The Australian Capital Territory is a treasure trove for naturalists, despite being without a coastline, without rainforest or without deserts. A wealth of biodiversity is found there, due to the close proximity of three major habitat types: the great western woodland grassy plains bump up against the inland edge of the coastal hinterland mountain forests, while the whole south-eastern Australian Alps system reaches its northern limit in the Brindabella Ranges. Each of these habitats has its ...

This ebook edition does not include illustrations.An awe-inspiring journey through the eons and across the globe, in search of visible traces of evolution in the living creatures which have survived from earlier times and whose stories speak to us of seminal events in the history of life.The history of life on Earth is far older – and far odder – than many of us realise. In ‘Survivors’, acclaimed author Richard Fortey traces this history not through fossil records, but in t...

The internationally acclaimed author of The Weather Makers crafts a love letter to his native land and one of its most unique inhabitants: the kangaroo.Drawing on three decades of travel, research, and field work, Tim Flannery shows us how the destiny of the extraordinary kangaroo is inseparable from the environment that created it. Along the way he uses encounters with ancient aboriginal cultures, eccentric fossil hunters, farmers, scientists, kangaroo ad...

Jemima Parry-Jones has devoted most of her life to working with animals, primarily birds of prey. This eBook, written with vast authority, takes the whole subject of falconry further. Jemima explains some of the motives behind the sport of falconry, the background to captive breeding, and shows how to approach both in a practical and ethical way. Details are given on the most suitable birds, on how to care for birds of prey, preventative medicine, treatment and rehabilitation to the wild o...

An enlightening look at animal behavior and the cycle of life and death, from "one of the finest naturalists of our time" (Edward O. Wilson).When a good friend with a severe illness wrote, asking if he might have his "green burial" at Bernd Heinrich's hunting camp in Maine, it inspired the acclaimed biologist to investigate a subject that had long fascinated him. How exactly does the animal world deal with the flip side of the life cycle? And what are the lessons, ...

Human activity has irreversibly changed the natural environment. But the news isn't all bad.It's accepted wisdom today that human beings have permanently damaged the natural world, causing extinction, deforestation, pollution, and of course climate change. But in Inheritors of the Earth, biologist Chris Thomas shows that this obscures a more hopeful truth -- we're also helping nature grow and change. Human cities and mass agriculture have created new place...

'a controlled and literate work that earns its emotional peaks' - Saturday Paper'a delight' - The AustralianA memoir about staying in one place, told through trees, by the award-winning author of MR WIGG, NEST and WHERE THE TREES WERE."The understorey is where I live, alongside these plants and creatures. I tend the forest, stand at the foot of trees and look up, gather what has fallen."This is the story of a tree-c...

Get ready to squirm!Did you know there are spiders that look just like bird poop? Cockroaches that can be directed by remote control? And snakes that fart to scare away predators? These are just a few of the bizarrly engrossing, disgusting, and squirm-inducing facts about animals you can use to entertain and gross-out friends and parents.

Fly-fishing in all its forms is the fastes-growing participatory field sport in the world. Whether you’re hoping to catch trout, tigerfish, yellowfish or queenfish, there is little to match the sheer joy of fishing with a fly rod. Whether you’re standing waist-deep in a raging river estuary fishing the saltwater, or wading slowly into the calm waters of an inland lake, the thrill of casting a perfect line is unmatched. Africa is one of the world’s most exciting fly-fishing destinations. De...

Highly practical, up-to-date, expert advice whether you are just starting out or already keep pigeons and doves.

East Africa comprises a range of habitats that provide living space for more than 360 diverse species of mammal. These vary in size from the massive elephant to the tiniest bats, shrews and mice.This compact guide covers all of the common and some of the less common mammal species of the region. For each species it offers:• key identification features, behaviour, diet, breeding biology, occurrence and size• clear, full-colour photographs• track illustrations...

Spectacular Snakes of Australia showcases these beautiful creatures which play such an important part in our biodiversity. It portrays most of the species found in Australia, such as tiger snakes, copperheads, brown snakes, death adders and sea snakes, up close and personal. It also includes some unique photographs, such as the hatching of scrub pythons, that offer a rare glimpse into their more intimate lives. The informative text, based on the latest research, describes the reproductive bio...