Book Description
This uniquely thorough reference and guidebook offers illustrations, descriptions, and measurements for the skulls of some 275 animal species found throughout North America. The skull--the collection of bones that house and protect a creature's brain and sensory organs--is the key anatomical feature used to identify an animal and understand many of its behaviors. This book describes in words and pictures the bones and regions of the skull important to identification, including illustrations of all the bones in the cranium, leading to a greater understanding of a creature's place in the natural world. Life-size drawings and detailed measurements make this guide an invaluable reference for wildlife professionals, trackers, and animal-lovers alike.
Customer Reviews:
another great book from Mark.......2007-07-22
I have all of Mark Elbroch's books. They are essential for tracking & naturalist studies. I refer to them weekly for identification, more than any other books I own. I've also met Mark & had him sign the "Mammal Tracks" book. An all around great guy to study from & talk to. If you enjoy Mark's drawings check out his site for t-shrirts & other cool stuff.-Kevin
Great resource!.......2007-02-27
Outstanding book...wonderful photos of animal skulls...I was able to identify a fragment of a skull that I found by using this book. I know that it's the upper jaw of a house cat instead of a bobcat because of the small premolar tooth that bobcats and lynxes never have, cougars and ocelots always have, and house cats sometimes have. Should be on every naturalist's bookshelf.
Animal Skulls, A guide to North American Species.......2007-01-11
The Best skull identification book ever written.
A must have book for all Biologists,teachers,schools,collectors and museums of natural history.
An instant classic!.......2007-01-07
This is the book that trackers and naturalists have needed for a long time. It's finally here and it's outstanding! Now when I take apart an owl pellet I'll be able to determine what the owl was eating, and hence what small wildlife is abundant in that area. And when I'm out and discover part of a skull from a mammal, bird, amphibian, or reptile, I'll be able to find what that is too. Mark Elbrock has done it again: an instant classic, and a book that all trackers and naturalists should have in their collection.
A Comprehensive and Easy-to-Use Guide.......2006-12-16
This is a thorough and well-written book, which goes into great detail about the skulls of each North American mammal species, in addition to having a section on birds and reptiles/amphibians. The first several chapters, which I found surprisingly readable given the technical subject matter, are devoted to identifying skull bones and landmarks as well as interpreting the function and meaning behind various skull features, determining age and sex, and even obtaining, cleaning and preparing your own animal skulls. What I found most helpful in this book were the real-life sized illustrations of both skulls and jaws, which the author conveniently locates in one section of the book, for easy comparison. I was amazed at how easy it was to identify skulls I had found in years past- skulls that I had spent hours attempting to identify using information pieced together from the internet and other sources. This book is not only incredibly thorough and rich with information, but also well-organized and easy to understand, with helpful diagrams and plenty of beautiful, detailed illustrations. Overall, it is an excellent book that I will be sure to refer back to many times in the future.
Customer Reviews:
Good info - poor organization.......1997-04-07
This book contains the most up-to-date information and is highly accurate. It does, however, suffer from a poorly organized format. Some authors cover the same information, while other important topics fall between the cracks. I would have liked to see the same organizational structure used for all 3 "types" of deer
Book Description
Although bats are often thought of as cave dwellers, many species depend on forests for all or part of the year. Of the 45 species of bats in North America, more than half depend on forests, using the bark of trees, tree cavities, or canopy foliage as roosting sites. Over the past two decades it has become increasingly clear that bat conservation and management are strongly linked to the health of forests within their range.
Initially driven by concern for endangered species -- the Indiana bat, for example -- forest ecologists, timber managers, government agencies, and conservation organizations have been altering management plans and silvicultural practices to better accommodate bat species. Bats in Forests presents the work of a variety of experts who address many aspects of the ecology and conservation of bats. The chapter authors describe bat behavior, including the selection of roosts, foraging patterns, and seasonal migration as they relate to forests. They also discuss forest management and its influence on bat habitat. Both public lands and privately owned forests are considered, as well as techniques for monitoring bat populations and activity.
The important role bats play in the ecology of forests -- from control of insects to nutrient recycling -- is revealed by a number of authors. Bat ecologists, bat conservationists, forest ecologists, and forest managers will find in this book an indispensable synthesis of the topics that concern them.
Book Description
This essential guide to safety in the field features 90 venomous animals and more than 250 poisonous plants and fungi. The 340 line drawings make identification fast and simple; 160 species are also illustrated with color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Quickly Received in Great Condition.......2007-05-20
Product arrived as guaranteed, and the book delivered everything promised. Wish there were more color pictures of the actual plants; but overall, it's a GREAT field guide for someone just starting out in learning about what to avoid while hiking, camping, or just walking through the woods.
Don't harm snake on cover !!.......2007-05-16
My little brother just gave me this field guide. I was shocked to see a picture of a completely harmless Scarlet Kingsnake on the cover of a field guide to Venemous Animals.
I like the field guide, but please people, if you see the snake on the cover - understand it is a Kingsnake and completely harmless, not a Coral snake which is probably what they intended to have on the cover.
Coral snakes do not have red bands between two black bands, and the type of bands they have are quite different.
If you see a Coral snake, please don't kill it either - leave it alone, but especially do not kill a harmless Scarlet Kingsnake thinking it was a Coral snake. Hopefully the next edition will fix this embarrasing mistake.
Great field guide.......2005-09-13
perterson field guides are the best Ive found. I appreciate the easy to use guides and the content is excellent.
Essential to Everyone Outdoors.......2001-11-03
"Peterson's Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants" is the first thing to be packed in one's backpack.It is essential to every hiker, camper, naturalist, hunter, bird watcher and nature lover. There are a hell of alot less hazards than benign plants and animals (although this varies somewhat according to region. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US has it easy compared to the Southwest) and while most people could identify a few, it doesnt make sense not to learn the 2-3 dozen major ones to avoid.
The book is up to Peterson's usual high standards in a field guide. It covers mammals followed by poisonous plants, shrubs/trees, vines, ferns and fungi. There are color photographs but the black and white drawings are the way to go for IDing. Most people will not read the entire book unless they're a hardcore naturalist or really, really bored in front of a campfire. I recommend checking out the hazards in your partiualr area icluding AT LEAST the following: 1. All poisonous snakes and their look-a-likes 2. Black Widow and Brown Recluse spider 3. Tics and Scorpions 4. Bees, Wasps, Fire Ants 5. Poisonous Plants including the Big 3: Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac 6. Poisonous Mushrooms (not so you can learn which you can eat, but to understand the severity of eating just one wrong one)
There's alot that won't apply to you(save those for a rainy day) and some hazards are less hazardous than others. For example, the short-tail shrew is listed, but most people need not live in fear of "killer shrews". But knowing that their bite has some bite to it, maybe you'll avoid juggling those cute furry creatures. Also, large mammals aren't included, though bears and mountain lions can seem pretty hazardous to me in some situations.I recommend supplementing your reading with "Bear Aware" by Bill Schneider and "Mountain Lion Alert" by Steven Torres. In addition, I wouldn't trust this book solely to gather a gourmet wild mushroom feast, either. I've seen some books topping 1,000 pages on edible shrooms and they still might not be complete. Its best to leave the shrooms alone!
Finally, there are a few diseases found outdoors worth researching: Giardia, hantavirus, rabies, and lyme disease among others.
Also recommended: "Peterson's Wild Edible Plants" and "Medicinal Plants".
Before you know what's edible, know what'll kill you!.......2000-08-18
Before you dash out into the woods and pick some plants you think are edible, you might want to get this book and know definitely what will kill you, or really mess up your body. Excellent info, bright color pictures, and written for an easy understanding, this book should be in any nature enthusiast's library, right next to Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, possibly the best plant identification guide around.
Book Description
Renowned nature photographer Jim Brandenburg gave himself a challenge: for ninety days between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, he would make only one photograph a day. As his shutter opened and closed on that first day, his 90-day journey began. This exquisite book is the result of that bold and immensely personal project.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-08-31
If you haven't seen the DVD (Public TV?) program of this project, you should-great insights into what Brandenburg was after as a photographer-the great and the struggles. WOnderful book and photos!
A Nice Conceit.......2004-11-29
It's a nice conceit. A great outdoor photographer sets for himself the task to taking one, but only one, photograph each and every day for an entire season.
One can see all kinds of implications. Once the photographer finds a subject he must get it right the first time because he isn't allowed a second chance. Exposure, focus, composition - everything must be right and as good as he can get it. Moreover he is continually in peril. Should he pass by a good shot in the morning in expectation of a better shot in the afternoon? And what happens when no better shot is in the camera as sunset approaches? We can easily believe Jim Brandenburg when he says that the exercise was a transforming experience.
But the question for viewers of this book is whether the pictures are a transforming experience for us. Unfortunately, they were not for me.
I understand that some of the pictures were bound to be underexposed or out of focus. Plants blow in the wind; animals move. But while I examined the photographs in this book, I also looked at other work by Brandenburg. These other collections were always quite impressive, providing new ways of looking at the world. Many of the pictures in "Chased by the Light" showed a keen sensibility for the light. The silhouettes of loons and a small island with trees against the backlight of a clouded dawn were breathtaking. The photograph of a raven's feather against a lichen background with a few beaded drops of water on the feather caught my eye.
But for every great photograph, there was one that was pedestrian and one that was discardable. I certainly didn't need to see an out-of-focus mink or trees in the forest with no true subject.
To be fair to Brandenburg, this project was apparently not undertaken for publication but rather as an exercise for his own development. It was his editor who wanted to publish after seeing the photographs. To the editor's eye, at least, the pictures were enlightening and well worth the effort.
The greatest value of this book was not in the photographs but in the speculation in which I engaged about why this book was not outstanding. Is photography a stochastic process with each photograph taken possibly leading to an even greater photograph? Did forcing himself to elect when to take his daily picture cause Brandenburg to sacrifice opportunities, or even limit his willingness to take risks. Does the order of presentation of photographs have synergistic effects, which were lost, because this book almost demanded only chronological order? Does forcing the viewer to look at pictures that would otherwise be discards detract from the impact of good pictures?
For me this book was conceptual art. I found the idea of the task transformed my view of photography. The pictures themselves did not.
Challenge Achieved with Grace.......2004-05-17
I gave this book to my parents several years ago and still leaf slowly through its pages whenever visiting their home in northern Minnesota. For amateurs and professionals alike, his is a fascinating photographic concept: your own property? a favorite park? your family? or pet? a holiday?
I normally hesitate to use this word, but...profound........2002-07-09
I'm a verbal type; I'd rather read a beautifully written description of a frozen lake than stare at a picture of it anytime. Even knowing that, my mother gave me this book several years ago, and I fell in love. I sat with it for hours, seeing, dreaming, and I still take it down often to do the same again. The photographer, Jim Brandenburg, set himself the challenge of taking only one photograph each day for three months, in the boreal forest where he makes his home. The result is a portrait of life as many of us can never experience it: not just "calendar shots," but pictures that show the cruelty of man, the certainty of death, the very simple beauty of a single bright leaf burning on the dark, still waters of an evening pond. Some photos are amazing in themselves and some seem ordinary in the extreme, but it is important to take them as a whole, and see what you learn from the journey.
Old fashioned and wonderful.......2002-05-30
It's so more agreable to have this engagement calendar on your desk than a modern and dull looking electronic device. Use an old fountain pen to take your notes, and wait till the ink is dry before turning the page! Wonderful pictures under your eyes every day of the year! You can escape and image yourself so far from the busy and noisy modern world. I'm waiting for the 2003 edition.
Book Description
Oregon Washington
With southern British Columbia, western Idaho, and northern California
In this practical, informative, richly illustrated guide, National Geographic takes you to the best nature sites in the Pacific Northwest and tells you what you need to know -- about the landscape, plants, animals, activities, and recreation -- to experience them fully.
* Over 55 major sites, plus numerous smaller ones, grouped by bioregion, including national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges; state parks; conservation areas and preserves; and wild and scenic rivers.
* Guided hikes and drives.
* Suggestions of where to hike, bike, camp, kayak, fish, see wildlife, and more.
* Detailed resource listings.
* 150 vivid, color photos and 25 detailed, full-color maps.
Book Description
Oak Forest Ecosystems focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it. It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals. Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting -- whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals -- a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop. Relationships between oaks and animals such as mice, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and bear are discussed, as are the differences between eastern, southern Appalachian, southwestern, and California oak forests.
Contributors: Marc D. Abrams, Pennsylvania State University • Patrick H. Brose, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • John P. Buonaccorsi, University of Massachusetts • Daniel Dey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Joseph S. Elkinton, University of Massachusetts • George A. Feldhamer, Southern Illinois University • Peter F. Folliott, University of Arizona • Lee E. Frelich, University of Minnesota • Cathryn H. Greenberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William M. Healy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Roy L. Kirkpatrick, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Johannes M. H. Knops, University of Nebraska • Walter D. Koenig, University of California • Nelson W. Lafon, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Andrew M. Liebhold, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William J. McShea, National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center • William H. McWilliams, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Gary W. Norman, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Steven W. Oak, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Renee A. O'Brien, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Richard S. Ostfeld, Institute of Ecosystem Studies • Bernard R. Parresol, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Peter J. Perkins, University of New Hampshire • Gordon C. Reese, Colorado State University • Peter B. Reich, University of Minnesota • Peter D. Smallwood, University of Richmond • Christopher C. Smith, Kansas State University • Richard B. Standiford, University of California--Berkeley • Martin A. Stapanian, Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Unit • Michael A. Steele, Wilkes University • David Steffen, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • David H. Van Lear, Clemson University • Michael R. Vaughan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Karen L. Waddell, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Customer Reviews:
Technically Excellent.......2005-09-06
The book provides great insights to the interactions within the Oak Forest Ecosystem. The book is designed more for the practicing ecologist, forester or biologist and may be a bit tough to digest if you haven't taken Population Statistics classes. All and all a good read and a bit of an eye-opener for some of us "specie-ists."
Book Description
A valuable at-home reference and an extraordinarily usable guide to more than 2000 of the most common and conspicuous wild plants and animals. Specially designed for quick and easy identification. Vibrant, specially drawn full-color illustrations of each of the 2000-plus species.
Customer Reviews:
Really Great Book!!.......2007-08-24
I have had the older (1982) printing of this book. That book has been worn out. We use it all the time. My kids used it all the time. I took it to work to look up a plant we had been talking about. Soon everyone was coming to look up something. Anyway I decided to get the newer version, and some others at work wanted me to order them copies also. All really love this book. The pictures are good and precise, and the info all easy to understand.
Beautiful reference for Nature Lovers of all ages. . ........2007-01-26
I've always loved field guides, especially older books with beautifully painted illustrations. North American Wildlife is a terrific resource for young and old alike. The different sections are broken down into Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Mollusks, Insects, Other Invertebrates, Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers, Ferns, Non-Flowering Plants, and Mushrooms. While Each section lists only the most common of each species, the Illustrations are wonderfully done, and the information presented makes identification of animals and plants easy and exciting. For those of us who love nothing more than a good stroll through a nature preserve, this book will serve you well and make your adventures that much more enjoyable. While rather bulky, this is a book best left at home to study after a hike and help identify creatures you may not have been able to in the field. There are many smaller, more portable field guides available which may be better to take along during an adventure, (something with real photographs will help you much more when trying to identify a specific plant or bird) but this book is wonderful to have in your collection all the same. It's a shame that beautifully painted nature illustrations are becoming harder and harder to find in recent publications. The art of capturing a natural subject's beauty with pen and brush is one that I hope will make a resurgence. If you are an experienced naturalist, or a parent with children interested in the wild world, there are few books better to loaf around and thumb through than this one. I personally have spent too many hours to remember thumbing through the pages of this book, admiring the artwork. It is money well spent, and one of the few books I own which I will never get bored of reading.
great seller.......2007-01-10
The book was like new. I am very pleased with the service I received. Fast delivery and excellent packaging. Thanks for being a great seller.
Book.......2007-01-09
Book was reasonably priced and delivered in good time and condition. Have yet to have a bad experience with Amazon
Excellent coverage.......2006-05-16
I have the 1982 version. I am amazed at how much of the wildlife, I come across and want to know about, is in this book. Considering they are covering North America's plants, animals, fish, insects, etc, you know they had to pick and chose what they put in this field guide. They did an wonderful job!
Book Description
Native Americans knew how to "read" the wild and felt privileged to learn from their wilderness relatives. Plants, trees, animals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, all have secrets to tell; it takes only paying attention and a little knowledge and you, too, can begin to create the story that explains the disappearing snowshoe hare tracks, or how the fawn got its spots, or why Native Americans always associated the bear with healing and medicine. Notice how coyotes are clever clowns with many characteristics we think of as "human," and learn how the badger builds mansions underground with rooms for sleeping, eating, and raising their young.
Bev Doolittle's famously intricate drybrush watercolors show young viewers detailed and accurate wildlife in their habitats, including the frog's world at the edge of a pond and the sweeping vista of the mountain goat's home. Reading the Wild helps children begin a lifelong journey of wonder and respect for the wild around us.
Customer Reviews:
Great teaching Aid........2001-09-26
This book is a great tool to use to assist in having a different perspective. We tend to only see what we prceive as being there and looking at nature and how she hides our brothers and sisters is amazing. This type of books are needed in schools, in any teaching environment to assist children who are visual to let others know thier strengths and to assist those who depend on auditory and kinestetic to become more visual.
With nature facts organized by animal type.......2001-08-17
This slim book is only 31 pages long; but don't let its appearance fool you: Reading The Wild packs in details on reading the signs of animal life and will require good reading skills from grades 4-6. Doolittle's beautiful full-page illustrations lend to nature facts organized by animal type and revealing the animal's habits and habitat.
Book Description
Artists and naturalists will master their ability to render lifelike depictions of a wide range of wildlife in a variety of still and action poses in this unique instructional. Amberlyn begins by offering a discourse on animal anatomy, basic animal structure and characteristics, and the animals' natural environment. Such details are examined and explored through more than 300 detailed animal studies.
More advanced topics include drawing the three major animal categories: carnivores/omnivores (wolves, coyotes, weasels, raccoons, and bears), hoofed mammals (deer, elk, moose, caribou, and sheep), and small mammals (rabbits, squirrels, mice, beaver, and armadillo). Readers will transform their mediocre interpretations into drawings that truly capture the essence and subtleties of the animal, its mood, and its habitat.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book.......2007-03-16
I checked this book out at the library before I decided to buy it. It is wonderful. It doesn't just show you how to draw each animal. It focuses on each aspect of the animal and different types of each animal. An example would be the cat family. It shows you how to draw eyes, paws, ears, face, nose etc... It shows you direction of the fur, so however you draw this type of animal you will be accurate. In the cat section, it explains the Canadian Lynx, Bobcat, and Mountain Lion, with all their subtle differences. It then shows you how to draw the Mountain Lion.
I believe I have learned a lot in this book. It is, by far, the best drawing book I have ever read and used and I think it is a necessity to anyone wanting to learn how to draw animals. I highly recommend it!
More expensive version of Jack Hamm.......2007-02-01
The book is all right. I learned a few extra things that I didn't learn from Jack Hamm's How to Draw Animals. But I kept feeling like I was reading Hamm's book a lot. If you don't have a lot of money, Hamm's book will give you just as much for almost half the price.
And both books should really be called How to Draw Mammals. There's nothing about reptiles, birds, or fish in them.
A Keeper.......2006-02-03
I'm the type of person that buys a lot of books, and if I don't use them much, I re-sell them or give them away. But "Drawing Wildlife" has become one of my favorite reference books that I'll never get rid of. I make animals and people (sculptures) from wool, using the process of needle felting. This book has become one of my most used guides to get proportions correct, expressions authentic, and shading/coloring accurate. The author even explains which direction theh animal's hair lays, and gives beautiful details down to the toes or hooves. In whatever medium you create, if you include wildlife, you need this book.
Great reference for North American Mammals.......2005-05-26
If you're at all interested in learning more about drawing North American mammals, this book is SOOO worth it! She goes into detail about structure, the simplified forms of the animals, their movements, and the hair patterns! She covers a lot of species other books have missed, like the small rodents, the cacomistle, the opossum, and others. My only real quibble with the book is the title (which I think J.C. didn't choose, anyway- the publisher named the book.) Every time I open this book, I find something new to marvel at. Her knowledge of animal anatomy is amazing and extensive. I hope she does a book on drawing birds as well!
Both Skill and Passion..........2005-05-17
J.C. Amberlyn's first art book is remarkable in several aspects. Not only does she have a clear, concise way of passing on her hard-won knowledge of anatomy and artistic technique; she also delights in sharing her love and respect for the amimals that she portrays. Her simple, direct instructions will be of use to the seasoned artist who lacks her years of field observation, as well as young people just starting to draw.
This little volume is destined, I think, to become a standard reference to those who value the "nuts & bolts" basics of wildlife art; one of those books that are kept at hand to review again and again. It's a "keeper".
Books:
- Art History, Volume II (w/CD-ROM)
- Art of Technique, The: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production
- As I Lay Dying
- Authentic Beauty: The Shaping of a Set-Apart Young Woman
- Barbaro: The Horse Who Captured America's Heart
- Big Red Barn Board Book (rpkg)
- Bites
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business
- Characters and Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)
Books Index
Books Home
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- The Art of Shelling : A Complete Guide to Finding Shells and Other Beach Collectibles at Shelling Lo
- The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Aviod
- A Country Year: Living the Questions
- The Dear Betty Chronicles: A Memoir of 40 Years in Public Relations
- Breaking Away from the Bear
General
| Animals
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species
Bird Tracks & Sign : A Guide to North American Species
Skulls and Bones: A Guide to the Skeletal Structures and Behavior of North American Mammals
Animal Tracking Basics
Illustrated Key to Skulls of Genera of North American Land Mammals
