One of the most recognizable animals of the Southwest, the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) makes its home in both the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts, as well as in tropical areas to the south in Mexico. Called by Tohono O'odham people "komik'c-ed," or "shell with living thing inside," it is one of the few desert creatures kept as a domestic pet—as well as one of the most studied reptiles in the world. Most of our knowledge of desert tortoises comes from studies of Mohave Desert populations in California and Nevada. However, the ecology, physiology, and behavior of these northern populations are quite different from those of their southern, Sonoran Desert, and tropical cousins, which have been studied much less. Differences in climate and habitat have shaped the evolution of three races of desert tortoises as they have adapted to changes in heat, rainfall, and sources of food and shelter as the deserts developed in the last ten million years. This book presents the first comprehensive summary of the natural history, biology, and conservation of the Sonoran and Sinaloan desert tortoises, reviewing the current state of knowledge of these creatures with appropriate comparisons to Mohave tortoises. It condenses a vast amount of information on population ecology, activity, and behavior based on decades of studying tortoise populations in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and also includes important material on the care and protection of tortoises. Thirty-two contributors address such topics as tortoise fossil records, DNA analysis, and the mystery of secretive hatchlings and juveniles. Tortoise health is discussed in chapters on the care of captives, and original data are presented on the diets of wild and captive tortoises, the nutrient content of plant foods, and blood parameters of healthy tortoises. Coverage of conservation issues includes husbandry methods for captive tortoises, an overview of protective measures, and an evaluation of threats to tortoises from introduced grass and wildfires. A final chapter on cultural knowledge presents stories and songs from indigenous peoples and explores their understanding of tortoises. As the only comprehensive book on the desert tortoise, this volume gathers a vast amount of information for scientists, veterinarians, and resource managers while also remaining useful to general readers who keep desert tortoises as backyard pets. It will stand as an enduring reference on this endearing creature for years to come.

Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition is the fifth in a series of books on animal feeding and nutrition. It fills a serious gap in the wildlife and animal nutrition literature by providing a discussion of the basic principles of nutrition and their application to the broader field of wildlife ecology. This book is based on lectures presented in an upper-level wildlife nutrition course taught at Washington State University. The book discusses the five major nutritional categories of constituents that animals must acquire from their external environments: energy, protein, water, minerals, and vitamins. Subsequent chapters cover topics such as the estimation of energy and protein requirements; dietary protein requirements for captive wildlife and free-ranging populations; wildlife reproductive characteristics; the digestion and metabolism of nutrients; and food intake regulation. The text will be invaluable to wildlife biologists, to those who are interested in captive animal nutrition and management, and to those who are interested in improving the feed supply and nutrition of free-ranging wildlife.

The most comprehensive book ever published on North America's native tortoises. Tortoises, those unmistakable turtles, evolved from a lineage that split off from the familiar pond turtles roughly 100 million years ago. Over time, these plant-eating land turtles spread around the world, growing to an enormous size (depending on the species) and living so long that they have become the stuff of legends. By most accounts, they are indeed the longest-lived of the turtles, with good records suggesting individuals may live as long as 180 years (anecdotal records suggest that some reach ages of 200 years or more). Providing the first comprehensive treatment of North America’s tortoises, Biology and Conservation of North American Tortoises brings together leading experts to give an overview of tortoise morphology, taxonomy, systematics, paleontology, physiology, ecology, behavior, reproduction, diet, growth, health, and conservation. The contributors carefully combine their own expertise and observations with results from studies conducted by hundreds of other researchers. The result is a book that belongs in the library of every herpetologist. Contributors Gustavo Aguirre L. Linda J. Allison Matthew J. Aresco Roy C. Averill-Murray Joan E. Berish Kristin H. Berry Dennis M. Bramble K. Kristina Drake Taylor Edwards Todd C. Esque Richard Franz Craig Guyer J. Scott Harrison Sharon M. Hermann J. Howard Hutchison Elliott R. Jacobson Valerie M. Johnson Richard T. Kazmaier Earl D. McCoy Philip A. Medica Robert W. Murphy Henry R. Mushinsky Kenneth E. Nussear Michael P. O’Connor Thomas A. Radzio David C. Rostal Lora L. Smith James R. Spotila Craig B. Stanford C. Richard Tracy Tracey D. Tuberville Michael Tuma Thane Wibbels