Table of Contents for

Maintainable JavaScript

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The animal on the cover of Maintainable JavaScript is a Greek tortoise.

Greek tortoises (Testudo graeca), also known as spur-thighed tortoises, are currently divided into at least 20 known subspecies, and as such vary greatly in size, weight, and color. They inhabit areas of North Africa, southern Europe, and southwest Asia, where they tend to prefer hot, arid regions; however, they can also be found on mountain steppes and seashore dunes. Their genetic richness makes their classification difficult and results largely from their crossbreeding; tortoises from different groups often mate, resulting in offspring of widely varying colors and sizes. For this reason, one of the best ways to identify a particular specimen is to know where it came from.

Greek tortoises range in size from 8 inches to around 12 inches. The “spurs” on their thighs refer to the two small tubercles that sit on either side of the tail, and in general, their carapace, or upper shell, is oblong rectangular. They’re also generally characterized by large scales on their front legs; flecks on the spine and rib plates, with a larger, dark fleck on the underside; and an upper shell that’s undivided over the tail.

Greek tortoises’ mating instincts kick in immediately after they awake from hibernation. One or two weeks before egg-laying takes place, the tortoises move around their habitat—digging in, tasting, and smelling the dirt—in order to find the ideal egg-laying area. One or two days before laying eggs, the female Greek tortoise becomes aggressive in order to establish dominance in the community so that her eggs will not be disturbed. Their average lifespan is 50 years.

The cover image is from Cassell’s Natural History. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSansMonoCondensed.