Reed New Holland – serie

A title in the lavish ‘Deluxe’ natural history series from Reed New Holland, this book celebrates the astonishing diversity of the world’s wildlife, from the equator to the poles, with a collection of stunning images covering more than one hundred remarkable species – from chameleons, cobras and flamingos to elephants, eagles and tigers. Its 100 double-page photographs depict the likes of big cats, bears, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and large herbivores, not forgetting oceanicgiants such as the great whales. It also covers a selection of the animals that are the biggest of their kind, such as the Giant Anteater from South America which carries its young slung over its back, the Red Kangaroo of Australia that can grow to 1.8 metres in height and hop at speeds of 70 kilometres per hour, and the Harpy Eagle that can pluck prey as large as a macaw, sloth or monkey from a forest tree in South America.The book also focuses on some of the most unique and remarkable species on the planet. Many of these evolved in geographical isolation on islands such as Madagascar, New Guinea, the Galápagos Islands and New Zealand, to name just a few. Who could fail to be impressed by the endearing and unique Koala of Australia, or the lemurs that drifted off on the island of Madagascar to evolve independently of the other primatefamilies, or the Kakapo – a huge flightless parrot from New Zealand.Wildlife provides a glorious snapshot of a fascinating subject. It is a luxurious book that celebrates the many astonishing species from all around the planet, making it ideal for nature lovers, as a gift, or as an interior-design feature in any home.

With a warm climate, dry soil and an abundance of flowers, Australia is such a perfect place for bees that it has become a biodiversity hot-spot for this insect family. More than 2,000 of the world’s 20,000 bee species are found there, with many of these being endemic and occurring nowhere else. This remarkable book is the most comprehensive volume available on the subject. Within the five Australian bee families – Colletidae, Stenotritidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae and Apidae – it covers every one of the more than 120 genera, and almost all of the subgenera. Using concise but detailed text and stunning photographs it showcases at least one species from each subgenus, covering 280 species in total. The quality of the illustrations also stands out – 99 per cent show macro images of bees undisturbed and unharmed in their natural habitat, with date and location details provided. All the latest publications, descriptions and reviews are taken into account, making this a must-have book for all entomologists and naturalists.

People have always been fascinated by snakes, but only during the last few decades have researchers begun to reveal the secret lives of these most mysterious of animals. Rick Shine is one of the most eminent of those scientists, and his book describes the adventures and misadventures of researchers who have investigated the ecology and biology of these fantastic beasts – and sometimes, have paid with their lives.This richly-illustrated title chronicles the revolution in our understanding of snakes, the new methods that have arisen to enable those breakthroughs, and the serendipitous and often-chaotic processes by which human beings accumulate insights into other forms of life. Recent years have witnessed an incredible flowering of snake-ecology research, with a rapidly expanding diversity not only of the snake species being studied and the places where this occurs, but also of the kinds of people making those discoveries.Snakes are peculiar animals, and they attract peculiar people. This bookcaptures the thrills and perils of a worldwide scientific leap forward,from fear and ignorance of snakes towards respect and understanding. This professional biologist’s ramble through the history of people’s attempt to understand the private lives of snakes – with lots of storiesabout the eccentric pioneers – will appeal to anyone with an interest in snakes and natural history.

The most updated bird ID book on the market. Beginners and experienced birdwatchers turn to this guide to identify the birds they see in their backyards and on bushwalking or birdwatching expeditions. Designed to slip easily into a pocket, back- pack or glove box. This is a new and updated version of the very popular Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds and includes 64 new or extensively revised colour plates, incorporating all the new birds observed in Australia, including Tasmania and islands and territories since 1986. Also included is a re-organisation of the guide into broad habitats - seabirds, shore birds, inland water birds and bush birds; updated common and scientific names, revised maps, and a new visual index to aid beginners in finding the most appropriate pages in the guide. A must for serious naturalists in Australia, be they beginners or experts.

As one of Australia’s best natural history artists, photographers and authors over a period of decades, the late great Peter Slater needs no introduction. Australian Hawks and Eagles showcases five decades’ worth of Peter’s observations and finest work, in conjunction with the equally talented artist Sally Elmer, resulting in the ultimate book on birds of prey ranging in size from the diminutive Collared Sparrowhawk to the mighty Wedge-tailed Eagle. More than 20 species are covered, including goshawks, kites, buzzards, bazas, ospreys and harriers.  Engaging text peppered with remarkable first-hand accounts explains all about the lives of these enigmatic birds, while stunning photography and artworks – all produced by the authors during decades of detailed study – provide a window into the hidden world of these raptors, which rarely venture close to people but capture our imaginations with their powerful flight and awesome hunting habits.

The most comprehensive book ever published on the subject, this revised third edition of A Complete Guide to Native Orchids of Australia is a legacy resulting from a lifetime’s work by David L. Jones and is an importantcontribution to Australia’s recorded flora. The text provides details of when and where the taxa were named, etymology of the scientific names used, descriptions, distributions, habitats and notes for the 1,698 taxa of Australian native orchids, more than twice the number covered in the original edition of the book in 1988 and 394 more species than detailed in the second edition published in 2006. Of these, about 1,459 taxa are terrestrials, 239 epiphytes or lithophytes and six or seven exotic taxa have become naturalised.

A comprehensive guide to the country’s butterflies covering everything from the eye-catching Common Jezabel and Ulysses Butterfly, to the gigantic Cairns Birdwing, to the more cryptic Blues and Skippers.The key features that separate this book from all other butterfly fieldguides are firstly that all the images are of live butterflies (compared with other guides, which often use specimens), and secondly that there are large numbers of images documenting the different life stages (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, etc), plus images of male and female butterflies where they differ significantly in appearance, and also pictures of host plants, which are often an important factor in locating the butterflies.On average each of the 350+ butterfly species included have one page of coverage, although some of the larger and more well-known species have up to three pages and some of the smaller species are set at two orthree species to a page. There is a distribution map for each species.The sturdy plastic cover and compact layout make the book ideal for use in the field, while the target readership is anyone with an interestin butterflies.

How did snakes become poisonous? Why are there black swans only in Australia? Learn a bout the powerful Rainbow Snake, red and black flying foxes, the Eagle-hawk and the Medicine-man in these incredible tales of the Dramtime. So much of traditional Aboriginal storytelling teaches us about the animal world and the spiritual bond shared between the Aboriginal people and nature.

This wonderfully illustrated book is essentially a photographic guide to the fascinating diverse insect families of the world. It encompasses all key families, including the likes of butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, ants, bees and so on. Each of the 1000+ stunning images, taken of wild insects in their natural surroundings, is accompanied by useful text on ID, interesting features and geographical distribution. Insects of the World is an essential reference for bug enthusiasts everywhere, from children fascinated with creepy crawlies right through to academics.