Turtles of the World: A Guide to Every Family

Description

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 photosEach profile features a distribution map, table of information, and commentaryBroad coverage includes every family and genus Cover Contents Introduction WHAT IS A TURTLE? TURTLE EVOLUTION, SYSTEMATICS, AND TAXONOMY ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY GLOBAL AND REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION BEHAVIOR FEEDING HABITS REPRODUCTION GROWTH AND LONGEVITY ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE CULTURAL IMPORTANCE CONSERVATION The Turtle Families Suborder Cryptodira FAMILY: CHELYDRIDAE SNAPPING TURTLES CHELYDRIDAE: CHELYDRA: SNAPPING TURTLES CHELYDRIDAE: MACROCHELYS: ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLES FAMILY: CHELONIIDAE SEA TURTLES CHELONIIDAE: CARETTA: LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE CHELONIIDAE: ERETMOCHELYS: HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE CHELONIIDAE: LEPIDOCHELYS: RIDLEY SEA TURTLES CHELONIIDAE: CHELONIA: GREEN SEA TURTLE CHELONIIDAE: NATATOR: FLATBACK SEA TURTLE FAMILY: DERMOCHELYIDAE LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE FAMILY: DERMATEMYDIDAE CENTRAL AMERICAN RIVER TURTLE FAMILY: KINOSTERNIDAE MUD AND MUSK TURTLES KINOSTERNIDAE: KINOSTERNON MUD: TURTLES KINOSTERNIDAE: STERNOTHERUS: MUSK TURTLES KINOSTERNIDAE: CLAUDIUS: NARROW-BRIDGED MUSK TURTLE KINOSTERNIDAE: STAUROTYPUS: GIANT MUSK TURTLES FAMILY: EMYDIDAE SEMI-AQUATIC POND AND MARSH TURTLES EMYDIDAE: CHRYSEMYS: PAINTED TURTLES EMYDIDAE: DEIROCHELYS: CHICKEN TURTLES EMYDIDAE: GRAPTEMYS: MAP AND SAWBACK TURTLES EMYDIDAE: MALACLEMYS: DIAMOND-BACKED TERRAPIN EMYDIDAE: PSEUDEMYS: COOTERS EMYDIDAE: TRACHEMYS: SLIDER TURTLES EMYDIDAE: CLEMMYS: SPOTTED TURTLE EMYDIDAE: EMYS: EUROPEAN AND SICILIAN POND TURTLES EMYDIDAE: ACTINEMYS: PACIFIC POND TURTLES EMYDIDAE: EMYDOIDEA: BLANDING’S TURTLE EMYDIDAE: GLYPTEMYS: WOOD AND BOG TURTLES EMYDIDAE: TERRAPENE: BOX TURTLES FAMILY: PLATYSTERNIDAE BIG-HEADED TURTLE FAMILY: GEOEMYDIDAE ASIAN AND AMERICAN POND AND RIVER TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: BATAGUR: ASIAN RIVER TERRAPINS GEOEMYDIDAE: CUORA: ASIAN BOX TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: CYCLEMYS: LEAF TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: GEOCLEMYS: SPOTTED POND TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: GEOEMYDA: BLACK-BREASTED LEAF TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: HARDELLA: CROWNED RIVER TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: HEOSEMYS: FOREST, TEMPLE, POND, AND SPINY TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: LEUCOCEPHALON: SULAWESI FOREST TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: MALAYEMYS: SNAIL-EATING TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: MAUREMYS: OLD WORLD POND TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: MELANOCHELYS: TRICARINATE HILL TURTLE AND INDIAN BLACK TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: MORENIA: EYED TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: NOTOCHELYS: MALAYAN FLAT-SHELLED TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: ORLITIA: MALAYSIAN GIANT TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: PANGSHURA: ROOFED AND TENT TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: SACALIA: BEALE’S EYED AND FOUR-EYED TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: SIEBENROCKIELLA: BLACK MARSH AND PALAWAN FOREST TURTLES GEOEMYDIDAE: VIJAYACHELYS: COCHIN FOREST CANE TURTLE GEOEMYDIDAE: RHINOCLEMMYS: NEOTROPICAL WOOD TURTLES FAMILY: TESTUDINIDAE TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: ALDABRACHELYS: ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: ASTROCHELYS: RADIATED TORTOISE AND PLOUGHSHARE TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: CENTROCHELYS: AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: CHELONOIDIS: SOUTH AMERICAN AND GALAPAGOS TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: CHERSINA: SOUTH AFRICAN BOWSPRIT TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: CHERSOBIUS: FIVE-TOED PADLOPER TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: GEOCHELONE: INDIAN STAR AND BURMESE STAR TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: GOPHERUS: NORTH AMERICAN TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: HOMOPUS: FOUR-TOED PADLOPER TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: INDOTESTUDO: INDIAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: KINIXYS: HINGE-BACK TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: MALACOCHERSUS: PANCAKE TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: MANOURIA: ASIAN GIANT TORTOISE AND IMPRESSED TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: PSAMMOBATES: GEOMETRIC AND TENT TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: PYXIS: SPIDER AND FLAT-TAILED TORTOISES TESTUDINIDAE: STIGMOCHELYS: LEOPARD TORTOISE TESTUDINIDAE: TESTUDO: SPUR-THIGHED, HERMANN’S, EGYPTIAN, MARGINATED, AND HORSFIELD’S TORTOISES FAMILY: CARETTOCHELYIDAE PIG-NOSED TURTLE FAMILY: TRIONYCHIDAE SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: CYCLANORBIS: NUBIAN AND SENEGAL FLAPSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: CYCLODERMA: AUBRY’S AND ZAMBEZI FLAPSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: LISSEMYS: INDIAN, SRI LANKAN, AND BURMESE FLAPSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: AMYDA: ASIATIC SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: APALONE: NORTH AMERICAN SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: CHITRA: NARROW-HEADED SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: DOGANIA: MALAYAN SOFTSHELL TURTLE TRIONYCHIDAE: NILSSONIA: PEACOCK AND INDIAN SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: PALEA: WATTLE-NECKED SOFTSHELL TURTLE TRIONYCHIDAE: PELOCHELYS: ASIAN AND NEW GUINEA GIANT SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: PELODISCUS: HUNAN, CHINESE, NORTHERN CHINESE, AND VIETNAMESE SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: RAFETUS: EUPHRATES AND YANGTZE RIVER GIANT SOFTSHELL TURTLES TRIONYCHIDAE: TRIONYX: AFRICAN SOFTSHELL TURTLE Suborder Pleurodira FAMILY: CHELIDAE AUSTRALASIAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN SIDE-NECKED TURTLES CHELIDAE: ACANTHOCHELYS: SOUTH AMERICAN SIDE-NECKED SWAMP TURTLES CHELIDAE: CHELUS: MATAMATA CHELIDAE: MESOCLEMMYS: TOAD-HEADED TURTLES CHELIDAE: PHRYNOPS: SOUTH AMERICAN SIDE-NECKED TURTLES CHELIDAE: PLATEMYS: TWIST-NECKED TURTLE CHELIDAE: RHINEMYS: RED SIDE-NECKED TURTLE CHELIDAE: HYDROMEDUSA: SOUTH AMERICAN AND BRAZILIAN SNAKE-NECKED TURTLES CHELIDAE: CHELODINA: AUSTRALIAN SNAKE-NECKED TURTLES CHELIDAE: ELSEYA: AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA SNAPPING AND STREAM TURTLES CHELIDAE: ELUSOR: MARY RIVER TURTLE CHELIDAE: EMYDURA: AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA SHORT-NECKED TURTLES CHELIDAE: MYUCHELYS: SAWSHELLED TURTLES CHELIDAE: RHEODYTES: FITZROY RIVER TURTLE CHELIDAE: PSEUDEMYDURA: WESTERN SWAMP TURTLE FAMILY: PELOMEDUSIDAE: AFRICAN SIDE-NECKED TURTLES PELOMEDUSIDAE: PELOMEDUSA: AFRICAN HELMETED TURTLES PELOMEDUSIDAE: PELUSIOS: AFRICAN MUD TURTLES FAMILY: PODOCNEMIDIDAE SOUTH AMERICAN RIVER TURTLES AND BIG-HEADED SIDE-NECKED TURTLES PODOCNEMIDIDAE: ERYMNOCHELYS: MADAGASCAN BIG-HEADED TURTLE PODOCNEMIDIDAE: PELTOCEPHALUS: BIG-HEADED SIDENECK TURTLE PODOCNEMIDIDAE: PODOCNEMIS: SOUTH AMERICAN RIVER TURTLES Appendices Glossary Resources Turtle Classification Index A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T V W Y Z Picture Credits Acknowledgments ILLUSTRATION REFERENCES