Praise for the first edition:
With deft prose and engaging anecdotes, Mr. Orenstein takes us skillfully through a vast amount of information....[his] treatment is nothing short of masterly.
--Science Books and Films

Abounds with excellent color photographs. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.
-- Library Journal

The remarkable adaptations of turtles, tortoises and terrapins have helped them survive for over 200 million years. They are the most wide-ranging of reptiles, found in deserts, forests and the open ocean. But they are also among the world's most endangered animals. They face the multiple threats of habitat destruction, poaching, overhunting (for food and traditional medicines), deadly tangles with fishing lines and capture for the international pet trade. Around the world, turtle populations are under attack on land and sea. Many species are close to extinction and efforts are underway to save them. It is among the main goals of this book to foster awareness about these unique and threatened creatures.

In this new edition, zoologist Ronald Orenstein describes the astonishing ways that turtles cope with their environment. He updates readers on the latest discoveries and explores the debate on origins of the turtle. Every aspect of their evolution, life history and conservation status is presented in 250 photographs and lively text supplemented with numerous maps and a bibliography.

The battle to save turtles goes on. Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins is fascinating, informative and essential for anyone interested in these amazing creatures and concerned about their precarious future.

 

Ronald Orenstein is a zoologist, lawyer and wildlife conservationist who has written extensively on natural history issues His most recent books are Ivory, Horn and Blood, Butterflies and Hummingbirds He lives in Ontario, Canada, and spends several months each year in Sarawak, Malaysia

Ronald Orenstein's profile page

This book addresses the 320 species of extant turtles in the world and is an update of the 2001 version of Orenstein's book titled Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins: Survivors in Armor... Biologists, including students, interested in turtles should become familiar with this updated version as a general reference on selected natural history traits of turtles.

Quarterly Review of Biology Vol 88 No 4

[Review of earlier edition:] This book is a great secondary teaching resource for harnessing students' natural curiosity. It's not only for enthusiasts but can also provide research material for motivated biology students.

Science Teacher

Best Books for Junior High and YA 2013

Science Books and Film

An AMAZING book! It is an encyclopedic accomplishment without losing a small-book, single-author's charm and verve for the subject... [Orenstein] obviously loves his subject and took great care to get it right in every fashion... Full color photos that are clear and well thought out illustrate the points being discussed... [they] are beautiful and much better than what is generally expected for a fairly dense, (for a layman book) work. This is a true science book, (I rejoice to say)... If you like turtles you will love this book, if you love turtles you cannot be without this book!

Science Books and Film

This work covers conservation issues -- as well as all aspects of their life histories and evolution -- from a comprehensive global perspective. This revised work (updating Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins: Survivors in Armor, 2001) features mostly new color photographs as well as updated entries based on recent research... Written for a popular audience, the volume offers a descriptive narrative presentation... Notable for outstanding color photographs and highly accessible and engaging content, Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins merits high recommendation for all types of libraries.

Booklist

[Review of earlier edition:] The book does a good job of answering the questions of what turtles, terrapins, and tortoises are, how they live, an whether they will survive ... The book abounds with excellent color photographs. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.

Library Journal

Fascinating, informative and essential for anyone interested in these amazing creatures and concerned about their precarious future.

GrrlScientist, The Guardian

[Review of earlier edition:] With deft prose and engaging anecdotes, Mr. Orenstein takes us skillfully through a vast amount of information packaged to be remembered without undue effort. ... In essence, Mr. Orenstein's treatment is nothing short of masterly.

Science Books and Films

Brilliant colour photographs show the amazing variety and stunning markings of species from around the world.

North Shore News

[Review of earlier edition:] Comprehensive coverage ... their evolution, life history and conservation.

Nature

[Review of earlier edition:] [Orenstein's] accurate and fact-filled text, while easily readable by the most casual of turtle observers, will almost certainly provide some unknown tidbit of useful information to just about everyone regardless of expertise.

Turtle and Tortoise Bookshop Newsletter

[Review of earlier edition:] Almost everything a turtle enthusiast could possibly want to know can be found in this comprehensive book.

VOYA [Voice of Youth Advocates]

A detailed, superbly illustrated volume that summarizes much of the biology and natural history of world turtles and emphasizes conservation throughout... Intended for popular consumption, [it] is well written in an instructive and entertaining style, with an easy-to-comprehend vernacular and a minimum of technical terminology. Over 250 superb and well-chosen color photographs, distribution maps, charts, and monochrome drawings complement the narrative... Highly recommended. All public, high school, and undergraduate library collections.

Choice

An AMAZING book! ... an encyclopedic accomplishment without losing a small book, single author's charm and verve for the subject. Mr. Orenstein...has made this herpetologist very happy... He obviously loves his subject and took great care to get it right in every fashion... There must be thousands of hours devoted just to the acquisition of the photo collection, which are beautiful and much better than what is generally expected.... This is a true science book, (I rejoice to say)... If you like turtles you will love this book, if you love turtles you cannot be without this book!

Science Books and Film