Editorial Review:
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
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
A Must Have for the Lover of Turtles! 2008-12-28
Everything you need to know about the 42 species of turtles and how to tell age and gender differences as well as what that blotch behind their eye means. An inspirational work for every reptile lover.
THE new book on US Turtles 2008-04-26
"Turtles of the Southeast" is a great book for many audiences, from those just casually curious about turtles to those who work with them every day as a profession.
The book's layout is very useable. Turtle species are arranged according to the kind of habitat in which they are most commonly seen. Photo quality is generally very good, although the placement of the wood turtle plastron photo will make comparative identification tricky. Photos never do well when placed between pages. But, you see, it must be petty critiques as this if there are to be any for this book. This is the kind of book needed on every bookstore shelf to get the layperson excited about the great richness of turtles we should better enjoy outdoors in the southern United States - a more tranquil option than our current allowance for the exportation of hundreds of thousands of wild-collected turtles to Asian food markets each year from southern states including AR, LA, TX, OK, FL, and GA.
The range maps may not be so accurate as county maps or dot locality maps, but they'll get the general idea across. Not all subspecies are pictured such that identification will come readily, but the text descriptions will fill in for this. Habitat photographs, such a rarity in many publications that prefer to separate turtles from their environments, are in abundant supply here. As an added treat, the end of this book briefly showcases every species of turtle native to the US but occurring completely outside of the range considered in this book.
This book's construct is great. It's got stiff boards like the Sibley Guide to Birds and other such softcovers built for USE. Binding is very solid and seems as though it'll hold up for many busy years. "Turtles of the Southeast" is one of the nicest general-audience turtle books to date, and it's priced such that everyone who goes outdoors should enjoy a copy.
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