The Private Life Of Spiders - Hardcover

Paul Hillyard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847738737 ISBN 13: 9781847738738

Publisher: New Holland, 2011

Synopsis

A reformatted, redesigned edition of this popular title. Spiders: hairy, scary monstrosities, or just another animal trying to make a living? With over 100 different families and 40,000 individual species, spiders are among the most successful creatures on the planet. They live almost everywhere, from the Arctic tundra to equatorial rainforest, and come in a diverse range of shapes and sizes, from the tiny Patu digua measuring less than half a millmetre to the immense chicken-eating spider, which can reach a span of 28 cms (11 inches)! Many species of spider live in close promixity to man, which partly explains the ambivalence or even fear that many people feel for them. The Private Life of Spiders looks at arachnids in a new way, shedding light on the fascinating lives of these complex and highly adaptable creatures. Illustrated throughout with stunning photographs, author Paul Hillyard lifts the lid on the complex world of spiders, from their hunting strategies and amazing web-spinning skills to their extraordinary courtship displays and devoted care for their young. Written in an engaging, educational and thought-provoking style, The book also explains why people are scared of spiders, why such fear is generally misplaced, and why we should be doing more to look after endangered spider species

About this title

Review:

This is a stroll through the spider's largely hidden world, highlighting the most spectacular, unusual, and instructive of the eight-legged brethren --Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books

A gorgeous look at one of the most successful groups of animals.. . . The more than 100 photographs are marvellous examples of close-up photography as the reader witnesses a tarantula moulting, a bolas spider dangling its line of silk covered with sticky globules, and the face and large fangs of a wolf spider. --Nancy Bent, Booklist

A journey through the life of these often misunderstood and sometimes dangerous creatures. . . . This is a fascinating book --Joel Lerner, Washington Post

From the Back Cover:

"Paul Hillyard's Private Life of Spiders is enjoyable to read, very informative, and beautifully illustrated. The photographs are truly stunning and make a wonderful complement to the text's excellent information on spider life and biology for the general reader. This book will be a terrific addition to any naturalist's or spider lover's library."--Paula E. Cushing, president of the American Arachnological Society

"This is an excellent, engagingly written introduction to the diverse and often incredible world of spiders."--Jonathan Coddington, curator of spiders at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History

About this edition

• Publisher: New Holland
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1847738737
• ISBN 13: 9781847738738
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160