'Ecoviews' columnist coauthor of new book about turtles

Apr. 28—A book published recently by Princeton University Press has a global view as well as a strong local connection.

Dr. Whit Gibbons, who writes the "Ecoviews" column for the Aiken Standard, is coauthor of "Turtles of the World: A Guide to Every Family."

As a child, Gibbons caught and kept turtles as pets.

Then he became a herpetologist and studied the animals for decades.

"All turtles have personalities, and they're the kind of personalities that people like," Gibbons said. "They will defend themselves, but they're not aggressive. They won't come after you. And some of them are very pretty, especially the babies. I think people like turtles, and they like to watch turtles. They're inoffensive animals that are enjoyable to have around."

Included in "Turtles of the World" is information about the reptiles' anatomy and physiology, growth and longevity, behavior and reproduction.

There are "lots of interesting facts," Gibbons said, and more than 250 color photographs.

The book "is designed for people who are interested in wildlife in general and certainly anybody who is interested in turtles," he added.

Gibbons' favorite turtle is the diamondback terrapin, which is found in South Carolina.

"It's the only turtle in the world that lives exclusively in salt marshes, except for those wayward individuals that get out into the ocean or occasionally get into fresh water," Gibbons said. "But they don't very often, most of them,"

Gibbons also is fond of Asian river terrapins. The males of some species change dramatically in color during breeding season.

In one example of this transformation, the carapaces of the drab brown to gray males become cream-colored. The heads turn white and a bright red patch appears.

"They're beautiful," Gibbons said, "and so are lots of other turtles."

Gibbons is a professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Georgia and the former head of the Environmental Outreach and Education program at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.

Coauthor Dr. Jeffrey Lovich, who received his doctorate in ecology from the University of Georgia in 1990, is a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center.

Lovich also is one of Gibbons' former students.

"Turtles of the World" is available at press.princeton.edu, amazon.com and other online sources.