Turtles of the World: A Guide to Every Family

Book by Jeffrey E. Lovich and Whit Gibbons

Princeton University Press. 2021.  240p. Hardbound. $29.95. 

More than a guide to “families”, since some families consist of only 1-3 species, there is often information down to individual species or else to genus level.  Over 250 excellent color photographs accompany this admirable title.  An overview of the world’s 354 species.

For each entry there is information on distribution (with a map in most cases), genera, habitats, size, life span, activity (diurnal vs. nocturnal, etc.), reproduction, and diet.  “Size” always lists length with respect to “CL”, carapace length, but lacks weight for smaller taxa.

Some extremes listed here: Alligator Snapping Turtles can reach 249 lbs., Eastern Box Turtles can live to be over 100, some Galapagos Tortoises get up to 882 lbs. and some recent ones were probably alive when Darwin visited.  Leatherback Sea Turtles can reach 2,016 lbs.

Detailed introductory material describes turtle anatomy, physiology, global and regional distribution, behavior, feeding habits, extinct turtles, reproduction, evolution, systematics, taxonomy, growth, longevity, ecological and cultural importance, and conservation.

Full of interesting facts.  Ranges of some species are restricted to small river systems in Australia and Africa.  Some species have only been discovered in the past few decades.  Burrows of Gopher Tortoises are used by “over 250 species of vertebrates and invertebrates” (p. 153).

Helpful are appendices with a 72-term glossary, a list of 7 turtle conservation organizations, 18 general books, and 15 relevant journal articles.  Reference is made at several spots on the deleterious effects of the pet trade, often an illicit phenomenon. There is a large sub-culture of illegal reptile captivity.

This book is solid and well-reproduced.  Highly recommended.

Henry T. Armistead
March 3rd, 2023

Birds of The Mesozoic: An Illustrated Field Guide

Book by Juan Benito and Roc Olivé Pous

Lynx. 2022. 272p.  Flexbound.  $39.50.

An extraordinary title featuring 208 species for which there is fossil evidence during the periods of the dinosaurs.  For every species there is text on known material (which fossil remains that there are), morphology, plumage & soft tissue, biology, and notes.

On the facing page are the impressive illustration(s), accompanied by brief information on location, geological setting, age (number of millions of years ago), body length, and wingspan.  Of course, given the usually limited fossil record, a lot of the color paintings are highly conjectural, especially concrning plumage coloration.

This is a highly technical book with descriptions such as “the skull is subtriangular, with a short edentulous beak probably covered by a horny rampthofeca, and slender lower jaws with a spatulate anterior end.” (p. 188 for Archaeorynchus spathula).  Following the scientific name is an English name, usually a translation of the former, in this case “Spatulate ancient beak”.  Many of these Mesozoic birds had teeth.

The technical writing is probably off-putting for most of us, but this should not matter in view of the marvelous color plates, many of them either of stubby, short-tailed, rather comical-looking creatures, or, by way of contrast, birds with very long tails.

The majority (159) of these species are known from only one fossil, or part of one, but in some few cases, there have been hundreds or even thousands of finds, such as for Confuciusornis sanctus (Holy Confucius bird), permitting depictions of males and females, or as is the case with Sapeornis chaoyangensis (SAPE bird from Chayoang), adults, subadults, and juveniles based on remains of at least 100 specimens.

Areas with the greatest number of fossils, in descending order, highest first, are China, U.S., Germany, and Argentina but Madagascar and even Antarctica are also represented.  Originally the famous Archaeopteryx was the only known fossil bird (discovered in 1860), but fortunately for us there have been huge expansions of findings and knowledge of others since.

This fine book has an expansive list of relevant journal articles, a not-so-expansive 3-page glossary (that lacks many of the terms on the text, such as “avialans”, “avialae” or even “Mesozoic”), and a surprisingly long list of previously-described forms (91) that are no longer considered valid.

If one has a time machine it would be hard to resist the temptation to get on board for a tour of the Jurassic and Cretaceous to see some of these unbelievable creatures.  Perhaps you would be able to add species of Songlingornithidae, Longipterygidae, or Scansoriopterygidae to the list of new birds in your favorite birding patch.

Henry T. Armistead
March 4, 2023