The Creator gave the Cherokee people a beautiful island with everything they could ever need. It came with only one rule: They must take care of the land and the animals living there. But what happens when the children decide to play with the turtles instead of tending to their responsibilities? The Land of the Great Turtles is a Cherokee origin story that introduces the reader to Cherokee beliefs and values. Written in both Cherokee and English, the book will familiarize readers with the Cherokee syllabary and language.

Unlike most books that chronicle the history of Native peoples beginning with the arrival of Europeans in 1492, this book goes back to the Ice Age to give young readers a glimpse of what life was like pre-contact. The title, Turtle Island, refers to a Native myth that explains how North and Central America were formed on the back of a turtle. Based on archeological finds and scientific research, we now have a clearer picture of how the Indigenous people lived. Using that knowledge, the authors take the reader back as far as 14,000 years ago to imagine moments in time. A wide variety of topics are featured, from the animals that came and disappeared over time, to what people ate, how they expressed themselves through art, and how they adapted to their surroundings. The importance of story-telling among the Native peoples is always present to shed light on how they explained their world. The end of the book takes us to modern times when the story of the Native peoples is both tragic and hopeful.

How the World Was Made is a traditional Cherokee creation story. It takes place during a time when animals did many of the things that people can do. When the earth was young, the animals lived on a rock above it, and the earth was covered with water. The animals needed more room, but where could they find it? This book retells the delightful Cherokee tale of how the earth was created, while teaching the valuable lesson that even the smallest creature can make a big difference. Written in both Cherokee and English so readers can become acquainted with the Cherokee syllabary and language.

The Turtles of Mexico is the first comprehensive guide to the biology, ecology, evolution, and distribution of more than fifty freshwater and terrestrial turtle taxa found in Mexico. Legler and Vogt draw on more than fifty years of fieldwork to elucidate the natural history of these species. The volume includes an extensive introduction to turtle anatomy, taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, and physiology. A key to the turtles of Mexico is included along with individual species accounts featuring geographic distribution maps and detailed color illustrations. Specific topics discussed for each species include habitat, diet, feeding behavior, reproduction, predators, parasites, growth and ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, growth rings, economic use, conservation, legal protection, and taxonomic studies. This book is a complete reference for scientists, conservationists, and professional and amateur enthusiasts who wish to study Mexican turtles.

When he sees how much a bowl of turtle soup costs, a cowboy comes up with an unusual plan to earn a fortune.

The story of an ancient sea turtle and what its survival says about our future, from the award-winning writer and naturalist Though nature is indifferent to the struggles of her creatures, the human effect on them is often premeditated. The distressing decline of sea turtles in Pacific waters and their surprising recovery in the Atlantic illuminate what can go both wrong and right from our interventions, and teach us the lessons that can be applied to restore health to the world's oceans and its creatures. As Voyage of the Turtle, Carl Safina's compelling natural history adventure makes clear, the fate of the astonishing leatherback turtle, whose ancestry can be traced back 125 million years, is in our hands. Writing with verve and color, Safina describes how he and his colleagues track giant pelagic turtles across the world's oceans and onto remote beaches of every continent. As scientists apply lessons learned in the Atlantic and Caribbean to other endangered seas, Safina follows leatherback migrations, including a thrilling journey from Monterey, California, to nesting grounds on the most remote beaches of Papua, New Guinea. The only surviving species of its genus, family, and suborder, the leatherback is an evolutionary marvel: a "reptile" that behaves like a warm-blooded dinosaur, an ocean animal able to withstand colder water than most fishes and dive deeper than any whale. In his peerless prose, Safina captures the delicate interaction between these gentle giants and the humans who are finally playing a significant role in their survival. "Magnificent . . . A joyful, hopeful book. Safina gives us ample reasons to be enthralled by this astonishing ancient animal—and ample reasons to care." -- The Los Angeles Times

Sea Tu rtles of the World provides an in-depth look at these prehistoric looking reptiles that have lived on earth longer than 210 million years, surviving two waves of mass extinction. Author and photographer Doug Perrine guides the reader through the fascinating life-cycle of the sea turtle, from their harrowing dash from the nest to the ocean as vulnerable hatchlings through the many years spent at sea during maturation, to sexual maturity, reproduction, and migration. Perrine describes the evolution of the sea turtle, its anatomy, events that lead to its endangerment, and attempts to save the sea turtle. Table of Contents: Origin and Anatomy, Mating Behavior and Reproduction, The Lost Decade, Growing Up, The Incredible Journey, Sea Turtles and Humans, Families and Species, Watching Sea Turtles, Appendices, Bibliography, Index. Detailed descriptions of the Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Kemp's Ridley Turtle, Australian Flatback Turtle, and the Leatherback Turtle are included, as is a chapter on watching sea turtles from land and from the water. Annotation. Perrine, a writer and photographer specializing in marine life, offers an in-depth look at the natural history of sea turtles and details efforts to preserve them in this guide for general readers. Those who would like to watch sea turtles in their natural habitat will find information on the best land and water locations for observing them. A wealth of color photos highlights species diversity and the sea turtle's relationships with fish (and divers).