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Seventy million years ago in what would become North America, a monstrous thirty-five-foot-long Cretaceous crocodile lurked on a marshy riverbank. Springing suddenly, its huge jaws trapped and crushed a juvenile hadrosaur. Today, the remains of that ancient crocodile are being painstakingly reconstructed in Colorado, where naturalist Zach Fitzner continues his life-long fascination with this amazing animal family. 

In Tears for Crocodilia: Evolution, Ecology, and the Disappearance of One of the World’s Most Ancient Animals, Fitzner tracks the evolution of crocodilians from prehistoric predators to modern endangered wildlife, using his own experiences with these reptiles as a lens to understanding wildlife conservation and our relationship with the natural world. Traveling the world to interact with crocodiles, from observing alligators in a wildlife refuge in Texas and paddling a canoe in the Everglades searching for crocodiles to trekking the jungles in Nepal to find endangered gharials, the author expresses a wonder in exploring these diverse ecosystems, making a connection between crocodilians and the lands they live in. As the story follows crocodilians, it also illuminates their often complicated relationship with humans, from crocodile cults in ancient Egypt to American alligators living on golf courses. Fitzner also closely examines the dark side of this relationship, including habitat destruction and poaching as well as the mechanistic view of traditional conservation that turns these magnificent animals into agricultural products. Tears for Crocodilia delves deeply into issues of wildlife conservation, ethics, and how we can coexist with other creatures. It is also a tribute to a magnificent group of animals, survivors from the age of dinosaurs. 

With a wide variety of habitats ranging from southeastern swamps to western deserts, Texas is home to numerous species of frogs, toads, and salamanders. Each area of Texas has a particular set of species that has evolved there over thousands of years. Indeed, most amphibians are not very mobile, and many live their entire lives within a few square meters. This makes them particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation and habitat destruction.

Texas Amphibians is the only field guide focused exclusively on the state’s frogs, toads, and salamanders. It presents brief, general accounts of the two orders and fifteen families. Then it identifies each of the seventy-two species in detail, including size, description, voice (if applicable), similar species, distribution (with maps), natural history, reproduction, subspecies (if applicable), and comments and conservation information. Color photographs illustrate the species.

The book also includes a general introduction to amphibian natural history, conservation, observation and collection, maintenance in captivity, museum and preserved specimens, and scientific and common names, as well as scientific keys to Texas salamanders and frogs and a generic key to amphibian larvae. This wealth of information, compiled by a team of experts who collectively have over a century of experience in field herpetology, will increase our appreciation for amphibians and the vital role they play as an early indicator of threats to the quality of the environment that we all share.

“Texas offers the opportunity to observe lizard diversity like no other part of the country,” writes Laurie J. Vitt in the foreword to Texas Lizards. From the moist eastern Piney Woods to the western deserts, lizards can be found in every part of Texas. The state has forty-five native and six naturalized species of lizards, almost half of the 115 species that live in the continental United States. Yet Texas lizards have not received full coverage in regional field guides, and no other guide dedicated solely to the state’s lizards has ever been published.

Texas Lizards is a complete identification guide to all fifty-one native and established exotic lizard species. It offers detailed species accounts, range maps, and excellent color photographs (including regional, gender, and age variations for many species) to aid field identification. The authors, two of the state’s most knowledgeable herpetologists, open the book with a broad overview of lizard natural history, conservation biology, observation, and captive maintenance before providing a key to Texas lizards and accounts of the various lizard families and species. Appendices list species of questionable occurrence in Texas and nonestablished exotic species. Informational resources on Texas lizards, a map of Texas counties, a glossary, a bibliography, and indexes of common and scientific names round out the volume.

Texas has a large and diverse turtle population, with forms that are found nowhere else (Cagle’s Map Turtle and the Texas Map Turtle) and wide-ranging species that barely touch the state, including the Painted Turtles and the Rough-footed Mud Turtle. From the Sabine River to El Paso, and from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle, thirty-one native and established exotic turtle species are definitely known in Texas, along with one crocodilian, the American Alligator.

Texas Turtles & Crocodilians is the first complete identification guide to all the state’s turtles and to its single alligator. It offers detailed species accounts, range maps, and excellent color photographs to aid in field identification. The authors, two of the state’s most knowledgeable herpetologists, open the book with a broad overview of turtle natural history, conservation biology, observation, and captive maintenance before providing a key to Texas turtles and accounts of the various turtle families and species. Appendices provide brief accounts of species that occurred prehistorically in Texas and non-established exotic species, as well as a table of Texas’ major watersheds and the turtle diversity in each one. Informational resources on Texas turtles and alligators, a map of Texas counties, a glossary, a bibliography, and indexes of common and scientific names complete the volume.

A Newbery Honor Book (1934)

An unfortunate accident with an Apple drives Bunny from Bunnyland to Elsewhere. Every letter in the alphabet is represented in Bunny’s journey, through what he eats (Greens), to whom he meets (Insects, Jay, Kitten, Lizard), and then a little sleep (Nap), to Tripping back to town, right side Up and Up-side-down.

The creation of The ABC Bunny was a Gág family affair, with sister Flavia composing the “ABC Song,” included in this faithful edition; brother Howard penning the lettering; and Wanda writing and illustrating the story.

Breeding on remote ocean islands and spending much of its life foraging for food across vast stretches of seemingly empty seas, the albatross remains a legend for most people. And yet, humans are threatening the albatross family to such an extent that it is currently the most threatened bird group in the world. In this extensively researched, highly readable book, Robin W. Doughty and Virginia Carmichael tell the story of a potentially catastrophic extinction that has been interrupted by an unlikely alliance of governments, conservation groups, and fishermen.

Doughty and Carmichael authoritatively establish that the albatross's fate is linked to the fate of two of the highest-value table fish, Bluefin Tuna and Patagonian Toothfish, which are threatened by unregulated commercial harvesting. The authors tell us that commercial fishing techniques are annually killing tens of thousands of albatrosses. And the authors explain how the breeding biology of albatrosses makes them unable to replenish their numbers at the rate they are being depleted. Doughty and Carmichael set the albatross's fate in the larger context of threats facing the ocean commons, ranging from industrial overfishing to our habit of dumping chemicals, solid waste, and plastic trash into the open seas. They also highlight the efforts of dedicated individuals, environmental groups, fishery management bodies, and governments who are working for seabird and fish conservation and demonstrate that these efforts can lead to sustainable solutions for the iconic seabirds and the entire ocean ecosystem.

Perhaps no creature has so fired the imagination of a populace as the armadillo—that most ungainly, awkward, and timid little animal. Its detractors call it a varmint and wish it good speed from the Lone Star State and its other natural territories. But its supporters claim that it is the animal kingdom's representative of all that's truly Texan: tough, pioneering, adaptable, and generous in sharing its habitation with others. What is it that sets this quizzical little creature apart from the rest of the animal kingdom?

Larry L. Smith and Robin W. Doughty ably answer this question in The Amazing Armadillo: Geography of a Folk Critter. This informative book traces the spread of the nine-banded armadillo from its first notice in South Texas late in the 1840s to its current range east to Florida and north to Missouri. The authors look at the armadillo's natural history and habitat as well as the role of humans in promoting its spread, projecting that the animal is increasing in both range and number, continuing its ecological success in areas where habitat and climate are favorable.

The book also contributes to a long-standing research theme in geography—the relationship between humans and wildlife. It explores the armadillo's value to the medical community in current research in Hansen's Disease (leprosy) as well as commercial uses, and abuses, of the armadillo in recent times. Of particular note is the author's engaging look at the armadillo as a symbol of popular culture, the efforts now underway to make it a "totem animal" symbolizing the easy-going lifestyles of some Sunbelt cities, and the spread of the craze for armadilliana to other urban centers.

The rich diversity of Arkansas’s amphibian and reptilian species comes alive in this thoroughly updated second edition of The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. An indispensable resource for both professionals and enthusiasts, and praised for its accessible language and scientific rigor, this field guide not only reflects the latest in taxonomic research but also celebrates the surge in herpetological studies in Arkansas over the past two decades, showcasing a thriving academic interest while addressing gaps in the first edition.

Building on the foundation of the acclaimed first edition, this updated work introduces enhanced color maps, updated range data, and an array of new illustrations, capturing a more vivid and comprehensive picture of Arkansas’s herpetofauna. Meticulously illustrated identification keys, species accounts, and pictorial guides make this a valuable tool for identifying species in the field, in classrooms, or in one’s own backyard.

First published in 1968, this engrossing and beautiful picture book about wildlife on Isle Royale is available again

Isle Royale, “the big island” of this book, is a wilderness national park in Lake Superior and home to a unique and fascinating ecosystem of animals, most notably the iconic wolf and majestic moose. Here is author Julian May’s story about the island’s beginning, the kinds of animals that came to populate it, and their effects on the pristine landscape. Among them were the moose, who swam to the island from the distant shore to fend off starvation. The moose found conditions on Isle Royale so favorable that they reproduced quickly—but then faced another food shortage. The wolves arrived by floating to the island on an ice floe in winter and soon became important to the island’s ecology as successful predators of the moose. 

Complementing this fascinating text, John Schoenherr’s magnificent illustrations convey the strength of these animals and the beauty of the island that is their home.

First published in 1968, and reprinted here with a new note by renowned wolf expert L. David Mech, The Big Island is an enchanting introduction to the wilderness and wildlife of Isle Royale. 

Including more than four hundred species from all seven recognized biological families, a beautiful visual celebration of bee species the world over. 

The honeycombs, hives, dancing, and royalty of bee colonies have long captured the public’s imagination, but there’s far more to these insects. There are over 20,000 bee species, but only a handful have colonies approaching the organization of the familiar western honeybee. The typical bee, if there is one, is solitary. It nests in the ground or a stem and has seven to fifteen offspring that develop and emerge the following year, long after their mother has died. These solitary species vary tremendously in the flowers they visit, how they collect pollen and nectar, the architecture of their nests, and how males strategize to find mates. Furthermore, another 17% of all bee species are well-armored parasites, often with striking colors and an array of tactics for attacking other bees.

Bees’ keystone contribution, as pollinators, to the human food supply and to the proper function of ecosystems far exceeds their numbers. From the emerald-green dilemma orchid bee to the spined leafcutter cuckoo, The Book of Bees celebrates bee species worldwide, highlighting a broad range of their diversity to illustrate how different they are in behavior, life history, and interactions with flowers and humans. Each entry includes a distribution map, a table of essential information, a section on related species, and a description of the species’ importance in terms of taxonomy, rarity, behavior, and scientific significance. Striking photos show the bees at their actual size and are also enlarged to showcase intricate details.

This wide-ranging exploration of social, solitary, and parasitic bees offers fascinating insights into their remarkable lives, fostering greater appreciation of their ecological importance and the need for their conservation.

An up-to-date, exquisitely illustrated guide to six hundred of the world’s beguiling beetles.

When renowned British geneticist J. B. S. Haldane was asked what could be inferred about God from a study of his works, Haldane replied, “An inordinate fondness for beetles.” With more than 440,000 known species, and scientific estimates that millions more have yet to be identified, their abundance is indisputable, as is their variety. They range from the delightful summer firefly to the one-hundred-gram Goliath beetle. Beetles offer a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and colors that entice scientists and collectors across the globe.

In a new updated edition, The Book of Beetles celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous group of insects. The book includes six hundred significant beetle species, and each entry features a distribution map, basic biology, feeding habits, and information on cultural and economic significance. The beetles appear both at their actual size and enlarged to show details, such as the sextet of spots that distinguish the six-spotted tiger beetle or the jagged ridges of the mandibles on the giant jawed sawyer beetle. With updates to the common names, distribution, classification, or photographs for nearly five hundred entries, this edition offers the latest science and accessibly written, descriptive text that will appeal to researchers and armchair coleopterists alike.

The humble beetle continues to grow in popularity, taking center stage in biodiversity studies, sustainable agriculture programs, and even the dining rooms of adventurous and eco-conscious chefs. The Book of Beetles is the authoritative reference on these remarkably adaptable and beautiful creatures.