Ever wonder how many kinds of turtles there are? Or if they have teeth? Why so many turtles have yellow stripes on their neck? If it is wise to feed turtles in your neighborhood pond or lake? Whit Gibbons and Judy Greene, two internationally known turtle biologists, provide complete answers to the most frequently asked questions about the more than 300 turtle, tortoise, and terrapin species of the world. From the palm-sized bog turtles of the United States to the great oceanic leatherbacks, turtles across the globe are admired for their persistence, patience, and resilience. They are favorites of scientific study and beloved pets throughout the world. With a friendly mix of scientific analysis and basic encyclopedic coverage, Gibbons and Greene discuss a broad range of turtle topics, including behavior, ecology, reproduction and development, turtle-human relationships, and the appearance of turtles in popular literature. With attractive photographs and an intuitive question-and-answer format, Gibbons and Greene answer more than 100 common questions about these remarkable creatures. Readers who want answers to specific questions or just want to expand their knowledge about these unique and interesting animals will find the information they seek in this essential reference.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Introducting Turtles What are turtles? What is the difference between turtles, terrapins, and tortoises? How many kinds of turtles are there? Why are turtles important? Why should people care about turtles? Where do turtles live? What is the current classification of turtles? What characterizes the major groups of turtles? When did turtles first evolve? What is the oldest fossil turtle? What is the largest fossil turtle? 2. Form and Function What are the largest and smallest living turtles? What is the metabolism of a turtle? Do turtles have teeth? Do turtles sleep? Can turtles see color? Do all turtles have hard shells? Can a turtle emerge from its shell? Can turtles run? Can all turtles swim? Do all aquatic turtles have flippers? Can turtles breathe under water? Can you tell whether a fossil turtle lived in the sea, in freshwater, or on land? 3. Turtle Colors Why do so many turtles have yellow stripes on their neck? What causes the different shell and skin colors of turtles? What color are a turtle's eyes? Is there a reason for the patterns on the shell? Do a turtle's colors change as it grows? Do a turtle's colors change in different seasons? Is there much geographic variation within a single turtlespecies? 4. Turtle Behavior Are turtles social? Do turtles fight? Are snapping turtles the only ones that bite? How smart are turtles? Do turtles play? Do turtles talk? How do turtles avoid predators? 5. Turtle Ecology Where do turtles sleep? Do turtles migrate? How many turtle species live in rivers? How many turtle species live in lakes? How many turtle species live in the ocean? Which geographic regions have the most species of turtles? How do turtles survive in the desert? How do turtles survive the winter? How do turtles survive droughts? What is hibernation? Do all turtles bask? Do turtles have enemies? Do turtles get sick? How can you tell if a turtle is sick? Are turtles good for the environment? 6. Reproduction and Development How do turtles reproduce? Do all turtles lay eggs? Why do sea turtles lay so many eggs but box turtles lay only afew? How long do female turtles hold eggs in their body? Where do turtles lay their eggs? Does a turtle nest at the same time and in the same place every year? Do turtles nest only one time per year? How many eggs do turtles lay? Are all hatchlings in a turtle nest full siblings? How is the sex of a turtle determined? Do turtles care for their young? How fast do turtles grow? How can you tell the age of a turtle? How long do turtles live? 7. Foods and Feeding What do turtles eat? Do turtles chew their food? How do turtles find food? Are any turtles scavengers? How do turtles eat hard-shelled animals? Do turtles store their food? 8. Turtles and Humans Do turtles make good pets? How do you take care of a pet turtle? Are turtles dangerous? Do turtles feel pain? What should I do if I find an injured turtle? What should I do if I find a turtle crossing the road? What should I do if I find a turtle laying eggs? What should I do if I find a baby turtle? How can I see turtles in the wild? Should people feed turtles in lakes? 9. Turtle Problems (from a human viewpoint) Are turtles pests? Do turtles reduce the number of fish in lakes and rivers? Do turtles kill ducks in ponds? Do turtles have diseases and are they contagious? Is it safe to eat turtles? What should I do if I get bitten by a turtle? 10. Human Problems (from a turtle's viewpoint) Are any turtles endangered? Will turtles be affected by global warming? Are turtles affected by pollution? Why do people hunt and eat turtles? Are "tortoiseshell" items actually made from turtle shells? Why do so many turtles get hit by cars? Are boats dangerous for aquatic turtles? How are turtles affected by litter? What can an ordinary citizen do to help turtles? 11. Turtles in Stories and Literature What roles do turtles play in religion and mythology? Are turtles depicted at all in the Christian religion? Did any early philosophers/naturalists mention turtles in their writings? What are the roles turtles have played in children's literature? What roles do turtles play in popular culture? What about turtles and math? What roles have turtles played in poetry and famoussayings? 12. "Turtleology" Who studies turtles? Which species are best known? Which species are least known? How do scientists tell turtles apart? Appendix A: Scientific and Common Names of Living Turtles Appendix B: Organizations and Societies for Turtle Conservation Bibliography Index