WORLD written by Carl H. Ernst and published by Smithsonian Books (DC). This book was released on 1989-06-17 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Guide to the world's 257 turtle species with reproductive and ecological information.
Download or read book On the Backs of Tortoises written by Elizabeth Hennessy and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-10-29 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insightful exploration of the iconic Galápagos tortoises, and how their fate is inextricably linked to our own in a rapidly changing world. Finalist for the 2020 E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, sponsored by PEN America Literary Awards The Galápagos archipelago is often viewed as a last foothold of pristine nature. For sixty years, conservationists have worked to restore this evolutionary Eden after centuries of exploitation at the hands of pirates, whalers, and island settlers. This book tells the story of the islands’ namesakes—the giant tortoises—as coveted food sources, objects of natural history, and famous icons of conservation and tourism. By doing so, it brings into stark relief the paradoxical, and impossible, goal of conserving species by trying to restore a past state of prehistoric evolution. The tortoises, Elizabeth Hennessy demonstrates, are not prehistoric, but rather microcosms whose stories show how deeply human and nonhuman life are entangled. In a world where evolution is thoroughly shaped by global history, Hennessy puts forward a vision for conservation based on reckoning with the past, rather than trying to erase it. “Fresh, insightful . . . Hennessy’s melding of human and natural history makes for thought-provoking reading.” —Booklist (starred review) “Gripping . . . well-researched and thought-provoking . . . whether you’re well-versed in the intricacies of conservation or have only just begun to long for a look at the tortoises yourself. On the Backs of Tortoises is a natural history that asks important questions, and challenges us to think about how best to answer them.” —Genevieve Valentine, NPR “Wonderfully interesting, informative, and engaging, as well as scholarly.” —Janet Browne, author of Charles Darwin: Voyaging and Charles Darwin: The Power of Place
Download or read book Tortoises written by Vanessa Black and published by Reptile World. This book was released on 2016-06-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In Tortoises, beginning readers will learn how tortoises fight for mates and defend themselves against predators. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text engage young readers as they discover the exciting world of tortoises.A labeled diagram helps readers identify a tortoise's body parts, while a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary. Children can learn more about tortoises online using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Tortoises also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, and an index.Tortoises is part of Jump!'s Reptile World series."
Download or read book A Sheltered Life written by Paul Chambers and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2006 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Sheltered Life offers a fascinating look at one of the world's strangest and most wondrous animals--whose significance in modern science and culture cannot be underestimated. In an engaging blend of cultural and natural history, the book ranges from the earliest mention of the tortoises many millennia ago, to the wholesale plunder of their populations starting in the sixteenth century, to modern attempts to protect the tortoise and track down members of what were once believed to be extinct populations.
Download or read book Sea Turtles and Other Shelled Reptiles written by Patricia Brennan and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Questions and answers explore the world of animals.
Download or read book Tortoises written by Kate Riggs and published by The Creative Company. This book was released on 2022-03-16 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet the amazing dome-shelled reptile! Introduce elementary kids to tortoises and their long lives in the wild. Slow and steady, some tortoises can live up to 150 years! They live a quiet life of eating, basking in the sun, and digging burrows. Readers explore the many different kinds of tortoises, where they live, their behaviors and features, and why they move so slow, all with STEM-appropriate text and gorgeous photography. An end story retells Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare.
Download or read book Lonesome George written by Henry Nicholls and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-04-04 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lonesome George is a 5ft long, 200lb tortoise aged between 60 and 200. In 1971 he was discovered on the remote Galapagos island of Pinta, from which tortoises had supposedly been exterminated by greedy whalers and seal hunters. He has been at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island ever since, on the off-chance that scientific ingenuity will conjure up a way of reproducing him and resurrecting his species. Meanwhile a million tourists and dozens of baffled scientists have looked on as the celebrity reptile shows not a jot of interest in the female company provided. Today, Lonesome George has come to embody the mystery, complexity and fragility of the unique Galapagos archipelago. His story echoes the challenges of conservation worldwide; it is a story of Darwin, sexual dysfunction, adventure on the high seas, cloning, DNA fingerprinting and eco-tourism.
Download or read book Turtles written by Whit Gibbons and published by . This book was released on 2009-12-21 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a friendly mix of scientific analysis and basic encyclopedic coverage, Gibbons and Greene discuss a broad range of turtle topics, including behavior, ecology, reproduction and development, turtle-human relationships, and the appearance of turtles in popular literature.
Download or read book Turtles of the Southeast written by Kurt Buhlmann and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seventy-five percent of the turtle species in the United States can be found in the Southeast. In fact, the region is second only to parts of Asia in its number of native turtles. Filled with more than two hundred color photographs and written with a special focus on conservation, this guide covers forty-five species of this nonthreatening, ancient lineage of long-lived reptiles. Heavily illustrated, fact-filled descriptions of each species and its habitat comprise the heart of the book. Species accounts cover such information as descriptions of adults and hatchlings; key identifiers including size, distinctive characters and markings; land, river, pond, and wetland habitats; behaviors and activities; food and diet; reproduction; predators and defense; and conservation issues. Also included is a wealth of general information about the importance of turtle conservation and the biology, diversity, and life history of turtles. Discussed are distinguishing turtle characteristics; differences among turtles, tortoises, and terrapins; shell structure and architecture; reproduction and longevity; turtle predators and defense mechanisms; and turtle activities such as basking, hibernation, aestivation, and seasonal movement. Useful information about the interactions of humans and turtles is also covered: species that are likely to be commonly encountered, turtles as pets, and more. Clearly written, cleanly designed, and fun to use, the guide will promote a better understanding of the habitat needs of, and environmental challenges to, this fascinating group of animals. Features: In-depth descriptions of the forty-two native species Conservation-oriented approach More than two hundred color photographs Nearly forty distribution maps Clear descriptions of each species, including differences in the appearance of young and mature turtles “Did You Know?” sidebars of interesting turtle facts Size charts; key identifiers; and information about habitat, behavior and activity, food and feeding, reproduction, predators and defense, and conservation
