Sea Turtles of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States
Book Description:
Written by two of the Southeast's foremost authorities on sea
turtle conservation, this is an accessible, fully illustrated guide
to the species that frequent the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the
United States.
No one who encounters a sea turtle soon forgets it. The
leatherback, for instance, can grow to huge proportions, commonly
approaching eight feet in length and more than half a ton in
weight. Powerful swimmers, they are also among the deepest divers
of all air-breathing sea creatures. Despite these assets, the
survival of the leatherback, like that of all sea turtle species,
is under constant threat from commercial fishing operations,
overdevelopment of nesting grounds, pollution, and predation by
introduced species.
The guide opens with comprehensive coverage of the sea turtle's
evolution, juvenile and adult life cycles, nesting, diet and
feeding, disease and parasites, predators, and conservation issues.
Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a particular turtle
species: loggerhead, leatherback, Kemp's ridley, green sea turtle,
hawksbill, and olive ridley. The account of each species describes
distribution, habitats, general appearance, life history and
behavior, and conservation. For each species, photographs of
hatchlings and adults and a map showing distribution and migration
provide further information.
Sea turtles have been swimming the seas for one hundred million
years. Yet all of the species in this book--indeed, all sea turtles
worldwide--are on U.S. and international endangered lists.
Biologists Carol Ruckdeschel and C. Robert Shoop have dedicated
their careers to learning about sea turtles-and to ensuring that we
understand that we are stakeholders in the fate of these ancient
creatures. With this guide in hand, readers will be better equipped
to understand sea turtle biology and support sea turtle
conservation efforts.
Species information includes
distribution
habitats
general appearance
life history and behavior
conservation
Additional features include:
identification keys
glossary
selected bibliography
detailed drawings of distinctive features
color photographs
distribution maps
eISBN: 978-0-8203-4446-1
Subjects: Zoology, Environmental Science
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