Turtle and Tortoise Care Books

The Tortoise Trust Guide to Tortoises and Turtles Andy Highfield

      This guide provides factual information and advice on keeping tortoises, turtles and terrapins. Suitable for the newcomer to the subject, this book aims to give a general introduction to the topic.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Turtles and Tortoises (Complete Idiot's Guide To...) by Liz Palika

     Another instalment in the wildly popular Idiots Guide series. Very comprehensive information on every aspect of turtle care is presented in an easily accessible, quick, fun format, with care tips, pitfalls and interesting trivia bits throughout. Turtles and tortoises are the most popular reptile pets and differ greatly from other reptiles in their needs, yet there is very little available that is devoted exclusively to them.

Turtles & Tortoises for Dummies by Liz Palika

     Easy to follow, practical guide to caring for turtles and tortoises.

The Tortoise and Turtle Feeding Manual A.C. Highfield

      This text collates detailed articles and papers on the dietary management of tortoises and turtles. It addresses the problems that every keeper faces when attempting to provide optimum diets in captive situations. The topics covered include: the causes and prevention of "lumpy shell syndrome" and bone deformities; calcium and the D3 metabolism; protein and energy requirements; miscellaneous trace elements; the role of vitamins and supplements; wild foods for captive tortoises; grasses and hay for savannah species; feeding box and wood turtles; and growing perfect hatchlings. The photographs show the incorrect and correct development of tortoises and turtles.

Turtles and Tortoises: Caring for Them, Feeding Them, Understanding Them by Hartmut Wilke

Turtles in the Terrarium by Gerhard Muller, Gerhard Mueller

Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles by A. C. Highfield

     A practical guide to maintaining and breeding both rare and common tortoises and turtles. Chapters on natural habitats, reproductive biology, artificial incubation, designing accommodation, water quality, dietary management, and diseases give information applying to semiaquatic, aquatic, and terrestrial species. Includes colour and b&w photos, illustrated species accounts, a glossary, and a list of organizations. Written by the founder of the Tortoise Trust.

Turtles and Tortoises : Everything About Selection, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, and Behaviour (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Richard D. Bartlett, Patricia P. Bartlett (Contributor), Michelle Earle-Bridges (Illustrator)

      Provides a wealth of information.

Turtles & Tortoises of the World by David Alderton, Alderton

      A concise yet comprehensive book on this diverse and fantastic group of animals. The author has succeeded in giving us an overview of almost all species of turtles in very readable text, even for the layman.

General Care and Maintenance of Popular Tortoises (The Herpetocultural Library Series) by Philippe De Vosjoli

     A good introduction to what it takes to live with a tortoise. Quick overviews of each species and good care instructions. Especially good on outdoor enclosures.

Tortoises: Natural History, Care and Breeding in Captivity by Jerry G. Walls

      A handbook on keeping and breeding tortoises from the HERPETOLOGY series. Offers advice for the amateur herpetologist on caring for tortoises in captivity, with details of their natural history and habitat.

Mediterranean Tortoises by Pursall, Brian Pursall

     Information on diet, behaviour, breeding, incubation, growth, hibernation, temperature control, and housing. Excellent photography.

Practical Care and Maintenance of the Redfoot Tortoise Geochelone Carbonaria in Captivity Mike Pingleton

      A comprehensive guide to keeping the popular South American Redfoot tortoise. The book includes detailed information on housing, feeding and breeding, with special emphasis upon how to provide an appropriate environment. It is full of observations based on years of experience with this species and is aimed at anyone who has, or who is thinking about, keeping a Redfoot tortoise as a pet. The information provided in the book has been endorsed and recommended by The Tortoise Trust, the world's leading organization for tortoise and turtle enthusiasts.

The Sonoran Desert Tortoise: Natural History, Biology, and Conservation

Tortoises and Box Turtles by Hartmut Wilke

      This handsomely illustrated book presents a wealth of information on the purchase, housing, and general care of tortoises and box turtles. Books in the Complete Pet Owner's Manuals series present basic information about pets for new or soon-to-be owners, as well as detailed information for other animal hobbyists. Advice and instruction covers purchase, equipment, general care and maintenance, and much more. Texts emphasize the basics and are easy for all readers to understand, but most titles in this series also presents facts that even experienced owners and hobbyists will find new and useful. All books in this series are filled with high quality full-color photos and instructive line drawings. Length averages between 64 and 104 pages.

The Box Turtle Manual (The Herpetocultural Library. Series 300) by Philippe De Vosjoli, Philippe De Vosjoli, Philippe De Vosjoli, Roger Klingenberg (Contributor)

     Comprehensive basic information regarding the care of several box turtle species. Good for beginners to intermediate owners.

North American Box Turtles: A Natural History by C. Kenneth, Jr. Dodd

      Native to the United States and Mexico, the box turtle is so named because of its box-like appearance. A once familiar backyard visitor, the box turtle is also the focus of both conservation efforts and biological research.North American Box Turtles is the first book-length natural history of the twelve species and subspecies of the terrestrial box turtle. It includes comprehensive information on the species' systematics, evolution, habitat use and activity patterns, behavior, courtship and reproduction, diet, population structure, and disease. Each chapter discusses conservation applications as well as the need for long-term data, monitoring, and viewing box turtles within a landscape context. Special features of this book include: *color photos of all species and subspecies and habitats *a simplified identification guide to both living and fossil species *a summary of information on fossil Terrapene and Native uses of box turtles *end-of-chapter sections that highlight future research directions *a glossary of general natural history terms *a bibliography of literature on box turtles All royalties from the sales of this volume will go to the Chelonian Research Foundation, a nonprofit foundation for the conservation of turtles.

Box Turtles : Keeping & Breeding Them in Captivity by Jordan Patterson

     Discusses the physical characteristics, behaviour, health, and breeding of box turtles and provides information on keeping them as pets.

Box Turtles by Richard D. Bartlett, Patricia Pope Bartlett

      Most box turtle varieties are poor swimmers, and prefer both natural and terrarium environments where waters are shallow. Here's is detailed advice on all aspects of their care and maintenance. Books in this series give hobbyists basic information on reptiles' anatomy, life cycles, and traits, as well as specific instructions on care and breeding. There is expert information on selecting good specimens, determining sex, providing proper caging, nutritious feeding, and health care. All books are heavily illustrated with full-color photos.

Red-Eared Sliders (General Care and Maintenance of Series) by Philippe De Vosjoli

     When kept properly, red-eared sliders will delight their owners with their beauty, intelligence fascinating behaviours, and a lifespan of up to 25 years or longer. Learn how to simulate aspects of a pond or lake in your home vivarium, how to determine the sex of your turtle, how to breed red-eared sliders along with proven techniques for feeding, heating, filtering the water and the use of plants. You'll be amazed by what you didn't know! Colour photos of different morphs and other popular freshwater turtles.

Red Eared Slider Turtles by Jordan Patterson

      This book adequately covers the essentials of owning a turtle: housing, feeding, breeding, and diseases. The section on breeding is a little more extensive than in other intro books. A plus is that most of the pictures are in color.

Cooters, Sliders & Painted Turtles by Jerry G. Walls

      Great pictures make this book very useful for figuring out exactly what type of turtle you have in that tank in your home. In addition, the information on longevity and disposition is helpful in understanding these animals, both at home and in the wild.

Map Turtles and Diamond Back Terrapins by W. P. Mara

Turtles of the United States and Canada by Carl H. Ernst, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Roger W. Barbour

      A comprehensive reference that summarizes the current knowledge about the 56 turtle species of the US and Canada, of which 13 are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Each of the species accounts includes sections on recognition, karyotype, fossil record, distribution, geographic variation, confusing species, habitat, behavior, reproduction, biology, growth and longevity, food habits, populations, and predators. The authors also include a discussion of turtle anatomy, a key to species identification, a pronunciation glossary for scientific names, and an extensive bibliography. Illustrated with color plates and b&w photographs of each species, anatomical line drawings, and distribution maps

Turtles by Hartmut Wilke

      Here are detailed instructions on turtle care, safe handling, feeding, health care, and general maintenance. Books in the Complete Pet Owner's Manuals series present basic information for new or soon-to-be owners. Advice and instruction covers feeding, housing, health care, training, grooming, and much more. Texts emphasize pet care basics and are easy for all readers to understand. All books in this series are filled with high quality full-color photos and instructive line drawings. Length averages between 64 and 104 pages.

Laboratory Anatomy of the Turtle by Laurence M. Ashley

      Drawings and text guide the student in the dissection of the turtle.

Turtle Conservation by Michael W. Klemens, Nat B. Frazer

      American conservation and wildlife specialists analyze threats to turtles and tortoises worldwide, charting the successes and failures of past conservation programs and offering suggestions for future conservation efforts. They argue that turtle and tortoise conservation should be integrated into broadly focused, local land-use projects.

The Year of the Turtle: A Natural History

     Acclaimed naturalist David M. Carroll guides readers through the yearly cycle of the freshwater turtle. With lyrical yet factual prose observations, Carroll also includes more than 100 of his carefully executed full-colour drawings.