The Comcáac, or Seri Indians, are a native people living in the starkly beautiful and biologically rich desert of Sonora, Mexico. Reptiles of all kinds—lizards, crocodiles, snakes, and turtles—play a large role in Seri culture. Unfortunately, the long-term survival of the Comcáac and the future of many of these animals are uncertain. This book, written with Gary Nabhan's characteristic combination of lyricism and scientific insight, describes and preserves the richness of Seri knowledge about reptiles. Through stories, songs, photographs, illustrations of Seri arts, and discussions of Sonoran ecology, Nabhan demonstrates the irreplaceable value of this knowledge for us today.

Singing the Turtles to Sea vividly describes the desert, its phantasmagoric landforms, and its equally fantastic animals. This book contains important new information on the origins, biogeography, and conservation status of marine and desert reptiles in this region. Nabhan also discusses the significance of reptiles in Seri folklore, natural history, language, medicine, and art.

Winner of a MacArthur "genius" grant and the Burroughs Medal for nature writing, Gary Nabhan has had a long collaboration with the Comcáac and is uniquely placed to bring together the many voices that tell this story. The text is interspersed with his own lively adventures getting to know these indigenous people and with the insights of many individuals in their community.

This book is a magnificent ethnobiology that also succeeds in linking the importance of preserving ecological diversity with issues such as endangered languages and human rights. Singing the Turtles to Sea ultimately points the way toward a more hopeful future for the native cultures and animals of the Sonoran desert and for the preservation of indigenous cultures and species around the world.

Gary Paul Nabhan is Director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University and one of the founding scientists of the Amazon Conservation Team. He is the author of twelve books, including The Desert Smells Like Rain, The Geography of Childhood (with Stephen Trimble), and The Forgotten Pollinators (with Stephen Buchmann).

"Not only scientifically rich, this book is a manifesto of hope for the conservation of endangered reptilian species and for endangered Comáac knowledge."—Cynthia Green, Southwest Bookviews

“Richly illustrated with color photos and Seri drawings.”—J. Burger, Choice: Current Reviews For Academic Libraries

"Beautifully written and illustrated . . . If the world's natural and cultural diversity are to persist, we need such a melding [of indigenous knowledge and western science] in many places. More than a guide to one area and to one people's understanding of reptiles, this book is a road map that shows how that might happen."—Peter Friederici, Orion

"An excellent read, almost impossible to put down."—Dave Hyatt, Sonoran Herpatologist

"A wonderful mixture of natural history, culture, marine biology, and herpetology—Nabhan at his best!"—Mark Plotkin, President, Amazon Conservation Team

"Nabhan masterfully moves us to cross-cultural perspectives on the world's ecological issues. In addition to being a unique ethnozoological treatise, this book is about how 'native' cultures engage their natural worlds, of which they see themselves a part. "—Wade C. Sherbrooke, author of Horned Lizards of North America

"Nabhan has devoted his career to charting times and places that are tragically disappearing, where people and nature lived in intimate ecologies. In this fine book he eloquently documents the rich, complicated ties between the Comcáac (Seri) people and the snakes, turtles, and lizards with which they share a common place. But the book is more than an elegy, it is a vibrant plea to save these people and animals and the stories, myths, and harsh realities that bind them."—Kent H. Redford, Director, Wildlife Conservation Society Institute