The United States has the richest turtle fauna in the World, and more than one-third of these turtle taxa can be found in Florida. In fact, considered as a separate geographical entity, Florida has the fifth richest turtle fauna in the World. USF biologists have been leading contributors to our knowledge about the turtles of Florida for several decades, and the more than 100 publications resulting from their research have been compiled into the USF Turtle Bibliography.The Bibliography is an especially good source of information on the only tortoise found east of the Mississippi River, the gopher tortoise.

This volume provides information on all of the turtle species of Florida. The McCoyLab contributed chapters on the gopher tortoise and the striped mud turtle.