W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series – serie

At the end of the twentieth century roughly 265 million people visited the 374 sites in the American National Park System. These places, designated and protected because of their significance to our nation's historical and natural heritage, contain some of the most beautiful landscapes in the United States - landscapes that naturally lend themselves to outdoor recreation. In this book, veteran parks interpreter Roland H. Wauer introduces the pleasures of birding in the national parks of the American Southwest. From California to Texas, from hugely popular destinations such as Arizona's Grand Canyon to the mostly undiscovered shores of Amistad National Recreation Area, Wauer visits fourteen sites and gives us his advice on what birds to expect and where and how to find them.

Bobwhite quail are one of America's favorite game birds. Because quail hunting can bring in valuable income, landowners and game managers value these birds and encourage them wherever the habitat is suitable. Although biologists have studied bobwhites since the 1920s and have amassed an awesome base of information about this species, their knowledge has not been made widely available to landowners, hunters, and other lay readers. Fred S. Guthery, one of the leading experts on bobwhite quail in the Southwest and southern Midwest, provides a wealth of useful and interesting information in this volume. He offers experiences and perspectives based on published research, along with a review of his well-known writings and insights from fifteen years of observation. Guthery has concentrated most of his work on the Southwest, but this book provides information about all the areas that bobwhites inhabit and also includes information on the related species, Gambel's quail. Because the biology of quail and the principles of their management are very general, the information presented in this book will have application everywhere bobwhites are known. Wildlife managers, landowners, hunters, and anyone else interested in ensuring that quail thrive on their property will find this an accessible and valuable contribution by a leader in the field.

In "Texas Cacti", authors Brian and Shirley Loflin present a concise, fully illustrated field guide to more than one hundred of the cacti most often found in Texas and the surrounding region. The book opens with an illustrated introduction to cactus habitat and anatomy. The species are then organized by stem shape, with each account featuring detailed color photographs, specific identifying features (including spines, flowers, fruits, and seeds) and information about common and scientific names, habitat, flowering season, and more. The photographs, range maps, and icons designating shape, conservation status, and blooming period, along with easy-to-understand descriptions, make this book a quick and friendly guide to cactus identification for botanists, amateur naturalists, and cactus enthusiasts alike.

This third edition of James R. Dixon’s Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas: With Keys, Taxonomic Synopses, Bibliography, and Distribution Maps, completely redesigned throughout with colour photographs, revised taxonomic keys, and updated species descriptions, covers more than two hundred species of amphibians and reptiles. As in the previous editions, the book includes an extensive listing of the literature on Texas amphibians and reptiles that goes back to the historic writings of Berlandier, in the early nineteenth century, and is updated to reflect the most recent research.Comprehensive distribution maps, updated references, and an exhaustive bibliography round out this latest edition of what has come to be widely recognised as the standard scientific guide and reference for professional, academic, and amateur naturalists interested in the herpatofauna of Texas.

Javelinas and Other Peccaries is certain to be regarded as the definitive source on this family of piglike creatures consisting of three species. Best known in the United States is the javelina, or collared peccary, but the firsthand observations and extensive information provided in this well-illustrated volume, cover all of the species. The javelina extends its range from the southwestern United States to northern Argentina, while the larger white-lipped peccary prefers warmer, moister tropical forests such as from extreme southern Mexico to northern Argentina. The Chacoan, or giant peccary, exists only in a small area known as the Chaco in western Paraguay, northern Argentina, and eastern Bolivia; scientists did not discover this species until 1972.Lyle K. Sowls, who has studied these animals for nearly forty years, examines this family of New World mammals and presents his findings on each species' anatomy and physiology, behaviour, reproduction, effects on the environment, diet, reaction to diseases, and habitat. He also includes sonograms of peccary vocalisations representing their social communication.Additionally, Sowls provides a review of management practices, along with recommendations on the management and conservation of peccaries. He suggests that peccaries offer an opportunity for modern wildlife management to help bring better use of forest areas to sustained land use. He reviews the peccaries' importance as a game animal for sport hunters, and includes reports from early explorers and discussion of American Indians' use of the animals. This fully revised book, out of print since 1989, is a useful tool for mammalogists and other wildlife scientists, game specialists, and general readers interested in javelinas in the U.S. Southwest and peccaries throughout the Americas.

In this guide, biologist Mark Gustafson introduces residents and visitors to the history, geology, water resources, plants, and animals found in the nineteen counties occupying the eastern part of the Edwards Plateau, the heart of the Hill Country.He profiles three hundred of the most common and unique species from all of the major groups of plants and animals: trees, shrubs, wildflowers, cacti, vines, grasses, ferns, fungi, lichens, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates. Color photographs are included for each species along with a brief description.He closes with a chapter on significant state parks and natural areas in the region as an invitation to visit and explore the Texas Hill Country.As large metropolitan areas continue to encroach on the Hill Country, newcomers are moving in and more people are flocking to its many attractions. This guidebook will enrich the appreciation of the region’s rich and unique biodiversity and encourage conservation of the natural world encountered.

In their second guide to birding in New Mexico, Judy Liddell and Barbara Hussey share their experiences and intimate knowledge of the best places to find birds in and around Santa Fe and other areas in northern New Mexico.Following the same format as their book on the Albuquerque area, the authors describe 32 sites organized by geographic regions. Along with a general description of each area, the authors list target birds; explain where and when to look for them; give driving directions; provide information about public transportation, parking, fees, restrooms, food, and lodging; and give tips on availability of water and picnic facilities and on the presence of hazards such as poison ivy, rattlesnakes, and bears. Maps and photographs provide trail diagrams and images of some of the target birds and their environments.A “helpful information” section covering weather, altitude, safety, transportation, and other local birding resources is included along with an annotated checklist of 276 bird species seen with some regularity in and around Santa Fe.

In the first bilingual work on the reptiles and amphibians of the US–Mexico border, top herpetologists come together to describe the herpetofauna of the states of this region, which includes more than 600 species of toads, frogs, salamanders, turtles, sea turtles, alligators, lizards, snakes, and sea snakes that are found along the almost 2,000-mile border between the two countries.Each chapter is devoted to one state—four in the US (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and six in Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas)—with text in both English and Spanish.The chapters contain an introduction to the area, a review of the research, a sketch of the state’s physiography, and a description of the species present as well as the pertinent conservation issues they face. A color photo gallery includes images of nearly all species.Almost 40 percent of the featured native species are shared between the US and Mexico, reminding us that animals depend on the integrity of natural landscapes and proving the need for a comprehensive, bilingual reference to help lead a shared effort in the management and conservation of the borderlands.

Veteran gardener and author Judy Barrett’s book dispels the idea that growing plants we can eat is harder than growing plants we can’t eat and introduces readers to the idea of placing plants that can produce in an ordinary landscape, a harvest of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.Whether buying a few tomato plants for a patio container or exploring the idea of a frontyard or kitchen plot, incorporating plants that “bear food” into the landscape has real appeal, even to weekend gardeners.For the more ambitious, Barrett offers a primer on the various kinds of garden beds that are easy to create and maintain. For those without the space to garden themselves, she describes where and how one can buy the bounty produced by others in farmers markets, farm stands, and pick-your-own operations.Finally, Barrett invites readers to enjoy the camaraderie and learning opportunities available at community, neighborhood, and schoolyard gardens.

In this information-packed, month-to-month guide to the wildlife, plants, and natural events that define the seasonal cycles in Big Bend National Park, naturalists Lynne and Jim Weber offer a richly illustrated guide to the natural rhythms of this beautiful and remote region in far West Texas.If you're on the lookout for deer in January, tracking hummingbirds in August, photographing wildflowers in September, or listening to frog choruses after a summer rain—the authors provide “Where to Watch” suggestions on when and how to see these and many other park inhabitants, from beavers and bats to lizards and dragonflies. Each chapter features a weather and temperature chart, photographs, and eye-catching illustrations by Lynne Weber.Whether you are a casual tourist or a frequent visitor to Big Bend, the authors hope that knowing what to look for during your stay in one of the nation’s largest national parks will heighten your awareness, sharpen your observation skills, and enhance your overall experience in this iconic Texas landscape.

As more people become concerned with food safety as well as the environment, vegetable gardening offers an opportunity to grow produce at home. Not everyone has the time, money, or energy to take on the challenge of starting a vegetable garden, however. In Circle Gardening, Kenneth E. Spaeth Jr., a soil and ecosystem specialist, provides a fresh approach and thorough guide to vegetable gardening for all gardeners, experienced and beginner alike.Through years of experimentation, Spaeth has found circle gardening, an ancient method “as old as agriculture,” to be not only an efficient but also an aesthetically pleasing way to grow plants. By arranging them in a concentrated circle rather than in rows, gardeners are able to conserve compost, fertilizer, and water. Depending on the number of vegetables planted, this design can save time and be less physically demanding. The rationale for planting your veggies in a circle is scientific, too—many plants clump together in nature and thrive in groups, and so planting in circles actually mimics natural plant distribution.There are other questions that befuddle expert and beginner gardeners, too: What is the difference between organic and conventional gardening? Are there significant pros and cons to each? What makes up the soil in a garden? Spaeth provides clear answers to these complex questions. The book also includes quick vegetable guides in the back along with information on composting, calculating fertilizer rates, and gauging soil health.

Dama gazelles, the largest of the gazelles, were once a common sight in Northern Africa, with a habitat ranging from the Atlantic Ocean east almost to the Nile River. Today, these animals are critically endangered as their populations have dropped precipitously due to the effects of expanding agrarian practices, overhunting, violent human conflict, and climate change on their native habitats.Though they are perilously close to extinction in the wild, Texas ranches maintain over a thousand dama gazelles—more than the number currently in zoos and in the wild combined. The habitat on some of these ranches resembles their natural range along the Sahara Desert of Northern Africa, making them suitable living spaces for damas.In The Dama Gazelles, Elizabeth Cary Mungall brings together experts from around the world and offers a comprehensive reference book on these animals, including information on natural history and taxonomy; physical and behavioral traits; dama gazelles held in zoos and collections, parks and preserves, and on Texas ranches; and efforts to reintroduce populations into the wild. There is also a rare, firsthand account from Frans M. van den Brink, an animal dealer from the Netherlands, who in the 1960s successfully captured 35 dama gazelles in Northern Africa and transported them to zoos in the United States and Europe, losing only two animals in the harrowing process. Those 33 dama gazelles were the “founders” of all the dama gazelles in captivity today.Detailed appendixes and a glossary round out the volume with additional information to help researchers, zookeepers, and landowners better understand and conserve dama gazelles.

Perhaps nothing about nature calls to us as deeply as wild animals. To see an enormous whale leaping out of the water, the eerily human eyes of a gorilla, or the comical waddle of a penguin; to hear the ethereal howl of a wolf or majestic roar of a lion—these experiences change us. Around the world, animal populations are threatened by loss of habitat, pollution, climate change, overhunting, and poaching—and yet wildlife-based tourism is growing rapidly and makes up as much as forty percent of the worldwide tourism industry today.In Pandas to Penguins, nature journalist Melissa Gaskill profiles twenty-five species and one endangered ecosystem, highlighting local ecofriendly travel outfitters operating in the area for those seeking out their own enriching personal experience with wildlife. She provides basic information about each animal's behavior and biology, descriptions of the threats they face, and maps, photographs, and first-person accounts of wildlife watching.Each species meets three basic criteria: 1) some level of risk to its survival, 2) a reasonably accessible habitat where travelers have a chance to view the animal in the wild in its natural setting, and 3) responsible tourism that directly benefits the animal or its habitat. More than a wildlife bucket list or an exhortation to “see them before they're gone,” this guide is intended to identify wildlife experiences that can be life changing for people as well as animals. Extinction is tragic but not inevitable. We can all do something to make a difference, and Pandas to Penguins is an important resource for adventurers and armchair travelers alike.

Snakes inspire extreme reactions. Love or hate these limbless reptiles, almost everyone is fascinated by them. Although snakes are widespread and frequently encountered, they may be more misunderstood than any other group of animals. From giant rattlesnakes to mating dances, there are dozens of myths and misconceptions about snakes. In Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths, wildlife biologist David Steen tackles the most frequently asked questions and clears up prevailing myths.In a conversational style with a bit of humor, Steen presents the relevant biology and natural history of snakes, making the latest scientific research accessible to a general audience. When addressing myths about snakes, he explains how researchers use the scientific method to explain which parts of the myth are biologically plausible and which are not.Steen also takes a close look at conventional wisdom and common advice about snakes. For example, people are told they can distinguish coralsnakes from non-venomous mimics by remembering the rhyme, "red on black, friend of Jack, red on yellow, kill a fellow," but this tip is only relevant to coralsnakes and two mimics living in the southeastern United States, and it does not always work with other species or in other countries.Enhanced by more than 100 stunning color photographs and three original drawings, Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths encourages readers to learn about the snakes around them and introduces them to how scientists use the scientific method and critical thinking to learn about the natural world.

Undertaking a Big Year requires a more extreme version of planning than what is needed to bird in a typical year. In a Big Year a birder is trying to see or hear new birds every day, day after day, throughout the whole year.The first woman to complete a North American Big Year (continental United States and Canada) and identify over 700 species, Lynn E. Barber clocked more than 175,000 miles and ticked off a then record setting 723 species over twelve months in 2008. Yet even as an anomaly - a female birder in the then male-dominated world of competitive birding - she took the initiative to reimagine the whole idea of a Big Year in the two biggest states in the country.At home in both Texas and Alaska, Barber offers an inside look into how to plan, execute, and thoroughly enjoy a year of finding the birds that inhabit two of the nation's most diverse landscapes. The drastic differences between the climate, geography, plant life, and habitat at the far northern and southern edges of the US mainland mean seeing a distinct number of birds in each state that are not found in the other. Yet as states with both coastal and international boundaries, Texas and Alaska provide countless opportunities to see the most seasonally varied, far flying, and specifically adapted birds in the world.As Barber chronicles her travels throughout the Texan and Alaskan landscapes, serious and casual birders alike will appreciate her lively and informative prose and commitment to her distinct approach to the Big Year challenge.

Drawing on the knowledge and insight gained from a lifetime of watching, studying, and enjoying birds, this book is full of information about more than four hundred species of birds in Texas, most all of which author Gary Clark has seen first hand. Organized in the standard taxonomic order familiar to most birders, the book is written in a conversational tone that yields a wide-ranging discussion of each bird’s life history as well as an intimate look at some of its special characteristics and habits. Information regarding each species’ diet, voice, and nest is included as well as when and where it can be found in Texas. Magnificent photographs by Kathy Adams Clark accompany each bird’s entry.For those just beginning to watch birds to those who can fully relate to the experiences and sentiments communicated here by a veteran birder, this book reveals the kind of personal connection to nature that careful attention to the birds around us can inspire.

Enjoying Big Bend National Park: A Friendly Guide to Adventures for Everyone, now in its second edition, will help turn every trip to Big Bend National Park into a memorable adventure.Veteran naturalist Gary Clark and photographer Kathy Adams Clark help you choose the best hike or drive in the park, based on the season in which you visit; the number of days you have in the park; and your activity, age, and fitness levels. The Clarks provide valuable practical information, along with a descriptive list of items essential for being outdoors in desert and mountain environments.They describe more than thirty activities available in the park: two-hour or half- and full-day adventures; adventures for the physically fit or physically challenged; and adventures with children, for nature lovers, or in vehicles. The Clarks also point out scenic highlights and animals and plants that might be seen along the way. Enjoy Big Bend National Park like never before.

Naturalists Jim and Lynne Weber guide readers to the surprising natural diversity found in the urban wildscapes of the Texas capital city and beyond. With clarity and depth of knowledge, Naturalist’s Austin: A Guide to the Plants and Animals of Central Texas provides a tour that includes nearly 700 species of plants and animals native to the region.The book opens with a natural history overview underscores the importance of a strong environmental ethic for ensuring the ability of naturally occurring species to thrive within an urban environment—even one exhibiting the type of explosive growth found in Austin. Highlighting features of the area’s natural processes (migration, wildfire, caves, aquifers, and others), Weber and Weber present lavishly illustrated accounts of both common and unique plant and animal species, with selected exotics included, that may be found in Austin and the surrounding areas. Each section in the species accounts opens with an informative overview, and the individual accounts discuss species status, seasonality, descriptions, habitat, and “fun facts” related to interesting behaviors or adaptations.With vivid photographs throughout, this colorful and informative guide is sure to be a favorite of Texas nature lovers. Naturalist’s Austin provides an authoritative and enjoyable resource for the greater appreciation and better stewardship of our natural resources.

Research scientist John H. Rappole’s lifelong journey has been in search of one thing—finding out why birds migrate. The developer and chief proponent of the “dispersal theory” of bird migration, Rappole takes readers on a tour of the decades-long discovery process that led him to propose a counter to the still–widely accepted “northern home,” or weather-based theory of migration. Migration Mysteries: Adventures, Disasters, and Epiphanies in a Life with Birds starts with Rappole’s early field work and follows through all of the subsequent twists and turns of his career and life. In a delightfully approachable style, Rappole introduces the people, places, quandaries, and dangers he encountered during the years he spent in Mexico, Central America, and the United States studying the migration patterns of birds. His account also serves as a wake-up call for conservation as, Rappole observes, the habitats for migratory birds are disappearing year by year. Cast as the author’s “swan song” on the topic of bird migration, this lively account of Rappole’s life’s work will delight birders, researchers, and general readers alike. Offered as both a follow-up to his recent, more theoretical work, Bird Migration: A New Understanding, and as a kind of valedictory message to colleagues, friends, supporters, and interested onlookers, Migration Mysteries is more than just what the author describes as “a biography of an idea,” it is also an entertaining and informative portrait of the life and work of one of America’s most influential wildlife biologists.

Deserts cover about one third of the earth’s surface and are the largest terrestrial ecosystem in the world. They are the only biome that is actually expanding, largely due to human activities and climate change. In the United States, six unique desert ecosystems stretch across the country: the Great Basin, Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Peninsular, and the Painted Desert. Both a travelogue and science writing, North American Deserts: Ecology of Our Arid Lands is a celebration of these ruthlessly beautiful landscapes. Readers will be transported from the enchanting saguaro forests of Arizona and the precipitous red walls of the Grand Canyon to the monotonous, yet impressive landscapes of Nevada’s Great Basin and Texas’ Chihuahuan Desert. More than 190 vivid, color photographs accompany the lively writing. Biologist Sean P. Graham has extensive field experience in the deserts of the Southwest and Mexico, and in North American Deserts, he takes readers on a journey through both sides of the border. The first half of the book focuses on global climate patterns giving rise to desert regions, and it then delves into how plants and animals survive the physical and biological characteristics of these ecosystems. The second half, which is split into cold and warm regions, features portraits of each desert that explore the unique flora and fauna. Although the work is focused on deserts in the United States, it also surveys the semiarid landscapes that extend into Canada and Mexico. Outdoor enthusiasts, national park visitors, and self-proclaimed “desert rats” will enjoy this reflective yet informative account of our North American deserts.