Lessons from a Lonely Tortoise Additional Information

Galapagos Means Tortoises

Meet the native animals of the Galápagos Islands, including giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, and land iguanas. Meet blue-footed boobies that “prance/and dance/and retreat/and advance” as they exchange gifts and share responsibility for raising their young. Discover two kinds of iguanas: land iguanas and marine iguanas. Marine iguanas eat seaweed and change color “when they play the mating game/and do not want to look the same.” Thirteen unique species live on the islands. Meet them all in this rhyming book. An author’s note reveals additional information about the “Islands of Enchantment.”

The Galapagos Tortoise

The Galápagos tortoise is perhaps the largest of all land tortoises. It weighs as much as 681 pounds. These giant tortoises live longer than any other land animal. But what else do we know about these animals? How smart are they? What do they eat? What is under their shells? This book answers these questions and more, providing information about the lives, habitats, and behaviors of these giant reptiles. Color photographs and drawings, a glossary, an index, and a list of information sources complete the book.

And Then There Was One: The Mysteries of Extinction

At the beginning of the year 2000, scientists estimate that there were 1 million fewer species of plants and animals on Earth than there were at the beginning of the 1900s. Why is this happening? Whose fault is it? Some creatures, such as the dinosaurs, become extinct because of natural causes. Others, like beavers or the Steller’s sea cow, have been hunted or trapped until they have all but disappeared. Still others, such as the water birds of the Florida Everglades, are threatened because people have taken over or destroyed their habitat. Although rare, there are some successful recoveries of almost-extinct species. In 1941, for example, there were only 16 whooping cranes. Today, their population numbers more than 200. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings, this book covers cycles of life on Earth, specific creatures that have become extinct or are endangered, and preservation efforts. An index is included.