A richly illustrated natural history of the world's crabs that examines their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more This lavishly illustrated book offers a remarkable look at the world's crabs. More than 7,000 crab species, in 100 different families, are known today. Their unique physiology and complex behaviors have made them one of the most diverse and adaptable of all animal groups. They can thrive in the darkness of abyssal seas, on the edges of scalding hot volcanic hydrothermal vents, on sunlit coral reefs, on wave-washed rocky shores, and in tropical rain forests at the tops of mountains. They even persist in some of the harshest desert conditions. Playing a vital role in marine and coastal ecology, crabs have been identified as keystone species in habitats such as coral reefs and coastal tropical swamps. Crabs comprises five chapters: evolutionary pathways; anatomy and physiology; ecology; reproduction, cognition, and behavior; and exploitation and conservation. Individual chapters include a variety of subtopics, each illustrated by exceptional images, and followed by numerous double full-page species' profiles. Each profile has been chosen to emphasize remarkable and intriguing aspects of the life of these fascinating creatures. Some species may be familiar, but many are beyond anything you have probably seen before and will stretch your understanding of what a crab is. Written by a world authority, Crabs offers an accessible overview of these fascinating crustaceans. More than 190 spectacular color photographs Accessible and well-organized chapters Full profiles on 42 iconic species from across the world

This new title in the Crossbill Guides covers the well-known region of Dordogne in southwestern France. Like all other Crossbill Guides, this title poses and answers two key questions: what makes this area so special and how you can experience this uniqueness for yourself. This book describes the flora and fauna, landscape and traditional land use of this region plus 21 detailed routes and around 50 sites with specific suggestions on where and how to find the birds, wildlife and flora. The Dordogne area in south-west France has a remarkable range of wild landscapes. The beautiful rivers include tidal sections, marshes, cliffs and upland tributary streams set amongst limestone-dominated hills. Elsewhere diverse woodlands, hay meadows, caves, heathlands, arable plateaux plus ancient vineyards and villages also offer visitors great wildlife experiences in what has been called 'the cradle of mankind'.

Ever since Darwin, science has enshrined competition as biology's brutal architect. But this revelatory new book argues that our narrow view of evolution has caused us to ignore the generosity and cooperation that exist around us, from the soil to the sky. In Sweet in Tooth and Claw, Kristin Ohlson explores the subtle ways in which nature is in constant collaboration to the betterment of all species. From the bear that discards the remainders of his salmon dinner on the forest ground, to the bright coral reefs of Cuba, she shows readers not only the connectivity lying beneath the surface in natural ecosystems, but why it's vital for humans to incorporate that understanding into our interactions with nature, and also with each other. Much of the damage that humans have done to our natural environment stems from our ignorance of these dense webs of connection. As we struggle to cope with the environmental hazards that our behaviour has unleashed, it's more important than ever to understand nature's billions of cooperative interactions. This way, we can stop disrupting them and instead rely on them to renew ecosystems. In reporting from the frontlines of scientific research, regenerative agriculture, and urban conservation, Ohlson shows that a shift from focusing on competition to collaboration can heal not only our relationships with the natural world, but also with each other.

Showcases the work of twenty leading paleoartists who expertly bring these extinct animals to life in exquisite detail. Dinosaurs are endlessly fascinating to people of every age, from the youngest child who enjoys learning the tongue-twisting names to adults who grew up with Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. As our knowledge of the prehistoric world continues to evolve and grow, so has the discipline of bringing these ancient worlds to life artistically. Paleoart puts flesh on the bones of long-extinct organisms, and illustrates the world they lived in. Mesozoic Art presents twenty of the best artists working in this field, representing a broad spectrum of disciplines, from traditional painting to cutting-edge digital technology. Some provide the artwork for new scientific papers that demand high-end paleoart as part of their presentation to the world at large; they also work for the likes of National Geographic and provide art to museums around the world to illustrate their displays. Other artists are the new rising stars of paleoart in an ever-growing, ever-diversifying field. Arranged by portfolio, this book brings this dramatic art to a wide, contemporary audience. The art is accompanied by text on the animals and their lives, written by palaeontologist Darren Naish. Paleoart is dynamic, fluid and colourful, as were the beasts it portrays, which are displayed in this magnificent book.

'Lyrical and beautiful and feels like a haven in a cynical world - exactly the book we all need to read right now' Catherine Simpson, author of One Body: A Retrospective, When I Had A Little Sister and Truestory 'A book of passionate resistance to everything in modern life that wants us to stay neat and small and fearful' Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure For Sleep An intimate weaving of memoir and herbal folklore, All My Wild Mothers is a story of rewilding our wastelands and the transformation that can happen when we do. At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett was looking forward to new motherhood and all that was to come. But when the telephone rang, the news she received changed everything. Her eldest sister had died in a canoeing accident. Five years later, struggling with grief, the demands of being a parent-carer for her young son, and the impact of deeper austerity, life feels very different to the future she had imagined. A move to a new social housing estate in rural Cumbria offers Victoria and her family a chance to rebuild their lives. Constructed over an industrial site, at first the barren ground seems an unlikely place to sow the seeds of a new life. She and her son set about transforming the rubble around them into a wild apothecary garden. Daisy, for resilience. Dandelion, for strength against adversity. Red campion, to ward off loneliness. Sow thistle, to lift melancholy. Borage, to bring hope in dark and difficult times. Stone by stone, seed by seed, All My Wild Mothers is the story of how sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it. 'An exciting new voice in nature writing' Cal Flyn, Sunday Times Writer of the Year, and author of Islands of Abandonment and Thicker Than Water

This commemorative portfolio displays the gallery of all the 100 pictures awarded in the 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, together with the stories of what they reveal and how they were created. Representing the work of photographers worldwide, they illustrate both the beauty and drama of the natural world and our conflicted relationship with it. Chosen by an international panel of judges from around 50,000 entries, the images are the work of photographers from dozens of countries and represent a worldwide range of styles and ways of seeing nature. You will find a rich variety of subjects, from wild regions, remarkable behaviour and portraits of creatures you may never have seen before, to reportage of vitally important ethical and environmental issues. Adding depth are the background stories - not just about how the pictures were made and the equipment used but also information about the subjects and why the photographers chose them.

'Exquisite and timely.' Maggie O'Farrell 'A rare and magical book. I didn't want it to end.' Bill Bryson 'A witty, intoxicating paean to Earth's wondrous creatures.' Observer 'A total miracle.' Max Porter ** SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES AND FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS ** The world is more astonishing, more miraculous and more wonderful than our wildest imaginings. In this passionately persuasive and sharply funny book, Katherine Rundell tells us how and why. A lavishly illustrated collection of the lives of some of the Earth's most astounding animals, The Golden Mole is a chance to be awestruck and lovestruck - to reckon with the beauty of the world, its fragility, and its strangeness. A swift flies two million kilometres in its lifetime. That's far enough to get to the moon and back twice over - and then once more to the moon. A pangolin keeps its tongue furled in a pouch by its hip. A Greenland shark can live five hundred years. A wombat once inspired a love poem. 'Rundell's pen is gold-tipped.' Sunday Times 'I love everything about this book: it is a rare little treasure.' Joanna Lumley 'Beautifully written.' Monty Don

The unique, dinosaur-like, tuatara is one of thousands of species of animals inhabiting the diverse ecosystems found throughout New Zealand, many endemic to the islands. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and butterflies/insects and includes a map featuring prominent wildlife-viewing areas. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.

As one of the largest predators left in Britain, the fox is captivating: a comfortably familiar figure in our country landscapes; an intriguing flash of bright-eyed wildness in our towns.; Yet no other animal attracts such controversy, has provoked more column inches or been so ambiguously woven into our culture over centuries, perceived variously as a beautiful animal, a cunning rogue, a vicious pest and a worthy foe. As well as being the most ubiquitous of wild animals, it is also the least understood.; In Foxes Unearthed Lucy Jones investigates the truth about foxes in a media landscape that often carries complex agendas. Delving into fact, fiction, folklore and her own family history, Lucy travels the length of Britain to find out first-hand why these animals incite such passionate emotions, revealing our rich and complex relationship with one of our most loved - and most vilified - wild animals. This compelling narrative adds much-needed depth to the debate on foxes, asking what our attitudes towards the red fox say about us and, ultimately, about our relationship with the natural world.

Can you tell a hare from a rabbit? What’s the difference between a llama and an alpaca? Which has two humps – the Bactrian camel or the dromedary? In this animal matching game with a twist, the goal is to match 25 pairs of animals that look almost the same but that tend to be confused. Includes a fascinating booklet by a zoologist explaining the differences between the animals.

Pebble-hunting is a pleasant hobby that makes little demand upon one's patience and still less upon one's physical energy. (You may even enjoy the hunt from the luxurious sloth of a deck chair). One of the true delights of the pebble-seeker is to read the stories in the stones - to determine whence and by what means they came to be there. We must always bear in mind that a pebble is a transient thing. It is in the half-way stage of a long existence . . .

This is a spirited guide to the simple pleasure of pebble spotting. Clarence Ellis is a charming, knowledgeable and witty guide to everything you didn't know there was to know about pebbles. He ruminates on what a pebble actually is, before showing us how they are formed, advising on the best pebble-spotting grounds in the UK, helping to identify individual stones, and giving tips onthe necessary kit. You'll know your chert from your schist, your onyx from your agate and will be on your guard for artificial intruders before you know it. Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating.

A handy illustrated guide to identifying pebbles is included on the reverse of the book jacket.

The renowned zoologist Fritz Eloff became interested in the Kalahari lion in 1958 when he first heard a lion roaring from the red dunes surrounding the camp. So impressive was the earth-trembling sound that he decided to devote his studies to these predators. This meant that he also had to become familiar with the Kalahari, its dust, its intense heat during the day and freezing cold nights, its vegetation, all the mammals and birds that form part of the lion’s food chain as well as the other predators the lion has to compete with. This book is the result of 40 years of extensive research and numerous exciting adventures. Written in an accessible style, it imparts information about the physical characteristics of the Kalahari lion, its habitat, role in the ecosystem and interaction with humans. The book concludes with the stories of a number of legendary male and female lions, and the author’s view on the survival of these magnificent animals in an ever changing environment.

More than a century ago elephants in the eastern Cape were systematically hunted - until only 16 were left . Today there are 650 elephants in the Addo Elephant National Park, the densest concentration of wild elephants anywhere on the planet. While elephants are undoubtedly still the park's top drawcard, the past four decades have seen the emphasis shift from protecting a single species to conserving five biomes and the wild animals that occupy them. Today, Addo can boast the Big Seven: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, as well as great white shark and southern right whale.

Like Shaping Kruger, its successful predecessor, Shaping Addo expertly delves into the history of the park, detailing the positive impact that changing conservation practices have had on its development. Drawing on decades of groundbreaking research, the author provides fascinating insight into the lives and habits of the animals (both terrestrial and marine), examining individual species, the relationship between them, and the carefully crafted management strategies required to ensure the survival of all species.

Shaping Addo is an engrossing account of how a seemingly insignificant sanctuary was transformed into an astonishingly successful mega-park, and the most ecologically diverse protected space in South Africa.

Carnivores include some of the most impressive, dangerous and mysterious animals in the world. Hans Kruuk has spent his life studying them against magnificent backdrops, from the Serengeti savannahs and Kalahari deserts to the Scottish Highlands, from the Galapagos Islands to the Far East. In each location he has used meticulous observation of animal behaviour to understand the ecology and natural history of wild carnivore populations, and ultimately to promote their conservation. This book describes the methods, challenges and rewards of the science of behavioural ecology. However, it essentially concerns the personal, rather than the scientific, side of that work, and above all the field experiences involved. With photographs and line drawings, it brings to life African safaris, the hyena in his bath, flights with vultures, dives with otters, attacks by a badger in Scotland and by feral dogs in Galapagos, gull-eating hedgehogs in Britain and the role of animals in African witchcraft. The author communicates his lifelong fascination with wildlife through these unique experiences and the insights they afforded him. Professor Kruuk is a leading authority on animal behaviour and the author of classic studies of hyaenas, otters and badgers, as well as a biography of his Oxford mentor Niko Tinbergen.

Photographer Bill Lea?known for his artistic documentation of deer and bear behavior, the various moods of the Great Smoky Mountains, and southern ecosystems?has captured in stunning photographs the essence of Great Smoky Mountains wildlife. From rare red-cheeked salamanders, ruby-throated hummingbirds, and playful otters to graceful whitetails, regal elk, and inquisitive black bears, Great Smoky Mountains Wildlife Portfolio is more than a collection of beautiful wildlife photography; it is an inspired and sensitive tribute to one of the world's most spectacular landscapes and the wide variety of unique creatures that reside there.

The polar bear, king of the Arctic, is one of the world's most recognizable animals. Images of the majestic beasts roaming across the ice cap, plunging into frigid waters, and playing with furry cubs have come to symbolize the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic. Andrew E. Derocher and Wayne Lynch have spent decades following the bears, and this book offers the most comprehensive and readable review of their biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation.

With gripping photographs by Lynch, a preeminent wildlife photographer, and the personal stories of Derocher, this book is as stunning to look at as it is fascinating to read. It weaves together their remarkable experiences with the latest research to tell the amazing story of these Arctic predators, tracing the animals back to their evolutionary roots and looking ahead to the future of polar bears on a warming planet Earth.

Through informative and engaging language, Derocher carefully explains the sea ice ecosystem that is essential to the survival of polar bears. He addresses the threat of global warming to the Arctic--home to polar bears for tens of thousands of years--and describes in impressive detail their feeding habits, distribution, den ecology, and reproduction. Lynch's vivid photographs capture all this and more as they chronicle the wide range of polar bear behavior, from family rituals to ferocious predatory practices.

Captivating, accurate, and inspiring, "Polar Bears" belongs in the hands of all who love the wild.