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Author: Publisher: Academic Press ISBN: 0128175559 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 538
Book Description
Galapagos Giant Tortoises brings together researchers and conservationists to share the most up-to-date knowledge of Galapagos giant tortoises. Despite being icons of the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago and the target of more than 50 years of conservation research and management, Galapagos giant tortoise evolution and much of their ecology remained unknown until recently. This book documents the history, the pressing conservation issues, and success stories recovering several of the 15 different species of Galapagos tortoises from near extinction.The book begins with an overview of the history of the relationship between humans and Galapagos giant tortoises, starting from initial heavy exploitation of tortoises by pirates and whalers, and extending to the start of the modern conservation era in the 1960s. The book then shifts to biology, describing Galapagos tortoise evolution, taxonomy, ecology, habitats, reproduction, and behavior. Next the decades of conservation efforts and their results are reviewed, including issues of captive breeding, invasive species, introduced diseases, and de-extinction, as well as the current status and distribution of every species. The final portion of the book turns to four case studies of restoration, and then looks ahead to the future of all tortoise populations.The latest volume in the Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscape series, Galapagos Giant Tortoises is a valuable resource for researchers and conservationists, as well as students of biology, wildlife conservation, and herpetology. Provides a comprehensive overview of the Galapagos giant tortoise species as written and edited by the world’s leading experts Presents examples of restoration of tortoise populations following the near extinction of many of them Describes conservation strategies to ensure the full recovery of all extant species Explores recent efforts using replacement tortoises for extinct species to restore island ecosystems
Author: Publisher: Academic Press ISBN: 0128175559 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 538
Book Description
Galapagos Giant Tortoises brings together researchers and conservationists to share the most up-to-date knowledge of Galapagos giant tortoises. Despite being icons of the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago and the target of more than 50 years of conservation research and management, Galapagos giant tortoise evolution and much of their ecology remained unknown until recently. This book documents the history, the pressing conservation issues, and success stories recovering several of the 15 different species of Galapagos tortoises from near extinction.The book begins with an overview of the history of the relationship between humans and Galapagos giant tortoises, starting from initial heavy exploitation of tortoises by pirates and whalers, and extending to the start of the modern conservation era in the 1960s. The book then shifts to biology, describing Galapagos tortoise evolution, taxonomy, ecology, habitats, reproduction, and behavior. Next the decades of conservation efforts and their results are reviewed, including issues of captive breeding, invasive species, introduced diseases, and de-extinction, as well as the current status and distribution of every species. The final portion of the book turns to four case studies of restoration, and then looks ahead to the future of all tortoise populations.The latest volume in the Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscape series, Galapagos Giant Tortoises is a valuable resource for researchers and conservationists, as well as students of biology, wildlife conservation, and herpetology. Provides a comprehensive overview of the Galapagos giant tortoise species as written and edited by the world’s leading experts Presents examples of restoration of tortoise populations following the near extinction of many of them Describes conservation strategies to ensure the full recovery of all extant species Explores recent efforts using replacement tortoises for extinct species to restore island ecosystems
Author: Paul Chambers Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 9780195223965 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 326
Book Description
A Sheltered Life offers a fascinating look at one of the world's strangest and most wondrous animals--whose significance in modern science and culture cannot be underestimated. In an engaging blend of cultural and natural history, the book ranges from the earliest mention of the tortoises many millennia ago, to the wholesale plunder of their populations starting in the sixteenth century, to modern attempts to protect the tortoise and track down members of what were once believed to be extinct populations.
Author: Cruz Marquez Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform ISBN: 9781719223959 Category : Languages : en Pages : 444
Book Description
The first tortoises to accidentally arrive in Galapagos 2-3 million years ago were able to adapt to their harsh environment, find one another, and establish themselves on at first one and then on at least ten islands. By the 1960's, centuries of exploitation by whalers, privateers, traders, collectors and colonists had all but eliminated these enormous lumbering beasts from the landscape. Thanks to the strenuous efforts of scientists and National Park staff, the Galapagos tortoise is once again facing a brighter future. One of these dedicated investigators, Cruz Márquez, has compiled over 40 years of research into this volume which will be an important source of information for scientists, students, naturalist guides, and conservation managers. Lavishly illustrated and including a great deal of previously published and unpublished data, this book addresses the following topics: From where did Galapagos tortoises originate? Which other tortoises are their nearest relatives? When and how did they arrive in Galapagos and spread throughout the islands? How and why did they become giants? What is known about their internal and external anatomy? Is it similar to that of marine turtles? What do giant tortoises eat? How do they adapt to different environments and seasons? Do they eat the same foods in captivity as in the wild? How do they then adapt to foraging in the wild? Do wild giant tortoises move over long distances? If so, why? Are they more active during daylight hours or at night? Why do Galapagos finches appear to feed on the skin of giant tortoises? Why are there so few opuntia cactus on Espanola Island? Is this connected to only 14 tortoises being found there in the 1970's? How do Galapagos tortoises reproduce? Do they form lasting pair bonds? Is it true that incubation temperatures can be manipulated to produce mainly male or mainly female offspring? How can we tell the difference? Do Galapagos tortoises have twins? Are there any albino tortoises? How does the fetus break through the shell? After hatching, how soon does the neonate leave the egg shell? What parasites do Galapagos tortoises have? How do these affect their health? Why are human beings responsible for the near extinction of Galapagos tortoises? What has been done for the conservation of Galapagos giant tortoises? What will be done in the future? What of Lonesome George? What efforts went into keeping the last of his species alive in captivity for almost forty years, and why? What can we learn from his death? The answers to these questions, and many more, can be found in this book.
Author: Elizabeth Hennessy Publisher: Yale University Press ISBN: 0300249152 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 384
Book Description
An insightful exploration of the iconic Galápagos tortoises, and how their fate is inextricably linked to our own in a rapidly changing world. Finalist for the 2020 E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, sponsored by PEN America Literary Awards The Galápagos archipelago is often viewed as a last foothold of pristine nature. For sixty years, conservationists have worked to restore this evolutionary Eden after centuries of exploitation at the hands of pirates, whalers, and island settlers. This book tells the story of the islands’ namesakes—the giant tortoises—as coveted food sources, objects of natural history, and famous icons of conservation and tourism. By doing so, it brings into stark relief the paradoxical, and impossible, goal of conserving species by trying to restore a past state of prehistoric evolution. The tortoises, Elizabeth Hennessy demonstrates, are not prehistoric, but rather microcosms whose stories show how deeply human and nonhuman life are entangled. In a world where evolution is thoroughly shaped by global history, Hennessy puts forward a vision for conservation based on reckoning with the past, rather than trying to erase it. “Fresh, insightful . . . Hennessy’s melding of human and natural history makes for thought-provoking reading.” —Booklist (starred review) “Gripping . . . well-researched and thought-provoking . . . whether you’re well-versed in the intricacies of conservation or have only just begun to long for a look at the tortoises yourself. On the Backs of Tortoises is a natural history that asks important questions, and challenges us to think about how best to answer them.” —Genevieve Valentine, NPR “Wonderfully interesting, informative, and engaging, as well as scholarly.” —Janet Browne, author of Charles Darwin: Voyaging and Charles Darwin: The Power of Place
Author: Michael Hume Jackson Publisher: University of Calgary Press ISBN: 1895176077 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 369
Book Description
This book details the natural history of the plants and animals found in the Galapagos Islands. A list of the dominant plants according to vegetation zone is included. Of particular note is the discussion of the problems of colonisation by founding populations, biological evolution, and ecology, and of the evolutionary processes bringing about species diversity.
Author: Henry Nicholls Publisher: Basic Books ISBN: 0465035957 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 224
Book Description
The natural and human history of the Galapagos Islands—beloved vacation spot, fiery volcanic chain, and one of the critical sites in the history of science The Galapagos were once known to the sailors and pirates who encountered them as Las Encantadas: the enchanted islands, home to exotic creatures and dramatic volcanic scenery. In The Galapagos, science writer Henry Nicholls offers a lively natural and human history of the archipelago, charting its evolution from deserted wilderness to scientific resource (made famous by Charles Darwin) and global ecotourism hot spot. He describes the island chain's fiery geological origins as well as the long history of human interaction with it, and draws vivid portraits of the Galapagos' diverse life forms, capturing its awe-inspiring landscapes, its understated flora, its stunning wildlife and, crucially, the origin of new species. Finally, he considers the immense challenges facing the islands and what lies ahead. Nicholls shows that what happens in the Galapagos is not merely an isolated concern, but reflects the future of our species' relationship with nature—and the fate of our planet.
Author: Kate Messner Publisher: ISBN: 9781728436319 Category : Galapagos Islands Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
"Take a journey to the Galápagos Islands to see Galápagos giant tortoises up close and discover how cutting-edge technology is helping scientists study and protect these gentle giants. Page Plus links in the book lead to videos of scientists in the field"--
Author: Tui De Roy Publisher: Princeton University Press ISBN: 0691194998 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 240
Book Description
A beautifully illustrated and deeply personal chronicle of De Roy's lifelong connection with these spectacular islands Tui De Roy was a year old in 1955 when her family left Europe, boarding a banana boat bound for the Pacific to lead a different sort of life in Galápagos, one of self-sufficiency and living close to nature. She grew up on the islands and returned to them often over the next five decades. Discovering photography at a young age, she has dedicated her life to recording the islands' natural history in infinite detail. A Lifetime in Galápagos is De Roy's intimate portrait of one of the most spectacular places on Earth, presenting the wildlife and natural wonders of Galápagos as you have never seen them before. Featuring hundreds of breathtaking color photos, this stunning book guides you into labyrinthine mangroves to observe nesting herons, to misty cloud forests to glimpse flycatchers and orchids, high onto erupting volcanoes, and into the ocean to swim with hammerhead sharks. De Roy's lens provides up-close encounters with orca and sperm whales, colonies of iguanas, and the giant tortoises of Alcedo Volcano. She paints unforgettable portraits of her childhood in Galápagos—the islands at night under the stars of the Milky Way, sea lions at play and on the hunt, the diverse birdlife of Galápagos, and much more. Blending striking images with vivid prose, A Lifetime in Galápagos also discusses the threats that global warming and other environmental challenges pose to the archipelago's unique wildlife and fragile habitats.
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Author: Paul Chambers
Author: Cruz Marquez
Author: Elizabeth Hennessy
Author: Michael Hume Jackson
Author: Henry Nicholls
Author: Kate Messner
Author: Pete Oxford
Author: Tui De Roy
Author: Charles Darwin