Saving Turtles: A Kid's Guide to Helping Endangered Creatures

by Sue Carstairs

Overview

A behind-the-scenes look at a hospital for severely injured turtles.

Turtles have been around for 220 million years — longer than dinosaurs. But now their time might be running out. And their biggest threat is us!

There are more than 300 species worldwide and half of these are threatened with extinction. Freshwater, marine and land turtles all face the same threats, whether it is habitat loss, pollution, harvesting by the pet trade or road and fishing fatalities.

In this fully illustrated book, veterinarian Dr. Sue Carstairs reveals what steps young readers can take to help turtles that they might find injured at the side of the road or next to waterways. When injured turtles are brought into her hospital needing medical attention, Carstairs describes the amazing behind-the-scenes workings of how she repairs shattered shells, broken jaws and injured skulls, nursing severely injured turtles back to health.

Topics covered in Saving Turtles include:

• A behind-the-scenes look at the medical procedures used to heal injured turtles
• How eggs are harvested, incubated and hatched
• Raising and releasing baby turtles
• Tagging and tracking turtles in the wild
• Conservation efforts worldwide to save some species from extinction
• Steps you can take to help turtles survive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780228104995
Publisher:	Firefly Books, Limited
Publication date:	09/01/2024
Edition description:	Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sue Carstairs, B.Sc., DVM, is a veterinarian and the Executive and Medical Director at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, a registered charity located in Peterborough, Ontario. She was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2020 for her work in turtle conservation.

Table of Contents

A Note from the Author
Introduction

1 Getting to Know Turtles

Turtle Facts and Figures
Anatomy of a Turtle
Amazing Turtles

2 The Turtle Crisis

Threats to Turtles
A Global Problem
Turtles in Trouble

3 Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation

Treating Turtles
Shell Injuries
Other Injuries
Healing and Release

4 Headstarting

Harvesting
Incubation
Hatching and Release
Sea Turtles: A Special Case

5 Field Research

Following the Headstarters
Protecting Turtles through Research
Efforts around the World

6 Education and Conservation

A Good Education
Conservation: A Global Effort

7 Get Involved

How to Help Turtles

Glossary
Resources
Index

Preface

Introduction

Have you ever seen a turtle? Maybe you've come across one in a rural area near your home, or at a wildlife center or conservation area. Even if you've never seen a turtle "in real life," you probably know a few things about them: they have shells (and most can hide their heads inside them); they move slowly; they are cold-blooded reptiles; they can live for a long, long time.

But there are many amazing things about turtles that you probably don't know. For example, turtles have been around for 220 million years—longer than the dinosaurs—and research tells us they haven't changed much since those prehistoric times. Small turtles can live as long as 50 years, while tortoises and sea turtles can live 100 years or longer. Turtles have no teeth and can't chew, which means they have to use other tools to help them eat. During the spring, summer and fall, they live and breathe the way humans do, with their lungs. But in the colder winter months, they can burrow into the mud at the bottom of a lake and hibernate, getting their oxygen in a different way.

There's a lot more that we can learn about and from turtles, but time may be running out. Of the roughly 300 species of turtles that exist today, more than half are threatened with extinction, making turtles one of the most endangered vertebrates in the world. Freshwater, marine and land turtles are all affected. What's threatening this amazing species? We are! As the human race grows and takes up more space on the planet, turtles are losing their homes, suffering from the effects of pollution and being sought out as pets and food. They are killed by trucks and cars as they try to cross roads, and they are snared in fishing nets meant to catch other species. Very few of the eggs turtles lay survive to maturity. The future looks bleak.

Thankfully, a community of scientists, environmentalists and concerned citizens has come together to help. All around the world, efforts are underway to protect and save turtles. In this book, you'll meet some of those people and learn about their work in education, rehabilitation and research. And you'll discover what you can do to help. But first, let's learn more about turtles.

Editorial Reviews

[Review of previous edition:] Endangered turtle species around the world and the dangers they face is addressed in this wonderful expose. Fascinating and invaluable information is accompanied by excellent photography... 5 out of 5.

Youth Services Book Review - Katrina Yurenka

[Review of previous edition:] Aimed at children aged 9-10 and upwards, this is a behind-the-scenes look at a hospital in Ontario, Canada, for severely injured turtles. It is written by. a veterinarian whose mission has been to protect the 300 turtle species around the world, all of which are under threat and, particularly the seven out of eight species in Ontario which are "at risk". The book is very well presented and will be eagerly read by children who want to know what happens to turtles when they are brought in with injuries from dogs, cars and speedboats. There are many procedures shown from the operating table on how surgery is performed and photographs to show how their shells repair so well after treatment. The book comes with a glossary and index and is highly recommended.

School Librarian Journal Vol. 63 No. 1 Spring 2015 - John Feltwell

[Review of previous edition:] The text is descriptive and well-written. Color photos are captioned and found throughout the book. The book has a table of contents, index, glossary and extensive resource list. Students working on research about turtles or conservation will find this a great resource. A solid addition for your reptile section.

Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children's and Young Adult Literature - Dave Sonnen

[Review of previous edition:] (starred review) Although turtles have been around for 220 million years, now almost half of the roughly 300 species are threatened with extinction. Turtles are losing their habitats, suffering from the effects of pollution and the pet and food trade and are killed by cars and snared in fishing nets. Scientists, environmentalists and volunteers around the world are helping to protect and save turtles. Readers learn how they can help.

The Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens 2015

[Review of previous edition:] Saving the planet's endangered and threatened species evokes equal parts urgency and wonder in (this new non-fiction book) that will have young animal lovers starting petitions. First-time author Sue Carstairs — a veterinarian and executive and medical director at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre — writes with passion and clarity about wildlife conservation.... She sets a friendly tone in her introductory note but quickly gets down to business, stating: turtles are in trouble all over the world.

Quill and Quire - Nikki Luscombe

[Review of previous edition:] Saving Turtles uses excellent quality photos and captions to help readers understand the critical nature of the issues affecting turtles. The details of treating injuries, with graphic illustrations, are thorough, highlighting the source and extent of the problems. They are presented in clear, straightforward language... This valuable resource will fascinate young nature lovers and will add to their knowledge about a common reptile many will encounter. But its forte is the message for youngsters (for everyone) about the need to work now to save this species. Highly Recommended.

CM Magazine - Gillian Richardson

[Review of previous edition:] Saving Turtles is billed as "A Kid's Guide to Helping Endangered Creatures," but this short paperback is really an expose on turtle rescue, rehabilitation and research. Veterinarian and turtle rehab specialist Sue Carstairs gives readers a verbal and visual window on how turtles get put back together after sustaining serious injuries. Each two-page spread briefly covers specific topics related to basic turtle biology and extremes (oldest, rarest, etc.), turtles in crisis (in the past decade 80 percent of Asian freshwater turtles have been lost for example), "headstarting" (including incubating, hatching and releasing baby turtles), research being done in the field (protection), how to educate students and get involved in conservation. One two-pager near the back of the book is dedicated to ways in which kids can get involved, but that is only a small part of the much larger picture the book presents. Excellent photography, maps and other visuals contribute to what is about a 50/50 text/image split. Middle school students and their teachers can use this book as a brief introduction to all things turtles. Apart from the gory details and photographs of turtle rehab that may especially appeal to the budding vets in your class, this book will also provide them with a global perspective on how to save turtles.

Green Teacher - Alan Crook

(starred review) Although turtles have been around for 220 million years, now almost half of the roughly 300 species are threatened with extinction. Turtles are losing their habitats, suffering from the effects of pollution and the pet and food trade and are killed by cars and snared in fishing nets. Scientists, environmentalists and volunteers around the world are helping to protect and save turtles. Readers learn how they can help.

The Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books f