The Turtles of Russia and Other Ex-Soviet Republics
By Sergius L. Kuzmin
ISBN 3-930612-58-5

Reviewed by Russ Gurley, Director, Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group

Published by Edition Chimaira with USA promotion, distribution and
fulfillment by Taxon Media, Inc. / Serpent's Tale Natural History Book
Distributors, Inc. and Zoo Book Sales

This exciting new addition to the turtle and tortoise hobby will expand the
knowledge of the seven species it covers immensely.  It will no doubt
influence the captive care of those species (especially the tortoises) that
are commonly kept throughout the world.  The range maps are relevant and the
color habitat photos are well done.  The text reveals the life histories of
these chelonians.  The daily routine and activity patterns presented will
amaze and astound those interested in the lives of these animals.

” Surprisingly, there are no books on fauna, ecology, and systematics of the extant turtle species living in the former Soviet Union.  Additionally, a large majority of other publications are in Russian, which severely restricts their availability to readers unfamiliar with this language.”

Sergius Kazmin

The historical references in this book are an interesting look into the work
that Soviet herpetologists have put forth on turtles and tortoises.  Western readers have largely missed this work, from notes on European Pond Turtles in the 1700s and the work of A. Strauch, whose 1865 work on the turtles and tortoises of the world was the first of its kind in Russia, to modern chelonian specialists.  Russian herpetologists such as Alexandr Nikolsky and Terentjev and Chernov and several others are presented.

The morphological and anatomical information is concise but very well
organized and easy to read.  Though the information is not too lengthy, it
gives readers a good knowledge of what is going on under the shell.

The fossil chelonian information is appealing and the taxonomy of the seven species of turtles is presented from a historical as well as modern point of view. 

The species accounts are exhaustive in their scope and presentation.  Surely this must be most of the research ever conducted on these species.  From the intricacies of their daily routines to the indepth understanding of their behavior are presented.  What an incredible insight into these animals! From historical references of the 1700s to research conducted in the last few years, we are presented with an overall picture of these turtles' existence. 

The Chinese Softshell Turtle ( Pelodiscus sinensis )
The Chinese Softshell Turtle ( P. sinensis ) is known worldwide and is
commonly kept and even bred in large numbers in farms across Asia.  It has however, never been presented in such incredible detail.  Its life is
revealed, from its aggressive nature, to its arduous egg-laying technique,
and its unique ability to breathe through its skin.

A funny excerpt relating to the capture of large, very aggressive softshells
by well-known Soviet naturalist, E. P. Spangenberg with local fishermen in
the 1940s is presented:

” He jumped into the water, caught one turtle and threw it into the boat.  The fishermen at the same time quickly jumped into the river and swam to the bank, saying that it is better to go by foot in wet clothes for dozens of kilometers through the forest, than to swim in the same boat with these terrible animals.”

The Greek Tortoise, Testudo graeca and The Central Asian (Russian) Tortoise, Agrionemys horsfieldii , are presented in wonderful detail, from insightful text and many color photos of tortoises and of their habitat in Russia and the former Soviet Republics.

The Greek Tortoise ( Testudo graeca ) and The Central Asian Tortoises ( Agrionemys horsfieldii )
The Greek Tortoise ( T. graeca ) and The Central Asian Tortoise ( A. horsfieldii ) have entered the pet trade as the Greek Tortoise and Russian Tortoise in huge numbers over the last few years in the United States and for many years across Europe.  Most information about these wonderful, hardy species has been anecdotal and picked up here and there from exporters and from what little information has been available from keepers.  With The Turtles of Russia and Ex-Soviet Republics , the lives of these astonishing tortoises are revealed.

From Habitats and Habits Features, we learn of these tortoises' solitary lives, eking out an existence in harsh deserts, sandy plains, and dry steppes far from water and far from human disturbance.  They share their burrows with rodents, toads, and other desert creatures.

The information on courtship and mating, and the specifics of egg-laying and reproductive details of these tortoises in nature are published
here for the first time.  The Keeping and Breeding in Captivity section is
beneficial, but the natural history text provides keepers with an overall
feel for these tortoises' needs and provides the insight needed to establish a proper atmosphere for captive specimens.

As this is the first English information to arrive from this part of the
world, this book will be a welcome addition to a turtle or tortoise
bibliophile's collection.  The Turtles of Russia and the Ex-Soviet Republics is a small format (6 x 8.5 inch), 159 page hardback book that is limited to a worldwide press run of only 1000 copies.  The print job and quality of the materials is excellent.  It features some really nice color and black/white photos of the seven species of turtles found in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and beyond.  The information, even anecdotal reports of wayward marine turtles, is of interest.  The accounts of Chinese Softshell Turtles, European Pond Turtles, and Caspian Turtles are found nowhere else in such detail and the glimpse into the lives of the Greek and Central Asian (Russian) Tortoise is well worth owning this book.

Table of Contents

Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction

General Characteristics of Turtles and Tortoises
Morphology and Adaptations
Classification
Biogeography and Evolution

Keys for Species Identification

Species Accounts

Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta)
Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)
Chinese Softshell Turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis)
European Pond Turtles (Emys orbicularis)
Caspian Turtles (Mauremys caspica)
Spur-thighed Tortoises (Testuda graeca)
Central Asian Tortoises  (Agrionemys horsfieldii)

Keeping and Breeding in Captivity
Tortoises
Freshwater Turtles

Hibernation and Breeding
Diseases and Treatments

Anthropogenic Factors and Problems of Conservation
Anthropogenic Factors
Conservation

References