Fully revised and updated, Filmer’s spiders: an identification guide to Southern Africa features all 63 families of spider that occur in this region. A fresh layout, full-colour photographs throughout – many of them new – and diagrams of diagnostic features make this a quick and easy guide for use in the field. The spiders are grouped into web-living, ground-living and plant-Iiving species to aid identification.

Each family is described in terms of the spiders' lifestyle, habitat, size, behaviour and poison potential, and the best collecting methods are given in each case. For those species whose poison is potentially harmful to man, the effects and recommended treatment of bites are discussed.

This handy format book will appeal to anybody wishing to gain insight into the daily lives of spiders.

A cosy and delightful book - a real joy to behold.' Daily Mail 'A gorgeous book to be treasured' BBC Countryfile A beautifully illustrated guide to nature through the seasons by much-loved printmaker Angela Harding. The cover of this stunning book has an exclusive triptych printed on the reverse - a perfect collector's item This stunning work, the first book that is solely dedicated to Angela's art, is a celebration of her beautiful prints, and a glimpse into her detailed and meticulous process. A Year Unfolding is a journey through Angela's year in nature watching the seasons unfold in front of her from her studio in Rutland, and giving the reader detail into how nature transforms and evolves over the course of the year. A Year Unfolding also tells the stories behind some of Angela's most popular images, giving context to Angela's celebrated work, as well as new art created specifically for the book. The beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for Angela's fans and readers and art lovers everywhere. Angela has created the covers for many bestselling books, including The Salt Path and The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn, October, October by Katya Balen, English Pastoral by James Rebanks, Christmas is Murder by Val McDermid and RSPB Birds among many others.

Carol Ruckdeschel is the wildest woman in America. She wrestles alligators, eats roadkill, rides horses bareback, and lives in a ramshackle cabin that she built by hand in an island wilderness. A combination of Henry David Thoreau and Jane Goodall, Carol is a self-taught scientist who has become a tireless defender of sea turtles on Cumberland Island, a national park off the coast of Georgia. Cumberland, the country's largest and most biologically diverse barrier island, is celebrated for its windswept dunes and feral horses. Steel magnate Thomas Carnegie once owned much of the island, and in recent years, Carnegie heirs and the National Park Service have clashed with Carol over the island's future. What happens when a dirt-poor naturalist with only a high school diploma becomes an outspoken advocate on a celebrated but divisive island? Untamed is the story of an American original standing her ground and fighting for what she believes in, no matter the cost.

Life-affirming and lyrical, this beautiful picture book celebrates the awesome power of nature, while gently introducing young children to the concept of life and death. Over the course of a year, a young child and their dog watch kingfishers by the river with Grandpa. As spring turns to summer and autumn to winter, the kingfishers raise a family, while Grandpa teaches his grandchild about the power of nature and the circle of life. Written in memory of her father, whose favourite bird was the kingfisher, Anna Wilson takes readers on a lyrical journey though a year in the life of a kingfisher family. Stunning illustrations by Sarah Massini bring the riverbank to life in all its glory, while the powerful intergenerational bond between grandparent and grandchild shows that just as spring always follows winter, hope will always return if you know where to look for it. A positive story about life, death, and being a part of the natural world.

The most comprehensive reference guide to the world's sharks-now fully revised and updated Sharks of the World is the essential illustrated guide for anyone interested in these magnificent creatures. Now fully revised and updated, it covers 536 of the world's shark species and is packed with colour illustrations, colour photos and informative diagrams. This comprehensive, easy-to-use reference guide incorporates the latest taxonomic revisions of many shark families, featuring many species that were only described in recent years. It also includes a completely revised and expanded introduction and updated line drawings throughout. Covers 536 shark species from around the world Features updated species accounts, illustrations and maps Gives an illustrated overview of shark biology, ecology and conservation Includes fin identification guides Provides a colour distribution map for every species

Southern Africa is home to a diverse reptile fauna of more than 600 species. Of these, nearly 70% are endemic to the region, being found nowhere else. This compact guide features 276 of the more colourful and conspicuous species, as well as those unique to or endangered in the region. This up-to-date guide makes an ideal travelling companion on trips to the wildlife areas of southern Africa.

It features:

- authoritative text describing key identification features and symbols depicting endangered and venomous species;

- full-colour photographs of the featured species;

- distribution maps showing the range of each species;

- thumbnail outlines of each family group, enabling quick identification

The Lake District is one of our busiest national parks. Many people believe that wildness is long gone from the fells, lakes, tarns and becks, yet, within its boundaries, Jim Crumley sets out to prove them wrong - to find "a new way of seeing and writing about this most seen and written about of landscapes". With a naturalist's eye and a poet's instinct he is drawn to Lakeland's turned-aside places where nature still thrives, from low-lying shores to a high mountain oakwood that's not even on the map. Through backwaters and backwoods, Crumley traces this captivating land's place in the evolution of global conservation and pleads the case for a far-reaching reappraisal of all of Lakeland's wildness.

Dynamic naturalist Michael Blencowe has travelled the globe to uncover the fascinating backstories of eleven extinct animals, which he shares with charm and insight in Gone. 'Really, really well-written.' - CHRIS PACKHAM Inspired by his childhood obsession with extinct species, Blencowe takes us around the globe - from the forests of New Zealand to the ferries of Finland, from the urban sprawl of San Francisco to an inflatable crocodile on Brighton's Widewater Lagoon. Spanning five centuries, from the last sighting of New Zealand's Upland Moa to the 2012 death of the Pinta Island Giant Tortoise, Lonesome George, his memoir is peppered with the accounts of the hunters and naturalists of the past as well as revealing conversations with the custodians of these totemic animals today. Featuring striking artworks that resurrect these forgotten creatures, each chapter focuses on a different animal, revealing insights into their unique characteristics and habitats; the history of their discovery and just how and when they came to be lost to us. Blencowe inspects the only known remains of a Huia egg at Te Papa, New Zealand; views hundreds of specimens of deceased Galapagos tortoises and Xerces Blue butterflies in the California Academy of Sciences; and pays his respects to the only soft tissue remains of the Dodo in the world. Warm, wry and thought-provoking, Gone shows that while each extinction story is different, all can inform how we live in the future. Discover and learn from the stories of the: Great Auk. A majestic flightless seabird of the North Atlantic and the 'original penguin'. Spectacled Cormorant. The 'ludicrous bird' from the remote islands of the Bering Sea. Steller's Sea Cow. An incredible ten tonne dugong with skin as furrowed as oak bark. Upland Moa. The improbable birds and the one-time rulers of New Zealand. Huia. The unique bird with two beaks and twelve precious tail feathers. South Island Kokako. The 'orange-wattled crow', New Zealand's elusive Grey Ghost. Xerces Blue. The gossamer-winged butterfly of the San Francisco sand dunes. Pinta Island Tortoise. The slow-moving, long-lived giant of the Galapagos Islands. Dodo. The superstar of extinction. Schomburgk's Deer. A mysterious deer from the wide floodplains of central Thailand. Ivell's Sea Anemone. A see-through sea creature known only from southern England. A modern must-read for anyone interested in protecting our earth and its incredible wildlife, Gone is an evocative call to conserve what we have before it is lost forever.

From its long coastline, with cliffs and islands that bustle with breeding seabirds in the summer, to its open moorland that hold some of the most southerly Curlews and Black Grouse, Wales packs a lot of birds into a small area. It is significant for its populations of Chough, Hawfinch and Pied Flycatcher, and its Manx Shearwaters are of global importance. And it has played an important role in the study of migration, as Skokholm was the first bird observatory in Britain. It is almost 30 years since the first avifauna was published for all of Wales and much has changed. Knowledge of the status of many species has increased thanks to improved monitoring and a greater number of birdwatchers, and we have a better understanding of how humans have affected Wales' birds, particularly the twin challenges of land-use and climate change. The Birds of Wales synthesises the new information and sets it in context of each species' history in Wales. It tells the stories of all the birds that have been recorded here, whether common or rare, and looks forward, anticipating what may occur in the coming decades. It will have an essential place on the bookshelf of everyone with an interest in birds in Wales and should be on the desk or in the rucksack of everyone who influences what happens to the nation's land and seas. It is a once-in-a-generation state of Wales' birds.

This new edition of Bradt's Sri Lankan Wildlife has been fully updated to reflect all the most recent developments relevant to visitors to this beguiling island who come to watch wildlife. Whale watching, now a major part of Sri Lanka's wildlife experience, is covered, and so too is the improved visitor access to some of the national parks. With a general increase in visitors over the past decade, more entrance gates have been opened to popular national parks and access improved to others. Sri Lanka is home to elephants, leopards, bears and water buffalo and boasts one of the highest species densities of marine mammals in the world, with populations of blue whales and sperm whales off the coast proving a compelling draw. Sri Lanka is one of the few destinations in the world where you can be out at sea whale watching in the morning, then spend the afternoon in a national park watching leopards and elephants or visiting a rainforest. A balanced, all-round natural history guide, ideal field guide and armchair read, Bradt's Sri Lankan Wildlife is illustrated with colour photographs of species and includes maps charting animal habitats to aid identification. It is an ideal companion for general wildlife travellers and wildlife enthusiasts who want some background reading on the island's natural history, and is written in an accessible, easy-to-read style by an expert who visits Sri Lanka at least once a year.

Covering the whole of the island of Borneo, this fully revised and updated edition is indispensable for anyone interested in the avifauna of this diverse region. With authoritative text and packed with sumptuous colour plates, Birds of Borne is the definitive guide to the island's birdlife. This new edition features an extensive introduction providing information on geography, climate and habitat. The accurate text covers the identification, voice and status of all species and distinctive subspecies of the island, which is accompanied by detailed distribution maps as well as 144 colour plates covering all major races and plumage variations.

Britain is home to some forty species of dragonfly, and public interest in their plight is high right now thanks to their primeval beauty, aerobatic grace and a growing realisation of their importance for water eco-systems. In 'The Dragonfly Diaries', Ruary Mackenzie Dodds shares his quirky fascination for these remarkable creatures over the 25 years he has been photographing and working with them. Combining fascinating description of the lives of dragonflies, with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain's first public dragonfly sanctuary, 'The Dragonfly Diaries' is a must for nature buffs and for anyone who wants to be inspired by the resolve and dedication of a man on a mission to save these critically important insects.

Boas of the West Indies is a comprehensive survey of boid snakes, commonly known as boas, found on the islands of the Lucayan Archipelago, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. Bringing together the expertise of leading herpetologists R. Graham Reynolds, Robert W. Henderson, Luis M. Diaz, Tomas Michel Rodriguez, and Alberto R. Puente-Rolon, this volume synthesizes established knowledge and new findings on the evolutionary biology, natural history, and conservation statuses of these iconic snakes. One of the most ecologically diverse snake families, boas have inhabited the West Indies for millions of years. From the Cuban boa, which in many folk legends may grow to over twice a person's height, to the Hispaniolan vineboa, discovered only in 2020 and known to measure less than a meter long, Boas of the West Indies examines the eighteen species extant on these islands along with several others now extinct. Species accounts include details such as phenotypic traits, distribution, and behavior. Introductory chapters discuss the history of human-boa interaction, differences between West Indian and neotropical mainland boids, current conservation efforts, and more. Illustrated with over a hundred color photographs and range maps, Boas of the West Indies is a benchmark reference for herpetologists, conservationists, and snake hobbyists that expands our knowledge of-and celebrates-these fascinating creatures so integral to the ecology of these islands.

Originally published in 2004, the Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals quickly became the field guide of choice to take on African safaris. Its compact format makes it ideal for use in the field, while its coverage is the most comprehensive currently possible in this format. Adapted from the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals, the greatly condensed text focuses on essential information such as identification and distribution, while the author's superb illustrations have been rearranged into an easy-to-use plate format and placed opposite the text. Complex and more obscure groups like the bats and certain rodent families are summarised by genera. Over 500 maps plot the distribution of all larger species, and for smaller mammals the maps show distribution by genus. This is a completely revised second edition of this popular guide. The information and taxonomy have been updated to follow the newly published second edition of the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals (2015), and this new edition of the pocket guide contains several new species and illustrations. The maps have been completely replaced and there are now 200 more maps than in the original edition.

An accessible and comprehensive guide to all things acoustic bat detection. This highly illustrated handbook provides an in-depth understanding of acoustic detection principles, study planning, data handling, properties of bat calls, manual identification of species, automatic species recognition, analysis of results, quality assurance and the background physics of sound. No other method of detecting bats is so popular and widespread in the context of environmental assessment and voluntary work as acoustic detection, and its increased use has driven the development of a large number of sophisticated devices and analytical methods. Acoustic detection has become a standard approach for establishing the presence of bats, carrying out species identification and monitoring levels of activity. The resolution, accuracy and scale with which these tasks can be done has risen dramatically with the availability of automated real-time recording. But anyone interested in acoustic recording will quickly recognise that there are still quite a few open questions about the limits and possibilities of acoustic detection. Clear definitions of how to handle the data are usually missing, for example, and there are no clearly described activity indices. In response to the lack of thorough information on the underlying science of acoustic detection, the authors present this handbook.

When Mike Tomkies moved to a remote cottage on the shores of Loch Shiel in the West Highlands of Scotland, he found a place which was to provide him with the most profound wilderness experience of his life. Accessible only by boat, the cottage he renamed 'Wildernesse' was to be his home for many years, which he shared with his beloved German Shepherd, Moobli. Centred on different landscape elements - loch, woodlands and mountains -Tomkies describes the whole cycle of nature through the seasons in a harsh and testing environment of unrivalled beauty. Vivid colours and sounds fill the pages - exotic wild orchids, the roar of rutting stags, the territorial movements of foxes, otters and badgers, an oak tree being torn apart by hurricane-force gales. Nothing escapes his penetrating eye. His extraordinary insights into the wildlife that shared his otherwise empty territory were not gained without perseverance in the face of perilous hazards, and the difficulties and challenges of life in the wilderness are a key part of this remarkable book.

This entirely new book takes us deep into the world of moles. In the lonely darkness of their tunnels hunger forces moles on a cycle of digging, patrolling and eating, broken in spring as males drive themselves to exhaustion on mating forays, and females raise babies in warm nests. When their time comes young moles make dangerous journeys above ground-just the start of the perils that lie ahead. Sadly, we humans add to their woes, holding moles' representatives in literature in far more affection than we do the real animal.The book is beautifully illustrated throughout by Belinda Atkinson.

Dive into the fascinating world of coastal wildlife with this holiday pocket guide. Featuring 40 beautifully illustrated pebbles, shells, crabs, small sea creatures and more, discover more about life between the tides with The Little Guide to Shorelines. Each entry has been delicately illustrated by printmaker Tom Frost to capture its individual characteristics, and is accompanied by associated facts and fables. There is also an interactive spotter's guide at the back, where you can check off what you find. This informative, practical and beautiful guide is part of a new nature series designed to encourage creativity through exploring the outdoors. An activity for adults and children alike, enjoy The Little Guide to Shorelines on your next trip to the sea.

'I went for a walk around the garden. A great tit warbled above a patch of coltsfoot. I felt a thousand discoveries awaited...' Notes from a Summer Cottage by Nina Burton is a beautifully written nature memoir about the time spent renovating a cottage in the Swedish countryside, and all the species that she encountered her during her stay. Did you know that there are more ants altogether than the number of seconds that have passed since the Big Bang? And that in relation to their size, their anthill cities can be larger than London and New York? Or, that a bird's migratory instinct is so strong that an injured stork once escaped captivity and was found six weeks later having walked 150 kilometres, following the migratory path of his flock on foot? What begins with a renovation of a an old summer cottage swiftly turns into an exploration of nature, life and philosophy, in which Nina Burton reveals the inner lives and hitherto unknown habits of the animals with which she shares. Within the walls, the ceiling and the floor of the cottage and its surrounding garden, she encounters a host of animals-ants, honey bees, foxes, squirrels, blackbirds, badgers, pigeons, deer and many more-all of whom have made her house and garden their home, and all of whom cause Nina to reflect on their role within our world.

This book examines a wide range of innovative approaches for coastal wetlands restoration and explains how we should use both academic research and practitioners' findings to influence learning, practice, policy and social change. For conservationists, tidal flats and coastal wetlands are regarded as among the most important areas to conserve for the health of the entire oceanic environment. As the number of restoration projects all over the world increases, this book provides a unique assessment of coastal wetland restorations by examining existing community perceptions and by drawing on the knowledge and expertise of both academics and practitioners. Based on a four-year sociological study across three different cultural settings - England, Japan and Malaysia - the book investigates how citizens perceive the existing environment; how they discuss the risks and benefits of restoration projects; how perceptions change over time; and how governmental and non-governmental organisations work with the various community perceptions on the ground. By comparing and contrasting the results from these three countries, the book offers guidance for future conservation and restoration activities, with a specific view to working with local citizens to avoid conflict and obtain long-term investment. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of coastal restoration, wetland conservation and citizen science, as well as environmental sociology and environmental management more broadly. It will also be of use to practitioners and policymakers involved in environmental restoration projects.

This beautiful and inspiring book tells the stories of 80 birds around the world: from the Sociable Weaver Bird in Namibia which constructs huge, multi-nest 'apartment blocks' in the desert, to the Bar-headed Goose of China, one of the highest-flying migrants which crosses the Himalayas twice a year. Many birds come steeped in folklore and myth, some are national emblems and a few have inspired scientific revelation or daring conservation projects. Each has a story to tell that sheds a light on our relationship with the natural world and reveals just how deeply birds matter to us.