Handbook of Turtles: 
The Turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California

By Tyler Monson, TurtleTimes.com
March 14, 2001

The Handbook of Turtles,  has been out a while published in 1952 and is in its 9th printing. Needless to say it is a classic reference with valuable information for anyone interested in the Turtles of the United States, Canada and Baja California. 

We thank the publishers for offering us a copy of this text for review here at Turtle Times. I am amazed I had not come across this text before. I find myself referring to it on a normal basis when conversing with people about turtles that I am unfamiliar with. Frankly when we got this reference book to review I thought this is going to be a boring read; however I was wrong. I need to quit judging books by their cover although the box turtle on the cover is just beautiful. The writing style of Andy Carr is easy-to-read, direct and enjoyable. I have to say its a small gold mine of information.  

If your serious about turtles this book will find its way to your shelf, it is just a matter of time. We now consider it a must have in our library. We recommend it to anyone interested in turtles from the United States, Canada and Baja California. 

What's good:

• A reference that is easy to read and has a good layout. 

• Each species has a distribution map as well as multiple pictures of each  specimen to help with identification.

• Sea Turtles were not forgotten in this reference. 

• Each species generally has a section on  Range, Features, Description, Habitat, Habits, Breeding, Feeding and Economic importance. 

• Includes valuable information on the biology and functions of turtles.

• If your a nature lover, this book would make a good field guide to help identify those shelled friends you might see when hiking or discovering nature with friends.

What's not:

• Everything is black and white in this book some color photos would have been nice. 

• The text costs a bit more than most pet owners would be willing to pay but the information is worth every penny.

• This text is not for the beginning turtle enthusiast. This should be a text that is used as a reference and is not ideal for finding out information about pet care. It will inform you of what the lifestyle of the turtle is in its natural habitat.

Conclusion:

I had never seen this book in the book stores I visit, if I had I would have purchased it. After reading it I would say its a must have in any serious turtle library, its a classic and as valuable a resource today as it was for its first printing.

Authors
Archie Carr and foreword by J. Whittfield Gibbons

Related Links

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