Insects comprise roughly half of the animal kingdom, and they live everywhere. Most of us think life would be better without bugs. In fact, life would be impossible without them. Without the pinhead-sized chocolate midge, cocoa flowers would not pollinate. The fruit fly is essential to medical and biological research experiments. Insects turn dead plants and animals into soil. They control organisms that are harmful to humans. Sverdrup-Thygeson shows...

Cat experts Fiona and Mel Sunquist present comprehensive entries for each of the thirty-seven cat species that include color distribution maps and up-to-date information related to the species' IUCN conservation and management statuses, while their informative sidebars reveal why male lions have manes (and why dark manes are sexiest), how cats see with their whiskers, the truth behind our obsession with white lions and tigers, and why cats can't be...

"In this fascinating book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Horse, Wendy Williams explores the lives of one of the world's most resiliant creatures--the butterfly--shedding light on the role that they play in our ecosystem and in our human lives"--

"From shark attack survivor to the shark's biggest advocate, Paul de Gelder tells us just why these majestic diverse animals need our help as much as we need them. We have a perennial fascination with sharks. Portrayed in the media and popular culture as killing machines, we are awed by their power and strength. But the shark is so much more, a marvel of the sea, they have evolved over 450 million years into over 500 species, from the bioluminescent...

"This book is an engaging and interesting compendium of bird facts. Presented in a format similar to that of Lawrence Millman's Fungipedia, the book contains alphabetized entries on all things birds- from basic biology, through taxonomy, to folklore and potted biographies of key figures in the development of ornithology. Entries are written with a general audience in mind, but are charming enough to attract expert birders as well. The book has roughly...

"Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense...

"Many animals, from birds to insects, build structures using wood, soil, or a range other materials. Suprisingly to most people, a similarly diverse array of animal homes exist underground, in the hiddent world beneath our feet. This is particularly true for ants who excavate large and complex nests in which they shelter, reproduce and generally go about their lives. Despite the existence of this vast underground world, it has remained largely unexplored....

"Most of us view animals through a very narrow lens, seeing only bits and pieces of beings that seem mostly peripheral to our lives. However, whether animals are building a shelter, seducing a mate, or inventing a new game, animals' creative choices affect their social, cultural, and environmental worlds. The Creative Lives of Animals offers readers intimate glimpses of creativity in the lives of animals, from elephants to alligators to ants. Drawing...

"Information and photographs about dolphins, for children"--

"High in the mountainous rainforests of Burma and India grow some of the world's last stands of mature, wild teak. For more than a thousand years, people here have worked with elephants to log these otherwise impassable forests and move people and goods (often illicitly) under cover of the forest canopy. In Giants of the Monsoon Forest, geographer Jacob Shell takes us deep into this strange elephant country to explore the lives of these extraordinarily...