New and Recent Titles

                                                                              
1) Abbott, John C. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. 2005. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 344 pages. Price: $39.50 U.S.

SUMMARY: This is the first guide to dragonflies and damselflies of the south-central United States. The book covers 263 species, representing more than half of the North American fauna. The area of coverage significantly overlaps with other regions of the country making this book a useful aid in identifying the dragonflies and damselflies in any part of the United States, Canada, or northeastern Mexico.
     More photographs of damselflies in North America appear here than in any other previously published work. All 85 damselfly and 178 dragonfly species found in the region are distinguished by photographs, numerous line drawings, keys, and detailed descriptions to help with identifications. Features include:

 *Discussions of habitats, zoogeography, and seasonality
 *Details on dragonfly and damselfly life history and conservation
 *An introduction on studying and photographing dragonflies and damselflies
 *An entire section devoted to the external anatomy of dragonflies and damselflies
 *Species accounts organized by family into sections on size, regional and general distribution, flight season, identification, similar species, habitat and biology and ecology
 *Range maps for each species, as well as an extensive bibliography and a list of resources for further study
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in the Odonata of the region!

                                                                               
2) Feinstein, Julie. Field Guide to Urban Wildlife. 2011. Stackpole Books. Paperback: 454 pages. Price: $34.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: This title helps to identify and understand the North American wildlife most commonly found living near humans - and how they have adapted to thrive in cities and suburbs. This is the first field guide of its type ever published. This title includes species that accounts for 135 common urban North American mammals, birds, and insects. It explores the relationships between animals and humans.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction on the subject.

3) O'Shea, Mark. Boas and Pythons of the World. 2011. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 160 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: Few reptiles command more respect than the mighty boas and pythons. Prized for their size, relative docility, and spectacular coloration and patterning, they are the most dramatic snakes in the world. But the same snakes that many consider gentle giants--the Green Anaconda can exceed twelve yards in length--are also finely tuned killing machines. In Boas and Pythons of the World, renowned snake expert Mark O'Shea takes readers on an exciting continent-by-continent journey to look at these snakes in their native habitats. Stunning color photographs and intriguing stories from O'Shea's encounters with these snakes in the wild bring these reptiles to life.
     There is a tremendous variety of boas and pythons. While the largest are measured in yards, the smallest, the Javelin Sand Boa, is no longer than thirty-two inches. And they inhabit a vast range of habitats on five continents, from stony desert to lush tropical forest. In more than one hundred detailed species accounts, Boas and Pythons of the World examines snakes as different as the cryptically patterned Madagascan Ground Boa and Australasia's beautiful Green Tree Python.
     Although some of these snakes are capable of attacking and killing humans, boas and pythons are much more likely to be man's victims. Across the world, these snakes are retreating in the face of habitat destruction, hunting, and climate change. Addressing the dire risks they face, O'Shea discusses what can be done to help save what are among our most fascinating reptiles.

*Snake expert Mark O'Shea's tour of the fascinating world of boas, pythons, and basal snakes--from primitive blindsnakes to the mighty anaconda
*Dramatic accounts of O'Shea's personal encounters with these great snakes in their natural habitats--on five continents
*Detailed information about the snakes' habitats and behaviors
*Over 150 superb color photographs that capture the diverse beauty of more than 100 species, including rarely seen and endangered species
*Two world maps showing the distribution of the various families of boas, pythons, and basal snakes

RECOMMENDATION: This title is a well illustrated introduction to the boas and pythons of the World. Also by the same author: Venomous Snakes of the World

New Title

                                                                               
1) Stephens, John. The Emerald Atlas. 2011. Knopf. Hardbound: 417 pages. Price: $17.99 U.S.

SUMMARY: Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.
     Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about. Until now.
     Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.
     The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world. You can visit the book's website here: http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/emeraldatlas/
 RECOMMENDATION: For ages 8-12. This book has elements from the Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia and Fablehaven series. I think this book should appeal to readers of those series especially Fablehaven readers.

New and Recent Titles

                                                                              
1) Beccaloni, Jan. Arachnids. 2009. University of California Press. Hardbound: 320 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: With around 11 distinctive lineages and over 38,000 species of spiders alone, arachnids are an amazingly diverse group of invertebrates—and with names like the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, the Tailless Whip Spider, and the Harvestman, they can be both spectacular and captivating. Most books about arachnids focus on spiders, neglecting scorpions, ticks, mites, wind spiders, and other fascinating yet poorly understood groups. This adventurous volume summarizes all existing knowledge about each major type of arachnid, revealing their secrets through detailed species accounts, brilliant photographs, and a compelling cast of eight-legged characters. It examines the anatomy, habitat, behavior and distribution of each lineage, from the garden spider to the death stalker scorpion and even a species of mite that lives inside a monkey's lungs. Drawing on the vast resources at London's Natural History Museum, Arachnids spins a sensational tale, debunking common myths and delving deep into the lives of these bizarre and beautiful creatures.
RECOMMENDATION: A detailed yet very readable account on these arthropods!

                                                                              
2) Grayson, Donald K.. The Great Basin: A Natural Prehistory (revised and expanded edition). 2011. University of California Press. Hardbound: 418 pages. Price: $75.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: Covering a large swath of the American West, the Great Basin, centered in Nevada and including parts of California, Utah, and Oregon, is named for the unusual fact that none of its rivers or streams flow into the sea. This fascinating illustrated journey through deep time is the definitive environmental and human history of this beautiful and little traveled region, home to Death Valley, the Great Salt Lake, Lake Tahoe, and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Donald K. Grayson synthesizes what we now know about the past 25,000 years in the Great Basin—its climate, lakes, glaciers, plants, animals, and peoples—based on information gleaned from the region’s exquisite natural archives in such repositories as lake cores, packrat middens, tree rings, and archaeological sites. A perfect guide for students, scholars, travelers, and general readers alike, the book weaves together history, archaeology, botany, geology, biogeography, and other disciplines into one compelling panorama across a truly unique American landscape.
 RECOMMENDATION: A detailed textbook-like title that will appeal mainly to Pleistocene and Holocene paleontologists and archaeologists that are interested in the region.

The Weekly Birdbooker Report

My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/apr/17/2

New Title

                                                                              
1) Dorcas, Mike and Whit Gibbons. Frogs: The Animal Answer Guide. 2011. Johns Hopkins University Press. Paperback: 160 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: Frogs are amazingly diverse—ranging from the massive goliath frog, which weighs several pounds, to the recently discovered gold frog, which measures a mere three-eighths of an inch when fully grown—and have inhabited the earth for more than 200 million years. Today, however, these amphibians face more challenges than any other vertebrate group. In this fun and informative book, herpetologists Mike Dorcas and Whit Gibbons answer common and not-so-common questions people may have about these fascinating animals.
     Dorcas and Gibbons discuss how frogs evolved, which species currently exist in the world, and why some have recently gone extinct. They reveal what frogs eat and what eats them, their role in cultures across the globe, why many populations are declining and what we can do to reverse this dangerous trend, why there are deformed frogs, and much more. They answer expected questions such as "What is the difference between a frog and a toad?" and "Why do some people lick toads?" and unexpected ones such as "Why do some frogs lay their eggs in the leaves of trees?" and "Do frogs feel pain?"
     The authors' easy-to-understand yet thorough explanations provide insight into the amazing biology of this amphibian group. In addressing conservation questions, Dorcas and Gibbons highlight the frightening implications of the current worldwide amphibian crisis, which many scientists predict will bring extinction rates experienced by frog species to levels not seen in any vertebrate animal group in millions of years.
     Packed with facts and featuring two color galleries and 70 black-and-white photographs, Frogs: The Animal Answer Guide is sure to address the questions on the minds of curious naturalists.
RECOMMENDATION: A good general introduction to frogs (and some toads).

New Title

                                                                               
1) Williams, Wendy. Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid. 2011. Abrams Image. Hardbound: 223 pages. Price: $21.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: Kraken is the traditional name for gigantic sea monsters, and this book introduces one of the most charismatic, enigmatic, and curious inhabitants of the sea: the squid. The pages take the reader on a wild narrative ride through the world of squid science and adventure, along the way addressing some riddles about what intelligence is, and what monsters lie in the deep. In addition to squid, both giant and otherwise, Kraken examines other equally enthralling cephalopods, including the octopus and the cuttlefish, and explores their otherworldly abilities, such as camouflage and bioluminescence. Accessible and entertaining, Kraken is also the first substantial volume on the subject in more than a decade and a must for fans of popular science.
RECOMMENDATION: A very readable account on these "sea monsters".

New Title

                                                                              
1) Romano, Craig. Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge. 2011. The Mountaineers Books. Paperback: 288 pages. Price: $18.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: The Columbia River Gorge forms much of the long border between Washington and Oregon, offering hikers a multitude of beautiful trails. Famous for its cascading waterfalls, the region offers spectacular views of the mighty river and its windswept bluffs, as well as stunning panoramas of the surrounding landscape and peaks including Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and the Sisters.
     Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, by well-known hiking author Craig Romano, features:
• 100 day hikes on both sides of the river
• extensive year-round hiking options
• trails in the National Scenic Area, Silver Star Scenic Area, Trapper Creek, Clark County, and beyond
• easy-to-read icons for waterfalls, views, dog-friendly trails, and more
• detailed driving directions and trail maps
• info on flora and fauna, the unusual Gorge winds, and its abundance of waterfalls

RECOMMENDATION: A useful hiking guide to the region.