SAVING TURTLES

A veterinarian with a turtle-conservation center introduces readers to myriad threats facing these reptiles and what can be done to protect them from extinction.

Of the roughly 300 species worldwide, more than half are threatened with extinction. Carstairs, the chief medical officer at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre and professor of veterinary science, explains to readers clearly and concisely the many threats facing freshwater, marine and land turtles globally, such as loss of habitat, pollution, boat and car encounters, and the food and pet trades. The most interesting chapter offers a behind-the-scenes look at a hospital for severely injured turtles, explaining how injured turtles are rescued, treated, rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Other chapters offer good information on such subjects as anatomy and physiology, habitats, hatching and releasing, and field research. The attractively designed, abundantly illustrated book concludes with tips: some simple things young people can do to help turtles.

An accessible, informative introduction to fascinating, threatened reptiles and what can be done to help them.