Turtle Journal — Johann David Schöpf 1792 Naturgeschichte der Schildkröten

In 1792, Johann David Schöpf published Naturgeschichte der Schildkröten — the most comprehensive scientific study of chelonians of the 18th century, documenting over 100 species with the anatomical rigour of Enlightenment-era zoology and copper engravings that remain among the finest examples of herpetological illustration in the history of natural history publishing. The front cover features Tab. VIII: Testudo graeca, the Moorish tortoise, showing the domed carapace with its characteristic black-centred scutes in warm olive and ochre tones and the plastron below; the back presents Testudo picta Hermanni — today Chrysemys picta, the painted turtle — a North American freshwater species distinguished by vivid yellow and red lines along its neck and carapace margins, as different from the terrestrial Moorish tortoise as the New World was from the Old.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal with matte laminated full-wrap cover
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 250 g (0.55 lbs)
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print
• Note: small production barcode (0.5" × 0.5") on back cover

Perfect For

• Herpetologists, turtle enthusiasts, and reptile lovers
• Natural history collectors and Enlightenment science admirers
• Biologists and zoology students drawn to chelonian anatomy
• Field naturalists keeping observation journals and species notes
• Collectors of 18th-century copper engraving and scientific illustration
• A distinctive gift for anyone captivated by turtles, tortoises, and the history of herpetology