The Texas Tortoise: A Natural History by Francis L. Rose, Frank W. Judd (review)

The Texas Tortoise covers the life work of Drs. Rose and Judd, who spent much of their scientific careers studying this ancient survivor. It provides a wealth of information on this species but also warns us of its plight. Included are many black-and-white figures and drawings as well as two sets of excellent color photographs. The preface provides insight into the authors’ motivation for undertaking this project. In the introduction, I enjoyed reading the history of the early naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier, after whom the tortoise would later be named. In each successive chapter that follows, the authors explain the natural history and biology of the Texas tortoise in a way that readers will enjoy.

Chapter 1 not only describes the relationships between the five currently recognized species of North American tortoises but also explains the complexity of determining a genus and species. Chapter 2 follows with an in-depth description of the species’ range and habitat. North American tortoises once traveled throughout the Great Plains of North America during the Pleistocene but are now restricted to more southern habitats. We know little about the species in the southern part of its range in Mexico.

Following chapters discuss aspects of the Texas tortoise’s biology and allude to areas that need further research or study. These chapters also cover reproduction, sexual size dimorphism, growth, temperature regulation, and population ecology. The work concludes with a discussion of conservation and the future of the Texas tortoise, which is experiencing the same declines witnessed for turtles and tortoises around the world. I especially enjoyed the way the authors inserted anecdotes from the past.

The book provides a thorough coverage of our understanding of the Texas tortoises but occasionally falls short in its current coverage of more recent literature on North American tortoises. There is some redundancy, but it is limited and does not hinder the flow of the book. That being said, I found its coverage of early foundational papers by early scientists such as Walter Auffenberg to be enlightening.

The authors in some cases express their strong personal opinions regarding aspects of the biology and conservation of the Texas tortoises, which I appreciated. Many of these classic papers are hard to access today in our modern world of electronic literature. From that standpoint alone it is a book anyone interested in tortoises or turtles will want to have in their library. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and know I will find it an important reference in my personal library. The Texas Tortoise is a must for anyone interested in tortoises or herpetology.