Books in Animal Scientists series

"Davies’s chatty, funny text and Layton’s colorful illustrations will pull kids into this fascinating book about survival. . . . Exciting biology for the classroom." — Booklist (starred review)From the persevering emperor penguins of the South Pole to the brave bacteria inside bubbling volcanoes, from the hardy reptiles of the driest deserts to the squash-proof creatures of the deepest seabeds, animals have adapted to survive in conditions that would kill a human faster than you can say "coffin." Discover how they do it in this amazing natural history book from a celebrated team — and find out who wins the title of the toughest animal of them all.Back matter includes an index and a glossary.

Animals build an incredible array of structures in which to sleep, raise young, or catch prey. Some structures involve excavating in subsoil or wood, others involve construction underwater, and some are fixed to trees. Polar bears dig out caves in the snow to protect themselves from the coldest weather. Spiders spin webs of incredibly strong silk to ensnare prey. Prairie dogs dig underground ‘towns’ that can house hundreds of families.

"Playful, but filled with information, this book takes poop out of the sewers and into the scientific community where it belongs." —The Horn BookHippos navigate by it, sloths keep in touch through it, dung beetles eat it . . . and most grown-ups would rather not mention it. But scientists who study animal feces find out all sorts of things, such as the number of insects a bat eats or just how a T. rex devoured a triceratops 70 million years ago. Poop is an excellent prototype for recycling and perhaps the most useful stuff on Earth. Take a peek at Poop and find out what it’s for, where it goes, and how much we can learn from it.Back matter includes an index and a glossary.

Sound, sight, and chemicals are all important as animals attempt to communicate warnings, information about food, to attract a mate, or sometimes just for pleasure. Whales communicate across hundreds of miles of ocean with ultrasound ‘songs.’ Fireflies uses flashes of light to attract a mate. Skunks squirt foul-smelling chemicals to ward off attackers.

Finding prey and detecting predators are life-or-death matters for animals. They use some technologically advanced systems including the senses we’re familiar with―and others that are far more sensitive. The book explains how bats use echolocation to hunt on the wing, tells how sharks can smell tiny amounts of blood from hundreds of yards away, and how supersensitive hairs on a spider’s body can pick up vibrations in the air.

"The subject is inherently fascinating to kids, who will find a good deal of information. . . .The artwork adds a welcome comic veneer." — BooklistMites and lice, fleas, ticks, and tapeworms — most living creatures that have a habitat also are a habitat, including you (are you itchy yet?). Unwelcome guests — parasites — are everywhere, from the barnacles hitching a ride on a humpback whale’s head to the tiny flies that control a bee’s brain and make it literally dig its own grave. Now an expert team returns for an in-depth look at how these insidious critters do it, whether it’s leaping aboard moving targets or morphing their body shapes, and what their unwitting hosts have learned to do to fight back and reclaim their space.Back matter includes an index and a glossary.

“Jam-packed with fascinating information with plenty of the ick factor to keep kids (and adults) turning the pages.” — San Francisco Book ReviewSometimes nature can be nasty: snakes that spit poison, insects with exploding bottoms, and tigers that have you for dinner. Throughout the animal kingdom, creatures are equipped with lethal weapons, from finger-length fangs to toxic tentacles, and have ingenious ways of killing one another, from poisoning to dive-bombing to strangling and even electrocuting! Discover the murderous methods of attack and defense that make animals armed, dangerous, and deadly. Kids will sink their teeth into this fascinating look at nature’s fiercest creatures. Back matter includes an index and a glossary.

Sound, sight, and chemicals are all important as animals attempt to communicate warnings, information about food, to attract a mate, or sometimes just for pleasure. Whales communicate across hundreds of miles of ocean with ultrasound ‘songs.’ Fireflies uses flashes of light to attract a mate. Skunks squirt foul-smelling chemicals to ward off attackers.

Animals build an incredible array of structures in which to sleep, raise young, or catch prey. Some structures involve excavating in subsoil or wood, others involve construction underwater, and some are fixed to trees. Polar bears dig out caves in the snow to protect themselves from the coldest weather. Spiders spin webs of incredibly strong silk to ensnare prey. Prairie dogs dig underground ‘towns’ that can house hundreds of families.

"Nicola Davies is the best thing to happen to biology classes since the invention of the filmstrip." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)Did you ever wonder why there are no high-flying superheroes in real life? Find out what keeps big animals (like us) from performing amazing feats of strength and agility, yet why being tiny and powerful might have a downside. What if you could lift fifty times your weight (hello, ant), but getting wet could kill you? Or you could soar like a bird, but a cold breeze would do you in? From an award-winning duo, an intriguing look at what it means to be just the right size. Back matter includes an index and a glossary.