The Last Tortoise: A Tale of Extinction in Our Lifetime Hardcover – Illustrated, May 15, 2010

This is another of those books where I wish I could give a half star - maybe 3.5I give it 4 because I think the author achieved his aim; I am now aware of the plight of tortoises, I feel concerned about tortoises, and I won't eat any (which I wouldn't have anyway, but now I definetly won't).On the other hand, I usually really enjoy scientific animal tales, and yet I rarely felt totally engaged by this book. I would start to get sucked in, and then, fade out again. I wonder if the issue was that the author is talking about all tortoises in general rather than a single species? In this way, he rarely can't go into more than a small story of any particular tortoise group or research project - so you end up feeling like you know tortoises sort of, like the people who live at the end of the street, rather than very well like your neighbor or friend you hang out with.Tortoises no longer feel like total strangers (at least for people who start out without knowing much about tortoises) and I would be interested to know more about them, but I still don't feel I really know any particular group of tortoises very well.

I am a graduate student conducting my master's research on gopher tortoise conservation in Florida. I found this book to be engaging, thorough, and passionate.It's true that the tortoise family is being immensely affected by anthropogenic influences - habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, pet dogs, rattlesnake roundups, hunting, you name it. They are unable to recover due to their delayed sexual maturity and relatively low fecundity. The very qualities of a tortoise that make them so unassuming and sweet to us are the reasons that they have been such an easy target. I was really happy to see that someone has finally taken the time to address all the issues that tortoises face. While sea turtles are most definitely threatened, they command more media attention than a tortoise ever would. The fact of the matter is, a piece of the puzzle is gone every time a species vanishes. The gopher tortoise is a keystone species, providing homes for over 300 other species within the burrows it constructs. Only 3% of viable tortoise habitat remains that existed 200 years ago. When they are gone, all the other species that rely on their burrows for refuge will also go.I would like to extend a "thank-you" to Dr. Stanford for writing this book. While it is not always uplifting, I am glad that more people will know about the tortoise's plight. Hopefully, some of them will decide to go out and learn more about it :)

The Last Tortoise is an outstanding and facinating work. Stanford intertwines fact and story and makes the book read like a piece of literature instead of a textbook. Stressing the point that we must also be concerned about land tortoises as well as sea turtles is new in turtle protection. This is a must read not only for herpetologists and turtle enthusiasts, but also for anyone who has an interest in conservation or ecology. Buy it today !!Larry Cartmill, Ph.D.Herpetology Instructor

This is a sleeper, not the dull tome on a plodding reptile that you might expect. First-hand experiences described in engaging prose make this short book a compelling read. In addition, the author is refreshingly frank (if sometimes controversial) about conservation strategies. His passion for tortoises, his anger and grief at their extermination from their natural habitats, and the conservation measures he proposes are presented clearly and convincingly. This will be a permanent part of my natural history library.