The Tortoises and Turtles of Madagascar
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First edition
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Natural History Publications (Borneo) (2008).
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Hardcover Book with Dust Jacket
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Text from the Front Flap
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Madagascar has a rich and diverse reptile fauna including several species of chelonians that are found nowhere else. It is home to such spectacular species as the Radiated Tortoise, Astrochelys radiata, the Spider Tortoise, Pyxis arachnoides, and the Ploughshare Tortoise, Astrochelys yniphora; which is considered to be the world’s rarest tortoise and one of the most endangered reptiles. The Tortoises and Turtles of Madagascar is the first book to cover all the living and extinct chelonians of Madagascar. This book is an authoritative and comprehensive guide covering every known aspect of their natural history. Recent field studies that have been carried out by the author and others to provide a better understanding of these species’ ecology are synthesised in this publication. Practical species accounts provide accurate details of species identification, distribution, ecology and conservation, and are complemented by numerous beautiful photographs of Malagasy tortoises and turtles in the wild. Up-to-date information on the status of their populations is also presented, and there are details on the best sites to observe tortoises and turtles in Madagascar.
Currently all extant endemic species of tortoises and turtles of Madagascar are threatened and the rapidity with which chelonian populations have declined in Madagascar underscores the need for equally rapid action to protect them. The Tortoises and Turtles of Madagascar outlines the challenges to chelonian conservation in Madagascar and the approaches developed to date to facilitate their recovery. This book will not only introduce readers to the fascinating world of Malagasy chelonians but will also raise awareness and support to ensure that they are preserved for the future.
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About the Author (from the Back Flap)
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Miguel Pedrono was born and educated in France. His early interests focused strongly on reptiles, especially tortoises and turtles, including diverse aspects of their ecology. In 1993 he started working in Madagascar with UNESCO investigating the herpetological community of Ankarafantsika National Park. It was there that he had his first contact with the Angonoka or Ploughshare Tortoise, through the individuals in the captive breeding programme of Ampijoroa. From 1996 to 1998, he lived in the extreme conditions of the bamboo-scrub forest of Baly Bay National Park, searching for the last wild Ploughshare Tortoises, with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. By living amongst the main population of Ploughshare Tortoises he was able to study the demography and dynamics of this rare species, and to put into practice conservation strategies for its recovery, including the first reintroduction of captive-bred individuals to the wild. In 2000 he received his PhD in Ecology from Paris-VI University for his studies on the integration of in-situ and ex-situ conservation approaches for the Ploughshare Tortoise. In 2001 he took up a lectureship in Ecology at the Paris-XI University. Since 2002 he has been a researcher in Conservation Biology at CIRAD, France. His work has taken him to many exotic locations where he has obtained first-hand experience on endangered species conservation. As a member of the Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN/SSC), Miguel maintains a special interest in Malagasy chelonians, slowly filling the gaps in the ecology of the lesser known species. He continues to carry out extensive fieldwork to study them and is involved in several conservation projects in Madagascar and elsewhere.
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Condition of Item
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As new.
Refer to the glossary for definitions of terms used to describe the condition of items.
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Categories
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