Product Description

Have you ever seen an antelope the size of a cat, or a frog bigger than a lapdog? What kinds of animals thrive in the Sahara? Earth is full of incredible creatures, all specially adapted to survive in even the most inhospitable environments. This vividly illustrated atlas is the essential wildlife reference, providing a spectacular visual survey of animals and their habitats across the globe. Divided into eight geographic areas and organized by continent and habitat type, The Illustrated Atlas of Wildlife leads readers from the Great Barrier Reef to the Appalachians and from the ocean floor to the cloud forests, showcasing in scientific detail the bizarre, beautiful, and highly specialized wildlife of each location. Learn about the critically endangered mountain gorilla, the reptiles of the Everglades, a desert spider that transforms into a wheel,and hundreds of other endemic and endangered species, as well as the threats and challenges they face.
*Details the ecology and wildlife of the continents, oceans, and poles
* Includes the most up-to-date conservation and preservation data
* Features hundreds of beautiful color photographs, illustrations, and maps
* Chronicles evolution and adaptation over the ages, as well as current issues
* Explores human impacts upon the world's complex ecosystems

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #224746 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—An introduction to the diverse habitats and life forms around the world, and the threats to them. The first section, "Living Earth," offers a summary of how and where natural life occurs on our planet. The second, and largest, section provides facts on the continents and their surrounding oceans. Each of these chapters begins with information on the continent, and follows with descriptions of its flora and fauna and pieces on key wildlife regions, which include a spread with a map, climate charts, and a "Conservation Watch" box. Most chapters also feature several pages covering a particular animal or group of animals. Boxes throughout highlight subjects of special interest, such as wildfires in the Mediterranean and newborn animals as prey in the Andes. Stunning wildlife photography appears on every page, along with vibrant photographs, illustrations, and maps, accompanied by detailed annotations that complement the text. The final section offers an "Animal Factfile," arranged by class, which has additional material, including distribution, habitat, endangered status, etc., about specific species introduced in the atlas. This slightly oversize, eye-catching resource will appeal to casual browsers as well as to report writers.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Dennis Drabelle No question: The stars of this book are such charismatic megafauna as the bald eagle (North America), the blue-footed booby (the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere), the Komodo dragon (the Sundaland in the Indo-Malayan archipelago) and the walia ibex (a mountain goat found in Ethiopia). But my attention was caught by something mundane but rather outlandish: those fleshy fungi that stick out of trees in the Shenandoah National Park (among other places) like chins without a face. They're called shelf fungi, and according to the text they are pathogens when growing on live trees but, when cooked, have a taste and texture "reminiscent of chicken." The atlas is organized by continent, with special sections on the poles and the oceans. At the end comes an "animal factfile" that includes such captivating information as the number of marsupial mammal species: a surprising 298, five more than the number of tortoises and turtles. There are also four species of egg-laying mammals, the most famous of which is the duck-billed platypus, that creature that seems to have been designed by a trickster god. And whenever you see a beast with a backbone, be aware that it is an exception: "More than 95 percent of animals," the authors write, "are invertebrates." With ample maps and photos, this is a book that can be browsed endlessly.
Copyright 2009, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Review
"Lets you hold a collection of 800 stunning images and a wealth of easily digestible facts in your hands"--Boston Globe Book Section

"With ample maps and photos, this is a book that can be browsed endlessly."



--Washington Post Book World

"Showcasing in scientific detail bizarre, beautiful, and highly specialized wildlife for each location."--Wildlife Conservation Magazine