Review by Choice Review
At least 14 books on world turtles have appeared since 1989. The latest is this translation from earlier French editions (Editions Delachaux & Niestle, 1996, 1998) by turtle authority Pritchard. The efforts of the authors, turtle veterinarian Bonin and renowned turtle enthusiasts Devaux and Dupre, plus summaries of recent initiatives by Pritchard, have resulted in a superb encyclopedic reference on the nearly 300 species of world turtles. Two narrative units, "General Biology" and "Identification," follow the introductory translator's note. "General Biology" includes discussions on turtle classification, Proganochelys, anatomy, metabolism, ethology, threats to populations, and protection. Identification emphasizes alphabetical species accounts within briefly described infraorder and family-level taxa. Each species account includes the scientific name, author and date of the binomen, and narrative sections on distribution, description, natural history, and protection. A continental location map, range map, and one or more superb color photographs accompany each account. Vernacular names caption the maps. Comments on identification accompany the photographs. A brief section of references and a scientific name index conclude the book. While not providing the details available in many regional books, this superb sourcebook is the most current summary of world turtle nomenclature. ^BSumming Up: Essential. College, university, and public libraries; lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. E. D. Keiser emeritus, University of Mississippi
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This guide, originally written in French and translated here by leading turtle expert Pritchard, provides descriptions of the approximately 300 turtle species in the world. It begins with an overview of general turtle biology; entries for each species are then arranged by taxonomic family. Veterinarian Bonin, Bernard Devaux (founder, Village des Tortues), and turtle enthusiast Alain Dupr? assume the reader has some familiarity with turtle anatomy, since terms such as carapace (the dorsal, convex part of the shell) and plastron (the ventral part of the shell) are not defined. Each entry offers brief information on the species' distribution (including a map), a physical description, natural history, and survival status. There is an index of scientific names, but the lack of a common-names index will be a stumbling block for some users. Bottom Line Although neither as in-depth as Pritchard's earlier work, Encyclopedia of Turtles (T.F.H. Pub., 1979), nor as accessible to the nonscientist as Ronald Orenstein's Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins: Survivors in Armor (Firefly, 2001), this volume's value lies in its up-to-date coverage of species, some discovered as recently as 2002. All readers will appreciate the wonderful color photographs, which make the book a pleasure to browse. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.-Teresa U. Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Library Journal Review
