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Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A LARGE, BLACK SHAPE DRIFTED CLOSER AND CLOSER, COMING TOWARD us through the surf..." (more)
Key Phrases: Costa Rica, United States, Archie Carr (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
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Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation + Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur + Sea Turtles: An Ecological Guide
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  • This item: Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation by James R. Spotila

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sea turtles are among the planet's most ancient inhabitants, arising during the Triassic period some 220 million years ago and not changing much since. As they spend their lives at sea, only coming ashore to nest, much of what has been learned about the physiology and behavior of sea turtles has been discovered fairly recently with the advent of modern scientific equipment. Spotila, a longtime sea turtle researcher, distills what is known about these mysterious ocean wanderers into this beautifully illustrated new treatise. He writes with an informative and chatty narrative flow, covering his research and that of other scientists in chapters on the biology, evolution, life cycle, and conservation of sea turtles. Each of the seven species, ranging from the well-known green turtle to the mysterious flatback, receives its own chapter detailing diet, behavior, range, and nesting beaches. Sidebars throughout the text go into more detail on techniques such as radio-tagging turtles. The author is eloquent in his appeal for the conservation of sea turtles. The best single book on the subject. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review

...(Sea Turtles) is worthy of centerpeice placement on any coffee table. (M)ore than just another pretty picture book. -- Mary Beth Regan, Baltimore Sun, December 2004

His (Spotila's) elegant words are inspirational, and his hopeful message deserves to be heard by a broad audience. -- Science, January 2005

It is this mixture of scientific expertise and outright human awe that makes this book such a treasure. -- Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2004

Spotila's book is recommended for high school, university, and research-level libraries. -- Library Journal, February 2005

This beautifully produced book deserves to be widely read... -- Nature, January 2005
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; illustrated edition edition (October 26, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0801880076
  • ISBN-13: 978-0801880070
  • Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.4 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,276 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #4 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Fauna > Reptiles & Amphibians
    #4 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Conservation > Endangered Species
    #5 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Fauna > Marine Life

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More About the Author

James R. Spotila
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
A LARGE, BLACK SHAPE DRIFTED CLOSER AND CLOSER, COMING TOWARD us through the surf. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Costa Rica, United States, Archie Carr, Boca Raton, Indian Ocean, New York, South Africa, Rancho Nuevo, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Central America, French Guiana, Papua New Guinea, North America, Crab Island, Great Barrier Reef, South America, South Carolina, Virgin Islands, Mediterranean Sea, Playa Nancite, Sri Lanka, Ascension Island, Caribbean Sea
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Turtles of Venezuela by Peter Charles Howard Pritchard
 

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Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation
80% buy the item featured on this page:
Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation 5.0 out of 5 stars (21)
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious, but successful., January 12, 2005
Jim Spotila's new sea turtle book has an ambitious subtitle. In the enormous and ever growing literature on marine turtles, how could any single volume be a "Complete" guide to all the fundamental aspects of their biology and conservation?

Ambitious, but successful. If one had to find a single book to give to a new entrant in the field of sea turtles - or, for that matter, to an advanced sea turtle scientist who was normally focused upon one aspect of sea turtle biology, one locality, or one research technique, this volume would be the one to choose. It succeeds well in giving a thorough, scientific, and up-to-date overview of the field.

The text of "Sea Turtles" breaks down into thirteen chapters, each with a lively or evocative title (from "The Seven Swimmers" (or should it be eight?*) to "Under the Shell;" "The Giant Mariner" to "Dreaming of Eden." The style is highly readable, with many personal anecdotes and comments, which offer both scientific insight into what turtles are all about, and also the sense of wonder and personal dedication that is the hallmark of virtually all the players in this growing field. The scope is truly global - not just literally, for there is no geographic parochialism in this book, but metaphorically also. There are not only detailed accounts of each species, but also good discussions of turtle ":phenomena" - sea turtle ancestry, turtle life cycles, population stresses, navigation, migrations, the arribada phenomenon, the pluses and minuses of head-starting, and so on.

An attractive feature of the book is the inclusion of a number of short biographies, with good photo portraits, of selected individuals who have made major contributions to sea turtle biology. Just a dozen or so had the honor to make "Spotila's list" - a challenging selection task in view of the enormous number of people now doing sea turtle work, but while many real-world winners did not make the list, there were certainly no losers included! One imagines that the Spotila laureates will include this prestigious recognition somewhere near the top of their proud achievements in the next version of their personal CVs.

The photography is superb. Many talented photographers contributed their work, and there are stunning marine turtle images on almost all of the 227 pages of this book, many of them taken underwater and revealing our shelled friends in their true medium, where they look so much more graceful, animated, and at ease than in the usual pictures of an exhausted, sand-covered, weeping turtle struggling to complete its duties on the nesting beach.

*Reviewer's comment.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection of photos and information, November 7, 2004
Sea Turtles by James R. Spotila is a fantastic guide to sea turtle biology and conservation. Scientific information is presented in clear language that is equally useful to adult and school kid. The photos are unsurpassed in beauty. This book explains the precarious situation of these unusual animals, and why we must work to preserve them. Spotila weaves in stories from his own research in Costa Rica, making his experience accessible to all. An excellent read, and lovely coffee table book!
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and educational, July 29, 2006
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This book is beautiful. From one of the top sea turtle conservationists. It covers almost everything there is to know about sea turtles. The diagrams of turtle anatomy really help to understand these creatures. It is also great that Spotila profiles some of the dedicated conservationists working to protect the turtles. The pictures are stunning. The books large pages do the pictures and the turtles justice. After reading the book, you feel as if you have been initiated into the world of sea turtles. And, an added bonus, a portion of the royalties will be donated to Leatherback Trust. In short, if you like sea turtles, buy this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!
I bought this book based on recommendations found in Amazon.com and was not disappointed. The book is full of beautiful photographs and clear and informative illustrations and is... Read more
Published 28 days ago by N. Dorow

4.0 out of 5 stars Complete, it is
This is a truly in-depth look at sea turtles. If you're not only interested in the "charisma" and some beautiful photography, but also ready to dive into all the other... Read more
Published 6 months ago by KMcP

5.0 out of 5 stars SEA TURTLES
SUPER book, will be studying and collecting research data on sea turtles in Costa Rica. As informational as beautiful!

mary
Published 6 months ago by Mary J. Marshall

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the Basics
Sea Turtles by James Spotila is a phenomenal book. The text is great, but the pictures help keep you captivated. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lab2011

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice book!
Loaded with pictures, and an excellent book for turtle lovers. I bought this for my girlfriend and she really lofves it! Very educational!
Published 9 months ago by Mike - R.N.

5.0 out of 5 stars Turtle watcher
Loved this book ...spent a week at the Bald Head Island Conservancy which operates a nationally recognised Sea Turtle Protection program and is the only non governmental agency in... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Bonne amie

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely wonderful!!!!!
This book is amazing! Beautiful Pictures!! Our family saved baby sea turtles on a vacation. Bought this book for my ten year old's (very high level reader) non-fiction book... Read more
Published on November 17, 2007 by hedgehoghowie

5.0 out of 5 stars EVERYTHING You need to know about Sea Turtles
I purchased this book for my High School Freshman as a Honors Lit non-fiction book project. She made a beautiful powerpoint presentation and Website with quizzes. Read more
Published on May 23, 2007 by Zandra Wehunt

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book
This book is full of fantastic photos and a wealth of detailed information. A must for anybody interested in sea turtles.
Published on November 5, 2006 by R. Konig

5.0 out of 5 stars Sea Turtles
I am a biologist and found this book filled with inspiration because it offered so many ways we all can help with saving the sea turtles. I plan to do my part, how about you?
Published on February 22, 2006 by Judy E. Murphy

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