Turtles & Tortoises for Dummies

by Liz Palika

Coexisting with a turtle or tortoise may not be a warm and fuzzy experience, but it definitely has its rewards. And with more than 250 species to choose from, you&;re bound to find one that&;s right for you. Looks-wise, they can range from very plain and unadorned to a brightly colored and embellished with every manner of crest, crown, spike, and dewlap. As for personality, you&;d be amazed at how very different they can be, ranging from shy and withdrawn, to outgoing and friendly, to outright aggressive. And when it comes to longevity, well, let&;s just say that when you commit to a turtle or tortoise, you&;re in it for the long haul. For example, the standard American box turtle can live more than 125 years, a leopard tortoise has a life span of up to 100 years, and an aldabran tortoise can live to be more than 200 years old! This fun guide will help you choose the perfect turtle or tortoise for your lifestyle and give it the care it needs to thrive. Turtle and tortoise expert Liz Palika provides cl ear, step-by-step instructions on how to: Generously illustrated with line drawings and high-quality photographs, Turtles & Tortoises For Dummies covers all the bases. Topics covered include: Turtles & Tortoises For Dummies is your fun guide to selecting, caring for, and sharing your life with a chelonian.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2001

Reviews

[Tulgey Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book might have been good when it first came out. And some parts of it still are good. But we've learned a lot about tortoises even just in the last few years. So this book is outdated to the point that, if you follow its advice, your tortoise will be very unhealthy or worse. You can find much better care info here: https://www.tortoise-protection-group...

[Michelle Pollnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking to increase my knowledge so thatup I could take better care of the turtles that I have. While my turtles were not specifically described in the book, she did talk about red earred sliders which are closely related to my turtles. This is definitely a reference book. And it is not necessary to read every chapter.

[David E. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book of you have or are planning to buy a turtle or tortoises

There was plenty of good info on every page
There is even info on decent types of turtles. and tortoises
Info on feeding and houssings

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit American based but otherwise good and accurate information. Should be read if your thinking of getting a tortoise

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! Overall information. Pretty dated however. If you're really interested in owning a turtle or tortoise use this as a base and do your research online

[Scot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice beginners guide... my friend asked me to watch his turtle while he is away for a few months and gave me this as a reference. Think the trick with turtles is that there are so many different kinds that all have different needs that you really have to pick and poke from this to get just little bits, but that is why this is the guide for dummies. The author clearly loves turtles though and the nuggets you glean are totally worthwhile, especially if you know next to nothing.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books for dummies are always packed with good information about the topic they cover. I highly recommend this one for anyone who is thinking about getting a turtle or tortoise as a pet.

[Seungwan W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book