An essential guide to assist those surveying for water voles, whether as a professional ecological consultant, a researcher or simply an interested amateur. This book provides detailed descriptions of all the habitats used by water voles, including ideal habitats as well as less typical places, with annotated photos to help the surveyor home in on just the right areas to look. It also contains a comprehensive photographic reference guide to assist in the correct identification of water vole field signs, and explains how to distinguish them from those of similar species. Tips on where and how to search for field signs are also provided, along with guidance on how best to record survey data.

This practical pocket field guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, provides essential information on identifying and attracting eighty-eight species of garden bird. Each species account contains accurate artworks that show details to help readers differentiate between similar looking species, and male and female birds. A concise written account further outlines their size, plumage, voice, habitat, food and distribution in Britain and the near Continent. The book also includes general guidelines on food, feeders, nest boxes and other items that can greatly increase the presence of birds in your garden. The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick identification, and make this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet filled with essential information for nature enthusiasts.

Sasol First Field Guide to Spiders & Scorpions of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the arachnids of the region. Through full-colour photographs and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique habits.

A breathtaking collection of photographs and expert commentary that shed light on the most mysterious creatures of the deep seaJellyfish come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes, and sizes, drifting through every ocean, from the surface to the deepest of the deep seas, and are even found in freshwater locations. These ancient creatures, also called sea jellies (they are not, technically, fish), are so otherworldly and luminous that it is no wonder they are often compared to mythical shapeshifters. Some are so delicate that they shatter with the smallest disturbance to the water, while the tenacity of others means they can withstand almost any temperature, any salinity, starvation, and even being dismembered. And some are truly biologically immortal. This visually breathtaking book showcases 100 species of jellyfish within its pages—from the ubiquitous Aurelia to the enigmatic Velella—along with astounding facts about these fascinating marine life-forms. Some are splendid, some strange, some poisonous, some deadly. Some carry surprising secrets and some are barely known, but every one of them is remarkable and has a tale to tell. An introduction by noted expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, with her commentary throughout, invites you into the wondrous world of jellyfish.

'An ode to the ocean, and the generations of women drawn to the waves or left waiting on the shore' Guardian In Salt On Your Tongue, Charlotte Runcie explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. In mesmerising prose, she explores how the sea has inspired, fascinated and terrified us, and how she herself fell in love with the deep blue. This book is a walk on the beach with Turner, with Shakespeare, with the Romantic Poets and shanty-singers. It's an ode to our oceans - to the sailors who brave their treacherous waters, to the women who lost their loved ones to the waves, to the creatures that dwell in their depths, to beachcombers, swimmers, seabirds and mermaids. Navigating through ancient Greek myths, poetry, shipwrecks and Scottish folktales, Salt On Your Tongue is about how the wild untameable waves can help us understand what it means to be human.

"The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee . . . is indispensable to anyone, anywhere, working on this group. Parmalee and Bogan have written a work that sets the standard for future regional guides."--G. Thomas Watters, Ohio Biological Survey
"The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee documents a tremendously diverse and unique mussel fauna that is rapidly being destroyed by modern development. Parmalee and Bogan set a new standard for state mussel surveys in their authoritative, thorough, and and highly readable account. The book will be of interest to biologists and conservationists worldwide and will appeal to anyone who cares about the preservation of natural resources in the southeastern United States."--Robert E. Warren, Illinois State Museum
With more than 150 species and subspecies recorded in the state, Tennessee has one of the most diverse freshwater mussel faunas in North America. Valuable as indicators of water quality, these mollusks have themselves become threatened as development encroaches on habitat--twenty-three are currently listed as endangered species and at least twelve have become extinct.
This is the first book for Tennessee to deal with this biologically and commercially significant group of mollusks. Its authors have been studying and writing about the mussels of Tennessee for more than twenty years and have undertaken a systematic organization of a large and complex body of information to bring order to a difficult field.
The book traces the long history of human exploitation of mussels, from aboriginal food gathering to the growth of the cultured pearl industry. It provides an interpretive context for its exhaustive species accounts with background material on biology, distribution, economic utilization, taxonomy, and conservation issues. The authors also review the life cycle of the mussel and describe its many remarkable traits, such as its shell formation and the strategies it employs during the larval stage in parasitizing fish.
The species accounts comprise 128 members of Family Unionidae--from pigtoes and pocketbooks to lilliputs and spikes--plus four additional species. The authors cover classification and synonymy, range and distribution, life history and ecology, and survival status. Particular attention is paid to shell description and structure to assist the reader in identification. Each species account includes a distribution map and color photos of two specimens.
The Freshwater Mussels of Tennessee is a major reference that encompasses historical and modern mussel collections and draws on conservation studies that span two centuries. It will stand as an authoritative guide to understanding Tennessee mollusks and as a benchmark in the study of these species worldwide.
The Authors: Paul W. Parmalee is professor emeritus of zooarchaeology and director emeritus of the McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Arthur E. Bogan is curator of aquatic invertebrates at the North
Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh.

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.

Snakes are creatures of mystery, arousing fear in many people but fascination in a few. Recent research has transformed our understanding of the behaviour and ecology of these animals, revealed their important roles in diverse ecosystems, and discovered new and effective ways to conserve their populations and to promote coexistence between snakes and people. One of the leading contributors to that scientific revolution has been Prof Rick Shine. Based in Australia, whose snake fauna is diverse and often dangerous, his experiences and anecdotes will inspire a new generation of serpent scientists. Spellbinding stories highlight the challenges, frustrations, and joys of discovery, and give the reader a greater appreciation of these often-slandered slithering reptiles. Key Features Documents the important role played by a preeminent herpetologist. Focuses on research conducted in Australia, especially on snakes. Summarizes highly influential conservation studies. Explores the ways in which research has deepened our understanding of snakes.

A comprehensive work intended for anyone maintaining captive bats, Bats in Captivity is the only multi-volume series of its kind, detailing the captive care of bats worldwide. This volume comprises 25 papers by 37 contributing authors. It contains information on the legal aspects of maintaining and shipping bats, plus papers on developing traveling trunks and loan boxes, the use of ultrasonic mobility devices in education programs, conditioning and training bats for public demonstration, their use in outreach programs, and exhibiting bats in zoological institutions. In addition, there is comprehensive information on excluding bats from man-made structures, as well as how bat houses and artificial roosts are constructed and used.

'[A] delightful hymn of praise to the most extraordinary of all the world's bird families - hummingbirds' STEPHEN MOSS 'A brilliant read' MARK AVERY 'Ever thoughtful and engaging, Jon Dunn pursues these dazzling creatures through dust and jungle' BENEDICT ALLEN 'A warm-hearted and enthusiastic triumph of nature writing' TIM DEE _____________________ For centuries hummingbirds have captured our imaginations: revered by Native Americans, coveted by European collectors and admired worldwide for their jewel-like plumage, acrobatic flight and immense character. Though their renown extends throughout the world, hummingbirds are found exclusively in the Americas. Small in stature yet fiercely tenacious, they have conquered every habitat imaginable: from boreal woodlands to deserts, mangrove swamps to volcanic slopes, and on islands both tropical and sub-polar. The Glitter in the Green takes us on an unforgettable journey in search of the most remarkable examples of this wildly variable family. There's the Bee Hummingbird in Cuba, the smallest species of bird to have ever lived; the diminutive Rufous Hummingbird, whose annual migration exceeds 3,000 miles; and the critically endangered Juan Fernandez Firecrown, marooned on the remote Pacific island that inspired Robinson Crusoe. Jon Dunn brings us closer than ever before to these magnificent creatures, exploring a heady mix of rare birds, a history redolent with mythology, and the colourful stories of the people obsessed with hummingbirds through the ages. With great passion for his subject and a taste for adventure, Dunn transports us to wondrous landscapes from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, and invites us into the kaleidoscopic world of the hummingbird - the bird that has won the hearts and minds of mankind for millennia.

A new addition to the successful 'Quick ID guide' series, Primates is a succinct survey of the features and habits of our closest relatives.

Divided into the three main primate groups - great apes, typical monkeys and prosimians (including the bushbabies) - this easy-to-use guide rovides pertinent facts, annotated photographs and up-to-date distribution maps to help readers accurately identify the most commonly seen and charismatic primates in the field.

What was the state of wildlife in Britain and Ireland before modern records began? The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife looks at the era before climate change, before the intensification of agriculture, before even the Industrial Revolution. In the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, beavers still swim in the River Ness. Isolated populations of wolves and lynxes linger in the uplands. Sea eagles are widespread around the coasts. Wildcats and pine martens remain common in the Lake District. In this ground-breaking volume, the observations of early modern amateur naturalists, travellers and local historians are gathered together for the very first time. Drawing on more than 10,000 records from across Britain and Ireland, the book presents maps and notes on the former distribution of over 160 species, providing a new baseline against which to discuss subsequent declines and extinctions, expansions and introductions. A guide to identification describes the reliable and unreliable names of each species, including the pre-Linnaean scientific nomenclature, as well as local names in early modern English and, where used in the sources, Irish, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish and Norn. Raising a good number of questions at the same time as it answers many others, this remarkable resource will be of great value to conservationists, archaeologists, historians and anyone with an interest in the natural heritage of Britain and Ireland.

The text is complimented by new fine digital drawings and cartoons by Guy Troughton. This edition also features a gallery of extraordinary images by renowned wildlife photographer Frank Greenaway.

Beloved as a herald of spring, cuckoos have held a place in our hearts for centuries. But for many other birds the cuckoo is a signal of doom, for it is nature's most notorious cheat. In this enormously engaging book, naturalist and scientist Nick Davies reveals how cuckoos deceive other species, uncovering an evolutionary race between cuckoos and the hosts. Cuckoo offers a new insight not only into the secret lives of these extraordinary birds, but also how cheating evolves and thrives in the natural world.

Originally published in the 1920s. It is generally accepted that no legend, however incredible, exists or came into being without some reason or foundation. This fascinating book is a comprehensive study of both legend and superstition in the world of birds. Ancient thoughts, facts and fallacies apertaining to over 100 bird species are discussed in detail. The author has investigated many rare and early bird books to glean a wealth of information. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

'Jones' Icones' is a stunning six-volume manuscript containing paintings of some of the most important butterfly and moth collections at the end of the eighteenth century. It is the work of William Jones (1745-1818), a wealthy wine merchant from Chelsea who, on retirement, devoted the rest of his life to studying and painting butterflies and moths. Held in the archives of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the volumes contain over 1,500 ink and gouache paintings representing 760 species from around the world. Work continues to this day to determine whether all the original specimens depicted still survive. This set of three A5, softback notebooks with high quality ruled paper makes an exquisite gift for nature-lovers and writers alike.

'He is delight and joy personified' - MARIAN KEYES 'Set to become BBC's next David Attenborough' - DAILY MAIL 'Brings a little bit of joy to us all' - GUARDIAN Discover the wonderful world of birdwatching with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin - winner of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing 2022. 'Birds have been with me my entire life - from the colourful weaver birds on the banks of the Nile in Sudan to the magpies of Newcastle, from the roosting peregrine falcons near my parents' house in Northampton to the white-tailed eagles on the west coast of Scotland. I love them. If you take the time to stop and listen, you'll see the world through different eyes. It's all out there, waiting for you to find it. And it might just bring you as much joy as it's brought me.' Journey along with Hamza in Be a Birder as he recounts stories of his birding adventures, and shares tips and tricks to help you get started in birdwatching. In this beautifully illustrated guide, featuring fifty of Hamza's favourite birds, you will learn how to start identifying birds, understand their behaviour and movements, and find even more exciting birds, wherever you are. Starting with the goldfinch in your garden, to tawny owls in woodlands, to the elusive kingfisher near rivers and marshes, you will build your birdwatching confidence and push yourself further afield to find new feathered wonders. Encouraging us all to stop, step outside and listen, Be a Birder is both a practical guide and a joyous celebration of these incredible creatures. Once you start looking for them, and with Hamza as your guide, your world will be forever changed.