Turtles and Tortoises of the World.
David Alderton
191 pages with many coloured photos and black and white drawings. Very readable with plenty of background information on form and function.
Hardback, £14.95.
ISBN 0 7137 1970 2
Turtles of the World
Carl H. Ernst and Roger W.Barbour
290 pages of pictures and text listing the basic identification, habitats and distribution of most of the world's chelonia. A must for those who like to "turtlespot".
Softback, £20.
ISBN 1 56098 212 8
A Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World.
J.B. Iverson
363 pages of maps, identification and notes. This book draws one into the technical details and history of the identification of chelonia specimens.
Softback, £55.
ISBN 0 9617431 0 5
Mediterranean Tortoises.
Brian Pursall
95 pages of detailed information about every aspect of keeping the common species of Mediterranean tortoises. A thoroughly detailed read, with hints for beginners as well as experts.
Softback, £6.95.
ISBN 0 7938 0284 9
Taking care of Tortoises, their eggs and hatchlings.
Henny Fenwick
108 pages of practical tortoise care, with an excellent section on edible and poisonous plants, wild and cultivated. Includes a veterinary chapter.
Softback, £6.
ISBN 0 9524968 0 1
The Care and Breeding of the African Spurred Tortoise Geochelone sulcata.
Richard and Robyn Wilson
36 pages. A useful beginners' guide to these rather large and imposing tortoises. They are becoming common in this country, and this gives the chance to understand the needs of the species before acquiring them.
Softback, £6.75.
ISBN 1 87394351 2
The Proper Care of Turtles.
John Coborn
256 pages covering the care and husbandry of most commonly available turtles and tortoises in a thorough and industrious manner. Recommended for children, beginners and general chelonia browsers. A T.F.H. publication.
ISBN 0 86622 534 X
Understanding Reptile Parasites.
Roger J. Klingenberg
83 pages. A beginner's guide to the symptoms of parasitic problems in reptiles.
ISBN 1 882770 21 8
Veterinary Management of Tortoises and Turtles.
Stuart McArthur
170 pages for vets and keen amateurs on all aspects of caring for sick tortoises and turtles. Gives the owner a clear idea of what can be done for their tortoise when it is ill.
Softback, £39.50.
ISBN 0 632 04059 9
Turtles.
Harmut Wilke
76 pages. An excellent little book detailing the care of tortoises and turtles. It is particularly useful for those keepers with water turtles, box turtles, and the more unusual tortoises.
ISBN 0 8120 2631 4
The Box Turtle Manual.
Phillippe de Vosjoli and Roger Klingenberg
102 pages detailing the captive husbandry of all species of Asian and American box turtles. It includes superb photographic identification plates, along with many other informative photos on the different aspects of keeping these reptiles. A must for the box turtle enthusiast.
Softback, £7.50
ISBN 1 882770 29 3
Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles in Captivity. Read Review
Russ Gurley
A superb text published recently in the USA. Soft bound, 297 pages with many good quality colour plates.
ISBN 0-9638130-3-X
Most of the books listed above, and many more, are available from J.G. Natural History Books at www.reptilebooks.com
Book Review.
Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles in Captivity.
Author; Russ Gurley - Director Turtle & Tortoise Preservation Group.
Publisher; Living Art Publishing- ISBN 0-9638130-3-X
A superb text published recently in the USA. Soft bound, 297 pages with many good quality colour plates.
The author is Russ Gurley, whose lifelong passion with this group of animals oozes from every page. He has created an excellent text, which covers in detail a wealth of practical husbandry techniques currently being employed by some of the most active herpetologists in this field.
The layout of the book takes the reader through the basic requirements of successfully maintaining Aquatic and semi aquatic Chelonia in captivity. It also touches on the horrendous plight of many species in the wild. This should focus the reader on the significant importance of responsible captive breeding. A strong emphasis on practical husbandry provides the reader with excellent guidelines, drawn from a good number of different approaches to the art of successful captive maintenance.
This dealt with, the general groups of aquatic Chelonia are followed by detailed and highly illuminating species accounts. Each is provided with a subsequent reference for follow up reading.
For those of us who currently keep aquatic Chelonia, or those who intend to embark on a fascinating and highly rewarding project with this group of animals, this book is a "must have" for the personal library.
Paul Eversfield.
September, 03.