Books in Wild America series

From the Atlantic coast to the Appalachians, from Atlantic City casinos to Revolutionary War battlegrounds, New Jersey is full of contrasts, color, and history. Within the Garden State you can find picturesque coasts, quiet forest trails, and some surprising legacies of the past.

Sea turtles, freshwater turtles, and land-dwelling turtles all have one thing in common. They are all reptiles with ancestors who roamed the earth with the dinosaurs!

Tanya Stone

Contrary to popular belief, a skunk never sprays its scent to attack -- only to defend itself. Although best known for their stinky weapon of defense, skunks are an important part of the ecosystem and are quite helpful to humans.

Beavers are amazing builders that construct sturdy dams and lodges. Their sharp teeth and nimble hands and feet help them chop down trees and drag them into the water. Beavers can build dams that stretch 300 feet (92 m) across a river!

Tanya Stone

Deer are the largest animals that make their homes near humans. They are also some of the fastest -- a deer can leap 10 feet (3 m) in the air and run more than 35 miles (56 km) per hour.

There are more than 2,700 types of earthworms. All have bodies made up of many segments, or rings. Earthworms need damp, dark places to live. They dig burrows in the ground to stay away from the sun and come out of the ground at night to find food.

Mice are part of a huge group of mammals called rodents. The most common mice found in Canada and the United States are the house mouse and the white-footed mouse.

Like kangaroos and koalas, opossums are marsupials. A mother opossum carries her babies around in a pouch on the outside of her body.

The name "raccoon" comes from an Algonquin Indian word that means, "he scratches with his hands." This is a perfect name for a creature that can use its nimble hands to climb, dig, catch fish, or even untie a rope or open a refrigerator!

Tanya Stone