As the education coordinator for our state's natural heritage program, when we begin developing a "citizen science" survey for box turtles, this was book that guided us. I have worked with interpretation programs for native animals for almost 25 years, and this is the best book I have ever used for detailed natural history about a particular animal. Dodd combines very solid science with a humanistic and practical approach. His text is very readable and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the turtles -- but I caution you -- once you begin reading this, you will quickly understand this is NOT a guide to keeping box turtles as pets, and in fact, Dodd details a variety of reasons why they do NOT MAKE GOOD PETS. PLEASE do NOT REMOVE BOX TURTLES FROM THE WILD! This book will give you guidance as to how to better enjoy the turltes you may see in the wild, and a true appreciation of the species.