Animals: A Visual Guide to the Animal Kingdom - Hardcover

Keith Laidler, Dr

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184916004X ISBN 13: 9781849160049

Publisher: Quercus Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

Embark on an incredible journey through the dizzying diversity, complexity and majesty of the Animal Kingdom. Discover how primitive slime fungi cells coalesce and function for a time as a single animal, or witness the millions of Monarch butterflies that aggregate on trees in Mexico. Meet the Coelacanth fish thought to be extinct for millions of years, or Microcebus - the newly discovered mouse lemur and the world's smallest primate. From sponges to spiny ant eaters, brine shrimps to bonobos, Animals allows you to witness some of the most astonishing wonders of the natural world in spectacular detail. Organised according to the scientific classification of animals (orders, families, genus, species), each chapter focuses on a different family of animals, starting with an introductory essay on the evolution, diversity, behaviour, habitats, conservation, etc. Subsequent pages showcase a broad selection of the most interesting, exotic, unusual, endangered, beautiful, specific animals within that group. Animals combines over 350 amazing giant-sized images taken by the world's best wildlife photographers with the latest scientific and zoological research on the natural history and conservation status of hundreds of animals. From nature lovers to conservationists, wildlife watchers to budding zoologists, Animals is the ideal reference that will entertain, inform and enthrall readers of all ages.

About this title

About the Author

Dr Keith Laidler is a writer and broadcaster specializing in wildlife in the natural world. He has written and produced many films on a wide range of animals including leopards; gorillas; harpy eagles; lion and otters, among others. His many books include The Talking Ape (Collins), Squirrels in Britain (David & Charles), River Wolf (Allen & Unwin), Pandas (BBC/Collins) and China's Threatened Species (Blackwell). Keith has 1st Class B.Sc. Special Honours Zoology, Ph.D. Anthropology. He is Fellow of Royal Geographic Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Winston Churchill Fellow and a member of the Scientific Exploration Society.

From the Back Cover

Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful - Charles Darwin, 1859.
Embark on an incredible journey through the wondrous diversity, complexity and majesty of the animal kingdom. With over 360 stunning images taken by some of the world's best wildlife photographers - from sea slugs to spiny ant eaters, humming birds to hunting dogs, anemones to elephants - Animals allows you to witness in giant size the most remarkable creatures on the planet.

From the Inside Flap

According to recent estimates there may be as many as 30 million animal species alive at the present time - a fabulous treasure trove of living creatures whose myriad forms and behaviours almost defy our imagination. Despite human population increase and environmental degradation, the number of known animals continues to rise as new species are discovered and named on an almost daily basis. Further research will undoubtedly throw up new surprises but, in the broadest sense at least, we now have a complete picture of animal life on this planet and how its diverse forms are related.
From leafy sea dragons and poison arrow frogs to birds of paradise and snow leopards; from gharials and gorillas to wildebeest and walruses, Animals is a spectacular `who's who' of the animal kingdom. Organized according to the scientific classification of animals, each page is packed with the latest research on the evolution, classification, behaviour, habitats and conservation status of hundreds of species. Over 360 superb images, taken by some of the world's best wildlife photographers, bring the animals to life on the page in extraordinary detail - from everyday creatures that we take for granted to some of the most exotic, unusual and endangered animals that exist on the planet.
Ideal for all nature lovers or conservationists, wildlife watchers or budding zoologists, this stunning visual reference reveals the exquisite beauty and astonishing diversity of the animal kingdom.

Edition details

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184916004X
• ISBN 13: 9781849160049
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208