This topic summarizes the contents of each module on the ETI Turtles of the World CD-ROM (by C.H. Ernst, R.G.M. Altenburg and R.W. Barbour), available for Mac and Windows. For a full description of the features of the Linnaeus II 2.x software, please visit the Linnaeus II page. At this page you will also find online and downloadable demos of both the Mac and Windows versions of Linnaeus II 2.x.

Species
In the Description field, each turtle species is treated in a similar format beginning with a detailed description, including—where known—its karyotype (chromosome number and morphology). The geographic range of the species is given under 'Distribution'. If subspecies have been described, their characteristics and areas of occurrence are presented under 'Geographic Variation'. The turtle's ecological needs are described under 'Habitat', and reproductive and feeding habits are discussed under 'Natural History'. The current status of each species is listed under 'IUCN Red List Status (1996)'. The data is used (with permission) from Baillie and Groombridge (1996) and the online database. The Taxonomy field provides an overview of the higher classification of the species. In the Multimedia section, you can view pictures of the species. The Multimedia fields of Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas and Geochelone radiata also include movies. The Literature field contains the full references as used in the Description field. The Names field lists the common name(s) of the species.

Species module from the Mac version,
Terrapene carolina page

Higher Taxa
All taxa above species level are discussed in Higher Taxa. Monotypic families or genera are not discussed in full; instead a direct link to the species description is provided. Where appropriate, species groups or other taxonomical arrangements are discussed under 'Remarks'. In the Multimedia field of genera, pictures of all species can be accessed.

Lower Taxa
As subspecies are centrally discussed under 'Geographic Variation' in the Species module, descriptions are not duplicated in the Lower Taxa module. Instead, a direct link to the species description is provided.

Lower Taxa module from the Windows version,
Terrapene carolina mexicana page

Index
Alphabetical lists of all included taxa are given in the Index, including vernacular names in English, German, French and Dutch. This module can be used to quickly find a taxon and jump to its description.

Index module from the Mac version

Text Key
The Text Key provides identification of the various families, genera, species and subspecies of turtles. If you are already familiar with the higher classification, the Contents option (under the Go menu) can be used to jump directly to a specific family or genus.

Glossary
Biological terms used in the text, as well as the scientific genus and species names, are explained in the Glossary. This part of the CD-ROM also is accessible by simply clicking on a "hot" (blue-colored) term in any text.

Glossary module from the Windows version

Literature
This module contains all references used in the text, and may also serve as a source for obtaining more in-depth information.

MapIt
The data used for freshwater turtles has mainly been compiled from Iverson (1992), whereas the sea turtle distributions were modified from Márquez (1990). John B. Iverson kindly has added new data where available, while John Cann has updated the distributions of the Australian Chelidae. Within MapIt you can perform geographical searches, compare ranges, or display the diversity of turtle species on each of the 13 maps included.

MapIt module from the Mac version,
distribution of Emys orbicularis on Europe map