Turtles of Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia
By Lim Boo Liat & Indraneil Das – (1999)
151 pages; gloss art paper, with 97 colour photographs, 5 illustrations and 1 map.
Hard Cover: 22.5cm x 16cm.
ISBN: 983-812-039-1
Natural History Publications (Borneo) Kota Kinabalu
Turtles are among the most interesting of all creatures, and not just among reptiles the group to which they belong. They are amazing animals which have managed to inhabit both water and land environs as terrestrials, fresh water or marine citizens of our planet for millions of years. They are gentle, shy, harmless and graceful creatures well deserving of serious study and conservation, instead of the abuse and exploitation they endure daily from humans.
Unfortunately, however, not a great deal has been written about turtles and in particular those of the South East Asian region. Hence, the general public would be very unaware of the true biodiversity of turtles. This book goes a fair way to help fill some of those literature gaps for the region. A total of 26 species are covered within the book, accompanied by many very nice quality colour photos.
It opens with an introduction covering history and the earliest of turtles dating back to the Triassic period, relationships among reptiles, nesting habits, biology, their positive contribution and functions to the environment, the function of their body parts such as the shell, modified flippers etc.
This is followed by a checklist and keys to the species of the region.
Each species has its common name and accepted scientific name, author and where published. Also with a physical description of the male, female and juveniles, distribution, biology and conservation status. Each species has at least one colour photo while some may have several photographs.
At the back of the book is a glossary of technical terms which will help explain some of the technical terms used in the book which are necessary to explain certain body parts of these delightful creatures.
This is a great book, not just for researchers, but for anyone with an interest in turtles or indeed the wildlife of the region in general. It is an invaluable resource as a field guide and or as an introduction to the biology and conservation plights of the turtles and everyone should make a point of obtaining a copy of this for their book shelves.
These adorable animals are a delight to observe and all who have the opportunity to have an encounter with them feel the same. A photo opposite the foreword page of a young girl (possibly the publisher’s daughter) with what appears to be an Asian Brown Tortoise, says it all! The irremovable smile on her face of sheer delight with her encounter with this charming reptile will bring a smile to anyone’s face and as the old saying goes “a picture says a thousand words”!
Rod Rice
Principal Reviewer
Nature & Travel Books