Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean

Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean

Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


A Sheltered Life

A Sheltered Life PDF Author: Paul Chambers
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195223965
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
A Sheltered Life offers a fascinating look at one of the world's strangest and most wondrous animals--whose significance in modern science and culture cannot be underestimated. In an engaging blend of cultural and natural history, the book ranges from the earliest mention of the tortoises many millennia ago, to the wholesale plunder of their populations starting in the sixteenth century, to modern attempts to protect the tortoise and track down members of what were once believed to be extinct populations.

Lost Land of the Dodo

Lost Land of the Dodo PDF Author: Anthony Cheke
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1408108828
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 824

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Book Description
The Mascarene islands in the southern Indian Ocean - Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues - were once home to an extraordinary range of birds and reptiles. Evolving on these isolated volcanic islands in the absence of mammalian predators or competitors, the land was dominated by giant tortoises, parrots, skinks and geckos, burrowing boas, flightless rails & herons, and of course (in Mauritius) the Dodo. Uninhabited and only discovered in the 1500s, colonisation by European settlers in the 1600s led to dramatic changes in the ecology of the islands; the birds and tortoises were slaughtered indiscriminately while introduced rats, cats, pigs and monkeys destroyed their eggs, the once-extensive forests logged, and invasive introduced plants from all over the tropics devastated the ecosystem. The now-familiar icon of extinction, the Dodo, was gone from Mauritius within 50 years of human settlement, and over the next 150 years many of the Mascarenes' other native vertebrates followed suit. The product of over 30 years research by Anthony Cheke, Lost Land of the Dodo provides a comprehensive yet hugely enjoyable account of the story of the islands' changing ecology, interspersed with human stories, the islands' biogeographical anomalies, and much else. Many French publications, old and new, especially for Réunion, are discussed and referenced in English for the first time. The book is richly illustrated with maps and contemporary illustrations of the animals and their environment, many of which have rarely been reprinted before. Illustrated box texts look in detail at each extinct vertebrate species, while Julian Hume's superb colour plates bring many of the extinct birds to life. Lost Land of the Dodo provides the definitive account of this tragic yet remarkable fauna, and is a must-read for anyone interested in islands, their ecology and the history of our relationship with the world around us.

The Conservation Biology of Tortoises

The Conservation Biology of Tortoises PDF Author: IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
Publisher: IUCN
ISBN: 2880329868
Category : Nature conservation
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Wildlife of the Galapagos

Wildlife of the Galapagos PDF Author: Julian Fitter
Publisher: Traveller's Guide
ISBN: 9780008156732
Category : Animals
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The islands of the Galápagos, situated off the coast of Ecuador in South America, are home to some of the world's most fascinating wildlife and are visited by thousands of tourists each year.

Extinct Madagascar

Extinct Madagascar PDF Author: Steven M. Goodman
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022615694X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
The landscapes of Madagascar have long delighted zoologists, who have discovered, in and among the island’s baobab trees and thickets, a dizzying array of animals, including something approaching one hundred species of lemur. Madagascar’s mammal fauna, for example, is far more diverse, and more endemic, than early explorers and naturalists ever dreamed of. But in the past 2,500 or so years—a period associated with natural climatic shifts and ecological change, as well as partially coinciding with the arrival of the island’s first human settlers—a considerable proportion of Madagascar’s forests have disappeared; and in the wake of this loss, a number of species unique to Madagascar have vanished forever into extinction. In Extinct Madagascar, noted scientists Steven M. Goodman and William L. Jungers explore the recent past of these land animal extinctions. Beginning with an introduction to the geologic and ecological history of Madagascar that provides context for the evolution, diversification, and, in some cases, rapid decline of the Malagasy fauna, Goodman and Jungers then seek to recapture these extinct mammals in their environs. Aided in their quest by artist Velizar Simeonovski’s beautiful and haunting digital paintings—images of both individual species and ecosystem assemblages reproduced here in full color—Goodman and Jungers reconstruct the lives of these lost animals and trace their relationships to those still living. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of Simeonovski’s artwork set to open at the Field Museum, Chicago, in the fall of 2014, Goodman and Jungers’s awe-inspiring book will serve not only as a sobering reminder of the very real threat of extinction, but also as a stunning tribute to Madagascar’s biodiversity and a catalyst for further research and conservation.

Evolution in Isolation

Evolution in Isolation PDF Author: Kevin C. Burns
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108422012
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
Tests for repeated patterns in evolution of island plants, which together comprise an 'island syndrome' analogous to animals.

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship PDF Author: Isabella Hatkoff
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545368413
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
The amazing true story of the orphaned baby hippo and 130-year-old giant turtle whose remarkable friendship touched millions around the world.The inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-yr-old giant tortoise named Mzee (Mm-ZAY). When Owen was stranded after the Dec 2004 tsunami, villagers in Kenya worked tirelessly to rescue him. Then, to everyone's amazement, the orphan hippo and the elderly tortoise adopted each other. Now they are inseparable, swimming, eating, and playing together. Adorable photos e-mailed from friend to friend quickly made them worldwide celebrities. Here is a joyous reminder that in times of trouble, friendship is stronger than the differences that too often pull us apart.

Tortoises, Terrapins & Turtles of Africa

Tortoises, Terrapins & Turtles of Africa PDF Author: Bill Branch
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
ISBN: 1920544321
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Africa has a rich diversity of tortoises, terrapins and turtles. This authoritative field guide is richly illustrated with colour photographs that make for easy identification of the 46 African species; it provides accessible, up-to-date information and distribution maps, and examines how these creatures have adapted to their environments. The book offers an overview of their origins, anatomy and biology, their conservation status and the threats to their survival posed by the destruction of their habitats by man.

Tortoises of the World

Tortoises of the World PDF Author: George R. Zug
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421448351
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
"This work provides a comprehensive review of the natural history of the 58 species living tortoises, the majority of which are threatened by extinction"--