Best biology of wildlife books according to redditors
We found 78 Reddit comments discussing the best biology of wildlife books. We ranked the 56 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 78 Reddit comments discussing the best biology of wildlife books. We ranked the 56 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I love the Falcon Guides for wildflowers
Southern California Mountains Wildflowers
Mojave Desert Wildflowers
This book is stupid but very useful. It is just drawings of foot prints and poop.
Scats and Tracks of the Desert Southwest
Another stupid simple book. This time it is an animal next to the hole it makes.
A Field Guide to Desert Holes
I'm sure that the hardworking people in NPS are well-intentioned, but the results don't make me sanguine:
I will see if I can find a shorter paper (probably PDF) somewhere.
FYI, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America has a note about this duck as there was a population imported into California that escaped.
\>>> I tried to compile the rest of the books.
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But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz
by Geoff Dyer
(can't find the same edition)
"May be the best book ever written about jazz."—David Thomson, Los Angeles Times
In eight poetically charged vignettes, Geoff Dyer skillfully evokes the music and the men who shaped modern jazz. Drawing on photos, anecdotes, and, most important, the way he hears the music, Dyer imaginatively reconstructs scenes from the embattled lives of some of the greats: Lester Young fading away in a hotel room; Charles Mingus storming down the streets of New York on a too-small bicycle; Thelonious Monk creating his own private language on the piano. However, music is the driving force of But Beautiful, and wildly metaphoric prose that mirrors the quirks, eccentricity, and brilliance of each musician's style.
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The Tide: The Science and Stories Behind the Greatest Force on Earth
by Hugh Aldersey-Williams
Half of the world’s population today lives in coastal regions lapped by tidal waters. But the tide rises and falls according to rules that are a mystery to almost all of us. In The Tide, celebrated science writer Hugh Aldersey-Williams weaves together centuries of scientific thinking with the literature and folklore the tide has inspired to explain the power and workings of this most remarkable force.
Here is the epic story of the long search to understand the tide from Aristotle, to Galileo and Newton, to classic literary portrayals of the tide from Shakespeare to Dickens, Melville to Jules Verne.
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Return of the Sea Otter
by Todd McLeish
A science journalist's journey along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska to track the status, health, habits, personality, and viability of sea otters--the appealing species unique to this coastline that was hunted to near extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries. These adorable, furry marine mammals--often seen floating on their backs holding hands--reveal the health of the coastal ecosystem along the Pacific Ocean. Once hunted for their prized fur during the 1700s and 1800s, these animals nearly went extinct. Only now, nearly a century after hunting ceased, are populations showing stable growth in some places. Sea otters are a keystone species in coastal areas, feeding on sea urchins, clams, crab, and other crustaceans. When they are present, kelp beds are thick and healthy, providing homes for an array of sealife. When otters disappear, sea urchins take over, and the kelp disappears along with all of the creatures that live in the beds. Now, thanks to their protected status, sea otters are floating around in coves in California, Washington, and Alaska.
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Why Women Will Save the Planet
by Friends Of The Earth, Jenny Hawley (Editor)
Women's empowerment is critical to environmental sustainability, isn't it? When Friends of the Earth asked this question on Facebook half of respondents said yes and half said no, with women as likely to say no as men. This collection of articles and interviews, from some of the leading lights of the environmental and feminist movements, demonstrates that achieving gender equality is vital if we are to protect the environment upon which we all depend. It is a rallying call to environmental campaigning groups and other environmentalists who have, on the whole, neglected women's empowerment in their work.
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Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea and Human Life
by George Monbiot
This book explodes with wonder and delight. Making use of remarkable scientific discoveries that transform our understanding of how natural systems work, George Monbiot explores a new, positive environmentalism that shows how damaged ecosystems on land and at sea can be restored, and how this restoration can revitalize and enrich our lives. Challenging what he calls his “ecological boredom,” Monbiot weaves together a beautiful and riveting tale of wild places, wildlife, and wild people. Roaming the hills of Britain and the forests of Europe, kayaking off the coast of Wales with dolphins and seabirds, he seeks out the places that still possess something of the untamed spirit he would like to resurrect.
He meets people trying to restore lost forests and bring back missing species—such as wolves, lynx, wolverines, wild boar, and gray whales—and explores astonishing evidence that certain species, not just humans, have the power to shape the physical landscape.
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To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface
by Olivia Laing
To the River is the story of the Ouse, the Sussex river in which Virginia Woolf drowned in 1941. One midsummer week over sixty years later, Olivia Laing walked Woolf's river from source to sea. The result is a passionate investigation into how history resides in a landscape - and how ghosts never quite leave the places they love. Along the way, Laing explores the roles rivers play in human lives, tracing their intricate flow through literature and mythology alike. To the River excavates all sorts of stories from the Ouse's marshy banks, from the brutal Barons' War of the thirteenth century to the 'Dinosaur Hunters', the nineteenth-century amateur naturalists who first cracked the fossil code. Central among these ghosts is, of course, Virginia Woolf herself: her life, her writing and her watery death. Woolf is the most constant companion on Laing's journey, and To the River can be read in part as a biography of this extraordinary English writer, refracted back through the river she loved. But other writers float through these pages too - among them Iris Murdoch, Shakespeare, Homer and Kenneth Grahame, author of the riverside classic The Wind in the Willows.
Various:
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Edit to add: /u/sodajonesx gave me this link of ebooks by Open Road Media, ordered by price low to high, which shows various other free ebooks that might interest readers.
I highly recommend Playing God in Yellowstone, an incredible book on the history of the NPS messing up the park. It was written at a low-point of the park in the early 1980s, well before the reintroduction of the wolves.
In the wild most get killed off in the first two years of life.
The competition for females and territory is pretty high.
Almost none are found over 3 years of age according to Necas.
Now you're asking a few different things here.
one being the Max lifespan and then the average that they make it into captivity.
The first part is roughly 9 years of age for a male panther.
The second depends entirely upon the level of care with the owners.
All these animals used to be called 3 month animals as when they were imported the max time they survived was only 3 months. But with advancements in husbandy (including the 1996 introduction of UVb lights that worked at the proper output levels) that figure steadily increased to two then 4 years by 2003-4. Right now I think that a good average keeper can keep them 4-6 years.
The problems seem to be over / incorrect supplementation, dehydration and other basic issues that result in kidney failure as well as liver problems (D3 supplementation) that kills the animal "mysteriously" after a general decline in health over a month or more.
We're working on helping people on those issues here in the sub.
but it's an uphill struggle.
We recently bought
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition
and
National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume
Off Amazon and I LOVE them! We opted for a Non-Amazon seller and we paid less than $5 each WITH shipping. I am very impressed with the layout, I have found it a pretty fast flip to find a species while looking at it.
You'd be surprised how few forests there are on earth that have remained untouched for "millennia". It's basically none.
Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% for conservation, but I'm just saying don't get attached to the idea of returning nature to its "default" state because it basically doesn't have one.
I read this book last month and if you're into this kind of stuff, it's a really good read. It's all about invasive species and humanity's short sighted understanding of the way nature "should" be.
Definitely this book. It was a huge part of my childhood, helped me get interested in zoology, and remains one of my favorites. There are plenty of photos, graphics, and it's loaded with facts, life histories, and range maps. Note: I own an older edition; the new one is apparently updated for species.
Ah my bad, turns out it's called Animal: the definitive visual guide.
Here's a link
https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Definitive-Visual-Guide-DK/dp/0756686776#immersive-view_1487317794885
It's basically like a real life pokedex but in print--it's got pictures and info on thousands of species, all organized really well. It has a brief description, habitat, diet, measurements, reproduction and more for just about everything from dust mites to blue whales.
Permaculture: A Designer's Manual is considered the bible for permaculture because of how comprehensive it is and how much information is packed into that book. It won't explain all of the effective strategies for different climates that we've developed over the last 30 years but I would definitely start there for the foundation. Then move on to books on topics that are specific to a particular topic within permaculture design.
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My Recommendations:
> so much so, that he can't relate to normal people,
Indeed. Like his complaint about people being controlled. There are over 7 billion of us, and we have a very powerful intellects and tools to match, with which we have a very well demonstrated capacity to really foul things up, even when we're (trying to do the right thing](https://www.amazon.com/Playing-God-Yellowstone-Destruction-Americas/dp/0156720361). We also tend to be tribal, fearful, confrontational, and will carry grudges for a lifetime. We are very dangerous to each other and our environment. Not just "mean people suck" dangerous, but "if we aren't careful, everybody dies" dangerous.
People need to be controlled. Respectfully, and while maximizing the freedoms that we can, but high-level controls are very important to our existence. IMO.
Morthy's Demands
Making me more of a posh Englishman. Englishmen love their coffee... right? (Default list)
Rather embarrassing item. Embarrassing because cleansing=shitting. (Default list)
Phallic. Obviously. (NSFW list)
Akeleie's Demands
Geeky. I'm a geek for animal activists. (Kindle list)
To help me achieve my goal of amazing script writing. Writer's block is a bitch. (Comedy list)
Survival tool on a deserted island. Islands get cold too. (Default list)
Nightshades can make non-red berries that are also bad news. They tend to be weedy (jimsonweed, horse nettles) so although they may not be intentionally planted, they will show up in the right conditions.
Pokeweed - another annoying weedy plant that seems to mystify a lot of people
Lilies/arums/buttercups/carrots all have toxic family members and all have ornamentals in the family.
I am fascinated by poisonous plants and could talk all day about them. Here's a great book:
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Venomous-Animals-Poisonous-Plants/dp/039593608X
I got the RPSB Birds of Britain and Europe and I swear by it. I got it when I knew nothing about birds and it's very easy to navigate. It breaks it down in groups so if you know a bird looks like, say a sparrow then you can work from there. You'll never want for another guide (as long as you don't leave Europe).
If you want something more specific there's Ireland's Garden Birds but if I were you I'd go with the RSPB guide if you plan on going out into the field.
The Birds of Ireland might be good but I've not looked at it so I can't recommend it.
There's also Ireland's Birds: Myths, Legends & Folklore which is a lovely book filled with folk tales about Ireland's birds but isn't a guide just nice background info and there's also one for Ireland's Animals
Check out the Irish Wildlife Trust website and Bird Watch Ireland. Look for them on FB too, I bet there's Cork branches of both that could probably give you more specific advice for that area of the country.
With regards to equipment I don't think you need invest much at the beginning, a pair of binoculars couldn't hurt but you don't need to break the bank with a top end pair.
If you are planning on venturing out into the fields then save yourself some heartache and get a decent pair of walking boots (only if it's going to be regular, old trainers will probably do if it's just every now and then) the same goes for a rain coat.
As far as general advice goes it's all fairly common sense stuff.
The Cornell Lab has a bunch available. Note that the Voices of Eastern & Western Backyard Birds albums are free downloads – it only includes a few species, but it's a start, and more are available if you're willing to shell out some $$.
If someone knows of more extensive free collections, I'd be interested too.
I do have a 1999 edition of the Stoke's guide to Western North America, which is an extensive 4-disc collection. But I was given an old used copy so I didn't have to pay for it. They have an Eastern audio guide as well. Note that the link I provided was from the Canadian Amazon site, so if you're not in Canada and you want to buy it then you should probably search for it on Amazon.com.
I've got the Sibley guide pretty well used, and my Nat Geo guide is older than a lot of people I know, so it's probably time to get the updated edition to complement the Sibley guide.
Here's the Amazon link for the 7th guide book.
https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Field-Guide-America/dp/1426218354
Creepy to others, maybe, but not to me. Intriguing and lovely, yes. :)
The biosphere is never going back to the 1900s, it literally can't, and nor should it.
We have a somewhat artificial idea that there was a 'best' time for the biosphere, but it has been changin and adapting for a very long time, and it will continue to do so if we give it half a chance.
Read 'The New Wild" by Fred Pearce .
thanks for that recommendation, I'll look it up! I definitely like the idea of not carrying extra things around with me; the only drawback would be using battery on your phone and not being able to make notes in the book. But I'm definitely going to consider that, I like packing light when I travel.
The only suggestion I can give is a bird book for North America, I really like the [National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America] (https://smile.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Field-Guide-America/dp/1426218354/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526682335&sr=8-2&keywords=national+geographic+bird+book); this is the 7th edition, I have the sixth. A lot seems to be based on personal preference of bird organization and whether they use drawings or pictures, but I really like this one!
Yep, you're not the only one with that aversion. One criticism I would make of Emergence is that, at least toward the beginning, it doesn't use the first-person format to its full potential--but the overall premise of the fic, and the fun that they have with it, more than outweighs that.
Another thing that just occurred to me: Monster of God by David Quammen. It's about humans' relationships with other apex predators, and explores life in parts of Earth that might be comparable to places outside the kingdoms of Remnant in one key respect (i.e. where people may still live in fear of being run down in the dark and eaten). It is also an excellent book all around.
See also, this book.
Either San Pedro cactus cuttings or this book on mammal skulls because bones fascinate the hell out of me. I'm an artist/art student that like to use found bone or bone-like forms too, so it'd help there.
North Wales. Absolutely fab. Brilliant hillwalking, loads of really great castles, food is lovely, fabulous beaches which have soft sand and beautiful scenery. One of my favourite bits of the UK.
Also: Yorkshire's great for scenery and walking. And so is west coast of Scotland. In fact, pick a road in the west coast of Scotland - it'll be stunning. Lots of the islands around Scotland have fantastic wildlife.
And the Lakes, of course, has lovely scenery and also there's a good likelihood of seeing red squirrels in some parts of the lakes if you visit at a quieter time (morning or evening).
If you enjoy wildlife, this book might be worth looking through - it picks out 52 places in the UK with notable wildlife and suggests how to spend a weekend there. https://www.amazon.co.uk/52-Wildlife-Weekends-British-Wildlife-Watching/dp/1841624640
I'm not a birder but seabird colonies are really awesome. In summer there are several in the UK that are home to puffins (which are just adorable) and terns (which divebomb and peck your head if they thing are too close to their nest - hilarious fun). I particularly love the Farne Islands in Northumberland, but there are plenty of others, too, like Skomer Island off of Wales.
Not sure if you are including the African painted wolves in your quest but if so, there are a few books I can recommend. Prices vary a lot - as with all these things, the more specialised ones tend to be more expensive and some are more difficult to get hold of than others.
) which will receive all of the profits. Currently waiting for my copy to arrive so I can only say that I have seen a lot of images from it on various site and they are stunning. Given that Nick was virtually living with the pack at times and Peter has over twenty years in the field as conservationist with them, the text should be pretty comprehensive, too.
Hope you are successful in your search :-)
Edit: typo
True, reminds me of this book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1614342423/
As /u/cbleslie mentioned rat populations are next to impossible to eradicate. When you hear stories today about rat eradication projects in places like New Zealand an immense amount effort is being put forth to eradicate them and maintain those islands as sanctuaries. I honestly do not know how a society without the benefits of modern science would be capable of even putting a dent in an established rat population.
SOURCE: A good primer on rats and their impact on Pacific ecology would be Rat Island
Just finished Rat Island and Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg. Very well written, and really great if you like being depressed--turns out humanity is destroying the planet for other living things.
In addition to identifying edible plants, make sure you can identify poisonous plants as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Field-Venomous-Animals-Poisonous-Plants/dp/039593608X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346615211&sr=1-4.
I prefer field guides with color photographs over drawings; they are generally much easier to ID from a good photo, though a diagram of branching structures of leaf veination is helpful as well. The Peterson Field Guide series is great and usually includes both, but they only have an Eastern and Central US edible plant guide. The Tilford book mentioned by eto_samoe is good, as is Edible Wild Plants by Elias and Dykeman, though that one covers all of North America and isn't as thorough about any one area.
Some edible plants in N. Az area to get you started, both native and introduced species. Anything that may have come into contact with surface water should be boiled to prevent microbial infection:
Squawbush: http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhus-trilobata (possibility for those very allergic to poison ivy/sumac to have an allergic reaction. Avoid if you get rashes from contact with the poisonous variety. Otherwise, the fruit is edible and you can make a lemonade from it) dangerous look alike: poison ivy and poison oak.
Prickly pear cactus: not bad, just avoid the spines. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-eat-cactus-zmaz84zloeck.aspx
Barrel cactus: The flesh of the cactus does not taste very good, and should be a survival food only. Some varieties can cause digestion problems and should be avoided in large amounts. The fruits aren't too bad, and generally don't have spines. http://tucsoncitizen.com/wryheat/2009/08/01/edible-desert-plants-barrel-cactus-fruit/
Asparagus: you likely won't find this in the wild much, but along roadsides where there's a bit of water it can be pretty common. Was just in Southern CO and southern Utah, and it was surprisingly common along highways along with fennel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RZTo8vhyfE
Cattail: not the tastiest, but a good starch. ditches, pond edges, etc. root sprouts are not bad, inner white core near the root base is pretty good. Green flower spikes can be cooked and eaten like corn. dangerous look alike: all iris species like yellow and blue flag. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typha
Lamb's Quarters (aka pigweed/amaranth): common in disturbed areas, more and more common in farm fields as it is the 'Superweed' from the news. good green vegetable high in vit A and C. the grain is an excellent food. http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/foraging/lambsquarters.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenopodium_berlandieri dangerous look alikes: some species with a strong odor or bad taste can be slightly toxic. look for this specific variety.
Poverty weed: found in dry, high alkaline soil. seeds can be used for flour, leaves can be eaten as a boiled green. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=IVAX
Plantains: not the banana like fruit, but the broadleafed ground plant. Common in disturbed areas with at least a little water (like my yard on the east coast). young leaves and seeds are edible and fairly good boiled. http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/placom43.html
Feildcress: super bitter green. young shoots edible. seeds make a good pepper seasoning http://biology.missouristate.edu/Herbarium/Plants%20of%20the%20Interior%20Highlands/Flowers/Lepidium%20campestre.jpg
European goat's beard: very young leaves are a good green, root can be cooked like you would a potato. Only harvest when flower is present, as it's very easy to identify only then. http://herbs-treatandtaste.blogspot.com/2011/11/yellow-goats-beard-edible-root-with.html
Currants other than sticky currant (wax currant for example is yummy). Berries are tart and wonderful. Sticky currant has a sticky coating on stems, leaves and fruit, and will make you hurl. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RICE
Pinyon pine: in JP forest areas, the pine nuts from the cones are a personal favorite. Have find them at the right time, though http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyon_pine
Wild Onion: bulbs can be eaten summer and fall. I mention this only because you shouldn't have death camus in N. Az. That said, do not eat something you think is a wild onion if it doesn't smell like onion (or you're gonna have a bad time). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xVzk5FOhpg
Some poisonous plants to avoid:
Southwestern coralbean. Bright red beans, looks like it could be edible, will kill you very effectively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina_herbacea
Coyote Melon: Looks like a potentially edible melon, but it isn't. makes a nice soap in a pinch, though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucurbita_palmata
You shouldn't have Death Camus in your area, but it's possible. don't eat wild onions or wild garlic if you're not 110% sure you've identified them correctly. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/coloring/pages/mtndeathcamas.html
*Dogbane: Good fiber, toxic. http://www.primitiveways.com/hemp_dogbane.html
Have you ever read Zoo Story?
It is a heartbreaking book that can sway people who are fans of zoos the other way.