Introduction Have you ever seen a turtle? Maybe you've come across one in a rural area near your home, or at a wildlife center or conservation area. Even if you've never seen a turtle "in real life," you probably know a few things about them: they have shells (and most can hide their heads inside them); they move slowly; they are cold-blooded reptiles; they can live for a long, long time. But there are many amazing things about turtles that you probably don't know. For example, turtles have been around for 220 million years--longer than the dinosaurs--and research tells us they haven't changed much since those prehistoric times. Small turtles can live as long as 50 years, while tortoises and sea turtles can live 100 years or longer. Turtles have no teeth and can't chew, which means they have to use other tools to help them eat. During the spring, summer and fall, they live and breathe the way humans do, with their lungs. But in the colder winter months, they can burrow into the mud at the bottom of a lake and hibernate, getting their oxygen in a different way.

There's a lot more that we can learn about and from turtles, but time may be running out. Of the roughly 300 species of turtles that exist today, more than half are threatened with extinction, making turtles one of the most endangered vertebrates in the world. Freshwater, marine and land turtles are all affected. What's threatening this amazing species? We are! As the human race grows and takes up more space on the planet, turtles are losing their homes, suffering from the effects of pollution and being sought out as pets and food. They are killed by trucks and cars as they try to cross roads, and they are snared in fishing nets meant to catch other species. Very few of the eggs turtles lay survive to maturity. The future looks bleak. Thankfully, a community of scientists, environmentalists and concerned citizens has come together to help.

All around the world, efforts are underway to protect and save turtles. In this book, you'll meet some of those people and learn about their work in education, rehabilitation and research. And you'll discover what you can do to help. But first, let's learn more about turtles.