Evolution, and Sir David Attenborough's 23-year sequence of books and BBC television 'Life' films, have culminated in the mammals and the explosion of awareness and intelligence. In the very short period of 100 million years - a mere blink in evolutionary time - the first mammals have arrived at world dominance.This came largely from hair and milk. Insulation and central heating made them adaptable to any surroundings. Care of the young led to learning and bigger brains. Otters, camels, lions, foxes and sheep, moles underground, whales at sea, bats in the air, polar bears, antelope, squirrels, mice, monkeys and man have exploited every habitat and every food source - the basis of this new narrative.David Attenborough has also evolved. In his 50 years of planning, writing and making television programmes of the first quality, he has constantly deepened his and our understanding of life on earth. This new book and its accompanying series of remarkable films in many ways crown his work. Vision, enthusiasm and the ability to share knowledge in an enthralling way - the gifts of an outstanding teacher.

    Its pages contain 1,200 colour illustrations, plus seven comparison spreads, with comprehensive text on identification, habitats, food, breeding and conservation, and accurate range maps. In addition, the epub edition features songs, calls and other sounds from each species, making this the ultimate one-stop resources for anyone interested in identifying and learning more about the birds they see.This collection of images and sounds represents a step change in the way birdwatchers operate. No more carrying heavy books into the field; no more trying to remember sounds days later, while all other methods for taking sounds into the field are consigned to the dustbin.The RSPB Handbook of British Birds e-book provides a complete field-based ID solution – no birdwatcher will want to be without it.(Note: Audio may not play on all devices. Please check your user manual for details).

    Carl Safina's guide and inspiration is an albatross he calls Amelia, whose life and far-flung flights he describes in fascinating detail. Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, Eye of the Albatross probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's perceptive and authoritative portrait results in a transforming ride to the ends of the Earth for the reader, as well as an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans.

    Illustrated throughout, this handbook of birds covers the most common British and European birds in detail.

    The accompanying pictures by wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago are captivating snapshots of disappearing animal worlds: a lion cub resting at sunset on the savanna, an elephant advancing across a plain while hundreds of white birds fly up before him.Greive and Iwago explore the interconnectedness and similarity of all life, but carefully avoid assigning human characteristics to the animals. And humans will reap what they sow, Grieve warns: "Only now are we learning that just as we made life unbearable of the many delicate species we have lost, so too we are slowly but surely making this planet unsuitable to sustain even our own existence." Grieve's simple, spare prose, which rarely measures more than a sentence or two per page, is sprinkled with facts and figures on humans' steady corruption of the earth.No reader will close the book unmoved by the beautiful, funny, and strange creatures in its pages. Amplifying this poignant call for action, Greive is donating all author proceeds from book sales to the Taronga Foundation, a wildlife conservation charity.

    This "entertaining and enchanting" work (Washington Post Book World) chronicles how Watson's fascination grew into a lifelong quest to understand the nature and behavior of this impressive creature.From that moment on, Watson's fascination grew into a lifelong obsession with understanding the nature and behavior of this impressive creature. Around the world, the elephant—at once a symbol of spiritual power and physical endurance—has been worshipped as a god and hunted for sport."Watson's insights and speculations are dazzling, but what lends them power is his extraordinary knowledge of evolutionary biology and animal behavior, ethnography and South African history" (Wade Davis, National Geographic Society). "Like a shaman, Watson conjures up the spirit of the massive beast" (Publishers Weekly), documents the animal's wide-ranging capabilities to remember and to mourn, and reminds us of its rich mythic origins, its evolution, and its devastation in recent history. Part meditation on an elusive animal, part evocation of the power of place, Elephantoms presents an alluring mix of the mysteries of nature and the wonders of childhood.

    As head of this grassroots organization, she made it her goal to restore wolves to Yellowstone National Park, where they had been eradicated by man over seventy years before. In this intimate account, Askins recounts her courageous fifteen-year campaign, wrangling along the way with Western ranchers and their political allies in Washington, enduring death threats, and surviving the anguish of illegal wolf slayings to ensure that her dream of restoring Yellowstone's ecological balance would one day be realized. Told in powerful, first-person narrative, Shadow Mountain is the awe-inspiring story of her mission and her impassioned meditation on our connection to the wild.

    A new collection of stunning wildlife photographs that represents the best images taken by top nature photographers round the world and submitted to the 2002 competition. More than 100 unforgettable pictures, covering natural subjects from plants to endangered animals and underwater life to landscapes, will display the beauty of the natural world. Selected from more than 19,000 entries, representing at least 60 countries, these images will comprise the winning and commended pictures from the world's largest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition. Behind-the-scenes information for each picture is given in a short caption, which includes phtographic details. (The full collection of photographs will be available in June).

    The experience changed his life. While spending thousands of hours with the cubs, Kilham discovered unknown facets of bear behavior that have radically revised our understanding of animal behavior. Now widely recognized for his contributions to wildlife science, Kilham reveals that bears are altruistic and cooperate with unrelated, even unknown individuals, while our closer relatives, the supposedly more highly evolved chimps, cooperate only within troops of recognizable members. Beyond the natural history, he introduces individual bears who become enthralling and memorable characters.

    The illustrations have labels highlighting diagnostic features, and many birds are depicted in flight as well as still. Special attention is given to plumage variation by age, sex, and season.The informative text, written by eminent ornithologists, is fully integrated with the color plates to facilitate use in the field. Detailed species accounts emphasize the essential characteristics of each bird, including information on behavior, calls, and habitat preferences.All species names and divisions are in line with the latest recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee, while well-known and local common names are also included. Both beginners and advanced birders will appreciate the regional checklist, quick reference guides, and excellent family summaries. Up-to-date distribution maps feature dual shading to indicate areas of low and high abundance, while cross-referencing is made easy with color coding and a simple numbering system.Absolutely up-to-date and both beautifully and comprehensively illustrated, this field guide is a terrific reference as well as a superb visual record of the rich variety of a region that is home to one-tenth of all bird species.

    John of Bend, Oregon, has crafted a richly photographed guide to the reptiles, snakes and turtles found in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and parts of Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and California. Each of the book's 42 accounts features photographs of the animal, as well as range maps and notes on identification, variation, distribution, habitat, behavior and similar species. The guide also includes information about three introduced species. The book has a strongly personal and accessible quality through St. John's field notes of his own encounters with each of the featured species.

    This volume seeks to meet the needs of the growing audience of teachers, amateur naturalists, environmentalists, anglers, and others interested in aquatic biology by providing substantive information in non-technical language for nearly 100 of the most common groups of invertebrates found in the inland waters of North America.

    Mel and Fiona Sunquist have spent more than a decade gathering information about cats from every available source, many of them quite difficult to find, including scientific papers, descriptions of hunts, archeological findings, observations by naturalists and travelers, reports from government agencies, and newsletters from a wide variety of organizations. Weaving information from these sources together with their own experiences observing wild cats around the world, the Sunquists have created the most comprehensive reference on felids available. Each of their accounts of the 36 species of cat contains a description of the cat, including human interactions with it, as well as detailed data on its distribution, ecology and behavior, status in the wild, and efforts to conserve it. Numerous photographs, including more than 40 in full color, illustrate these accounts.Ranging from the two-pound black-footed cat to the five-hundred-pound tiger, and from the African serval with its satellite-dish ears to the web-footed fishing cat of Asia, Wild Cats of the World will fascinate and educate felid fans of any stripe (or spot).

    This new authoritative reference guide covers the 36 species of gulls that occur in North and South America, contains 1,160 photographs illustrating the many plumages gulls display as they mature, and provides descriptions by two of North America's top gull experts.

    Often very beautiful and frequently misunderstood, they are worthy of closer acquaintance and greatly reward attentive study in the field. The definitive ROM Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Ontario is researched, written, and designed specifically for the Ontario reader and visitor. It is the most authoritative, easy to use, and beautifully designed guide available, with a stunning selection of photographs unsurpassed anywhere.This landmark publication features:•Detailed and clearly written descriptions of every species of amphibian and reptile in Ontario – mudpuppies, newts, salamanders, toads, frogs, turtles, skinks, and snakes – including notes on Appearance, Habitat and Behaviour, Reproduction (including mating calls), and Status.•Stunning full-colour photographs from Canada’s top wildlife photographers, carefully selected for quick and easy identification in the field.•Easy-to-read Ontario and North America colour distribution maps.•Handy size and format, with photos, description, and range maps for each species all on one page spread.•Glossary, Checklists, and Index.This unique guide, produced in association with one of Canada’s most widely recognized and popular scientific and cultural institutions, is the guide to the fascinating world of Ontario’s reptiles and amphibians.

    Over thirteen chapters, each focussing on a major highway, naturalists Richard and Sydney Cannings reveal the secrets of roadside flora and fauna. Featuring full-colour photographs and black-and-white drawings of numerous plants and animals, and a map of featured highways, this guide is the ideal road trip companion.