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 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 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 Aphrodite s Tortoise written by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones and published by Classical Press of Wales. This book was released on 2003-12-31 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greek women routinely wore the veil. That is the unexpected finding of this meticulous study, one with interesting implications for the origins of Western civilisation. The Greeks, popularly (and rightly) credited with the invention of civic openness, are revealed as also part of a more Eastern tradition of seclusion. Llewellyn-Jones' work proceeds from literary and, notably, from iconographic evidence. In sculpture and vase painting it demonstrates the presence of the veil, often covering the head, but also more unobtrusively folded back onto the shoulders. This discreet fashion not only gave a priviledged view of the face to the ancient art consumer, but also, incidentally, allowed the veil to escape the notice of traditional modern scholarship. From Greek literary sources, the author shows that full veiling of the head and face was commonplace. He analyses the elaborate Greek vocabulary for veiling and explores what the veil meant to achieve. He shows that the veil was a conscious extension of the house and was often referred to as `tegidion', literally `a little roof'. Veiling was thus an ingeneous compromise; it allowed women to circulate in public while mainting the ideal of a house-bound existence. Alert to the different types of veil used, the author uses Greek and more modern evidence (mostly from the Arab world) to show how women could exploit and subvert the veil as a means of eloquent, sometimes emotional, communication. First published in 2003 and reissued as a paperback in 2010, Llewellyn-Jones' book has established itself as a central - and inspiring - text for the study of ancient women.
Download or read book The Tortoise of History written by Anselm Hollo and published by Coffee House Press. This book was released on 2016-07-11 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From "Art History": Someone comes along gives that tedious old thing a new twist or breaks its neck the old questions don't change: what do you want me to say? what do you want me to do? Anselm Hollo (1934–2013) authored more than forty books and was an award-winning translator. Born in Helsinki, Finland, he was fluent in German, Swedish, Finnish, and English by age ten. Hollo eventually settled in the United States in 1966, where he taught at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
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 What the Tortoise Taught Us written by Burton Porter and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What the Tortoise Taught Us offers a lively, concise journey through western philosophy that explores the lives of major philosophers, their ideas, and how their thinking continues to influence our lives today.
Download or read book Timothy written by Verlyn Klinkenborg and published by Alfred A. Knopf. This book was released on 2006 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timothy, a tortoise who lived in the garden of eighteenth-century curate Gilbert White, speaks out on his life in the garden, his nine-day adventure outside the gate, his observations of the curious habits and habitations of humans, and the natural world around him. 30,000 first printing.
Download or read book The Gopher Tortoise written by Ray E. Ashton and published by Pineapple Press Inc. This book was released on 2004-06 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Full-color book for children ages 10 and up. Details the life of the gopher tortoise and how it is tied in with other animals. Also discusses how the encroachment into the gopher tortoise's habitat is affecting the environment and the tortoise.
Download or read book The Tortoise and the Soldier written by Michael Foreman and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2015-11-24 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a boy, Henry Friston dreamed of traveling the world. He thought he was signing up for a lifetime of adventure when he joined the Royal Navy. But when World War I begins, it launches the world, and Henry, into turmoil. While facing enemy fire at Gallipoli, Henry discovers the strength he needs to survive in an unexpected source: a tortoise. And so begins the friendship of a lifetime. Based on true events, and with charming illustrations, this story of war, courage, and friendship will win the hearts of readers.
Download or read book Turtles Tortoises and Terrapins written by Ronald Isaac Orenstein and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins explains the astonishing ways turtles cope with their environment, explores the debate on their origins and describes the latest discoveries about their often surprising lives ... Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins explores the threats face around the world. on land and sea, and the efforts being made to conserve them. Fostering awareness about these unique and threatened creatures is among the main goals of this book."--Dust jacket wrap.
Download or read book The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare written by Kristyn Crow and published by Albert Whitman & Company. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deep inside the city was a hip and happy hare. He was zipping, sometimes lippy, takin' taxis everywhere. Way out in the country was a tortoise calm and cool. He was quite the mellow fellow chillin' out beside the pool. Kids will love to move and groove with this dynamic duo as they hop and pop towards the finish line in this hip-hopping retelling of the classic tale.
Download or read book The Tortoise and the Hare written by Aesop and published by Capstone. This book was released on 2011 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A boastful hare meets his match in this attractive retelling of Aesop's famed tale.
Download or read book Timothy the Tortoise written by Rory Knight Bruce and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timothy made his first appearance in the nation's history when he was a ship's mascot in the Crimean War in 1854. After a long naval career, he retired for a quieter life on land and was given to the Earl of Devon in 1892. From then until his untimely death in April 2004, he lived in Powderham Castle where he was much loved by family and visitors alike. Lady Gabrielle Courtenay, now 91, looked after him for the second half of his life, and she recalls the great stories and escapades involving Timothy: how he got drunk on azalea blossom, and how the family had to buy a special tortoise train ticket for him when they went on their holidays in the 1920s. Timothy's story is not just the tale of a remarkable tortoise, it is a social history of the last century and a half. Rory Knight Bruce has spoken to all those who knew him best, from the Devons to the aged retainers at the castle who looked after him. He was a symbol of continuity, and this is a warm and nostalgic account of the life he lived.
Download or read book Turn of the Tortoise written by T. N. Ninan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Turn of the Tortoise looks at the challenges that Indian government and business sectors face as it looks towards the future.
Download or read book Sea Turtles written by Blair E. Witherington and published by Voyageur Press (MN). This book was released on 2006 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Streamlined and equipped with flippers, sea turtles seem uniquely adapted for water-yet remain firmly attached to land, where the females lay their eggs each year. They sport the many colors of the rainbow, range in weight from 100 to 1,300 pounds, and figure in the mythology and folklore of cultures around the world. And still, they currently risk extinction. In this book, marine biologist Blair Ernest Witherington, who has devoted decades to these ancient creatures, offers readers an in-depth look into their mysterious world. Accompanied by exquisite photographs, his descriptions comprise a personal introduction to these strangely graceful marine reptiles. Detailed, lively, and up-to-date imagery tells the story of sea turtles’ distant origins, their specialized form and undersea challenges, senses and life cycle, world voyages and navigational talents—and their ecological roles. The most comprehensive overview of sea turtles to date, this book portrays each of the seven species in close-up, offering information on appearance, distribution, movements, life history, reproduction, diet, unique traits, and conservation.
Download or read book Jabuti the Tortoise written by and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2005 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rain forest fable from Caldecott medalist Gerald McDermott