A Walk In The Animal Kingdom

Animals are everywhere in our lives. We follow them into the wild, we invite them into our homes, they inhabit our dreams, mythologies, folklores, and popular cultures. What is this powerful bond? Why are we so fascinated with animals of every kind? And why has our relationship with them always been riddled with such complexity and contradiction? A Walk in the Animal Kingdom explores the world of animals with the inquisitiveness, depth, and gentle humor that readers across the globe have come to expect from the acclaimed author-artist team of Jerry Dennis and Glenn Wolff. The book is an inquiry into animals of the world, their astonishing diversity and abundance; their mating habits, defensive strategies, and other behaviors; their extraordinary senses of sight, hearing, and smell. It is also an exploration of our profound connection with them, from the joys they inspire and the fears they arouse, to their prominence in our lives as pets, team mascots, and embodiments of wild nature—and the paradox that allows us to battle to protect certain species while ignoring others that are disappearing at a rate perhaps unequaled in the history of our planet. Like the previous collaborations of Dennis and Wolff, A Walk in the Animal Kingdom is certain to become a classic among books about nature—its wonders, its complexities, and our place in it.

These arresting studio portraits capture the beauty, power, and even humor of 150 furry and feathered species - a delight for any animal or bird lover. Acclaimed photographer Randal Ford celebrates our fascination with and love of animals through his engaging portraits of the animal kingdom. A young male lion cub seems to sport a rebellious mohawk; a chimpanzee adopts a pensive pose; a curious duckling cocks his head at the camera lens and flaps his wings. The featured animals cover a wide range, from birds such as the African crane, cockatoos, flamingos, and roosters, to big cats such as tigers, cheetahs, and leopards, to Arabian horses, bulls, and Longhorn sheep, among many others. Bird and animal lovers will be drawn to the powerful and emotionally engaging images that seem to reveal the individual character of the other animals that share the Earth with us. Elegantly designed and packaged, this book will be the perfect gift and addition to the home of any lover of animals or fine photography.

Young readers gain a peek at the world of African elephants through the eyes of one endearing baby elephant. Illustrations.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2020 "In this superbly articulate cri de coeur, Safina gives us a new way of looking at the natural world that is radically different."—The Washington Post New York Times bestselling author Carl Safina brings readers close to three non-human cultures—what they do, why they do it, and how life is for them. A New York Times Notable Books of 2020 Some believe that culture is strictly a human phenomenon. But this book reveals cultures of other-than-human beings in some of Earth’s remaining wild places. It shows how if you’re a sperm whale, a scarlet macaw, or a chimpanzee, you too come to understand yourself as an individual within a particular community that does things in specific ways, that has traditions. Alongside genes, culture is a second form of inheritance, passed through generations as pools of learned knowledge. As situations change, social learning—culture—allows behaviors to adjust much faster than genes can adapt. Becoming Wild brings readers into intimate proximity with various nonhuman individuals in their free-living communities. It presents a revelatory account of how animals function beyond our usual view. Safina shows that for non-humans and humans alike, culture comprises the answers to the question, “How do we live here?” It unites individuals within a group identity. But cultural groups often seek to avoid, or even be hostile toward, other factions. By showing that this is true across species, Safina illuminates why human cultural tensions remain maddeningly intractable despite the arbitrariness of many of our differences. Becoming Wild takes readers behind the curtain of life on Earth, to witness from a new vantage point the most world-saving of perceptions: how we are all connected.

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! is a groundbreaking visual approach to the animal kingdom and is packed with facts about mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and more! Follow the timeline of evolution and extinction of animals throughout history and see how different animals have adapted to their environments to survive. Covering all the major animal groups and how they fit into the tree of life, photorealistic computer-generated images, infographics, and cutaways that reveal the inner workings of the animals make sure that everything is easy to understand at a glance. Learn amazing animal facts and get up close to some of the most dangerous animals around, including the Komodo dragon with its deadly and poisonous bite, and the saltwater crocodile, which uses a "death roll" to drown its prey. Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! has amazing details about the smallest crustaceans to the largest mammals. Dive into the deep to see orcas, great white sharks, stingrays, and more. Get the bird's eye view to see how penguins, owls, hawks, eagles, and other birds live and fly in the wild. See different animal habitats and ecosystems that contribute to the world's biodiversity, learn about the different senses and life cycles of animals, and find out how animals communicate with each other. A perfect reference book for young readers, Knowledge Encyclopedia: Animal! takes a walk on the wild side to show you the animal kingdom like you've never seen it before.

"Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? In How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls, David Hu takes readers on an accessible, wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious. In turn, the latest discoveries about animal mechanics are inspiring scientists to invent robots and devices that move with similar elegance and efficiency. Hu follows scientists as they investigate a multitude of animal movements, from the undulations of sandfish and the way that dogs shake off water in fractions of a second to the seemingly crash-resistant characteristics of insect flight. Not limiting his exploration to individual organisms, Hu describes the ways animals enact swarm intelligence, such as when army ants cooperate and link their bodies to create bridges that span ravines. He also looks at what scientists learn from nature's unexpected feats--such as snakes that fly, mosquitoes that survive rainstorms, and dead fish that swim upstream. As researchers better understand such issues as energy, flexibility, and water repellency in animal movement, they are applying this knowledge to the development of cutting-edge technology. Integrating biology, engineering, physics, and robotics, [this book] demystifies the remarkable mechanics behind animal locomotion"--Page 4 of cover.

Meet the tiny-but-tough tardigrade and the awe-inspiring blue whale in this illustrated introduction to invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Learn everything about more than 275 species, specially selected by natural historian Jules Howard and brought to life by the detailed artwork of Jarom Vogel. With fact panels breaking down each animal’s most unique traits, as well as its habitat, size and diet, every page in Encyclopedia of Animals is sure to introduce young readers to their new favourite critter. Beloved species like the African elephant, great white shark and western gorilla get their own dedicated feature page, while more unusual species include the hellbender, Chan’s megastick and pink fairy armadillo. Discover the shrimp that punches its prey with superheated water, marvel at the frog whose beating heart can be seen through its skin, and learn about the rarest turtle on the planet. If it bites, crawls, hops, flies, swings from the treetops or dives to the bottom of the ocean, there’s a good chance you’ll find it in this encyclopedia! And be sure to check out Encyclopedia of Insects, a go-to guide crawling with incredible facts about this huge and diverse class of animal.