For more than a hundred million years, sea turtles
have been swimming in the world's oceans. These
magnificent, long-lived creatures spend their lives in
the water, coming ashore to lay their eggs. Upon
hatching, the baby turtles leave the nest and enter a
dangerous world of storms and predators. The females
will return to the same beach to lay their own eggs when
they reach maturity a decade later. Today, there are
seven species of sea turtle: the grass-eating green
turtle; the sea sponge-eating hawksbill; the olive
ridley; the Kemp's ridley, which is the smallest
species; the loggerhead; the flatback of Australia; and
the giant leatherback. Having escaped the mass
extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, these ancient
reptiles today face new dangers that threaten their
survival: pollution, hunting, and the destruction of
their nesting grounds. Will this century be the last to
witness their majesty? Will succeeding generations live
in a world devoid of their graceful presence? Marine
biologist James R. Spotila has spent much of his life
unraveling the mysteries of these graceful creatures and
working to ensure their survival.In Sea Turtles, he
offers a comprehensive and compelling account of their
history and life cycle based on the most recent
scientific data-and suggests what we can do now to save
them. From the Kemp's ridley, which nests on a single
beach on Mexico's Gulf Coast, to the nomadic
leatherback, which can weigh up to a ton and is in the
most imminent danger of extinction, Spotila offers a
vivid description of their diets and mating habits, and
the conservation efforts being made on their behalf.
Illustrated with stunning color photographs by the
world's leading nature photographers, Sea Turtles will
inform and inspire readers of all ages
everywhere. |
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