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Best Amphibian Zoology

The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World
Accessibly written by expert Tim Halliday and containing the most up-to-date information, The Book of Frogs will captivate both veteran researchers and amateur herpetologists. As frogs increasingly make headlines for their troubling worldwide decline, the importance of these fascinating creatures to their ecosystems remains underappreciated. From poisonous frogs to tiny toenail-sized frogs, whistlers, “explosive breeders,” endangered frogs, and recently discovered frogs, author and one of the world’s leading frog experts Tim Halliday covers an exhaustive gamut of frog species from around the planet. ( Boing Boing ). "A huge, beautiful compendium of 600 frogs from around the world, from the famed poison-arrow variety on up to the intriguingly named plaintive rain frog. It’s a stunning cavalcade, ranging from dull and knobby toads to tree frogs of almost translucent beauty….It’s a joyous experience to savor the unbridled strangeness, the bursting profusion in The Book of Frogs .”. The Book of Frogs does a splendid job of showing the diversity of frogs and toads." ( Ecology ). "Halliday has compiled an extensive compendium of frogs, and presents a wide array of fascinating facts in rich prose....The real selling point is the full-color photos, showing the actual size of each frog. ( Conservation Biology ). "This book will be a wonderful source of basic information for any young person who has become fascinated with frogs, or anyone unfamiliar with frogs who has a desire to learn more about their diversity and biology."
Reviews
"Big, beautiful photos of frogs and lots of interesting tidbits of information."
"My daughter loves this book ."
"It would be hard to believethat there is a book out there with more frog information than this."
"Well, it's a book filled with gorgeous frogs."
"I bought for my frog loving wife."
"Delivers precisely what it promises - a lot of frogs, with great photos and some interesting essays."
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Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition (Peterson Field Guides)
A completely updated edition, including 122 newly recognized or recently established non-native species of reptiles and amphibians. Peterson. The best-selling field guides of all time. This new edition reflects 25 years of changes in our knowledge of the reptiles and amphibians of eastern and central North America. It includes descriptions of 122 newly recognized or recently established non-native species, updated maps, and new figures and photos.
Reviews
"The previous edition, first published in 1991, included a few recently discovered native species (for example, the Pigeon Mountain salamander) and various established exotics (mainly lizards) not yet known when the 1975 edition was published, and also introduced clearer, more colorful and detailed range maps included with each species account rather than placing them in a section at the back. This latest edition includes all that but also incorporates many recent taxonomic changes, even more detailed range maps, and adds some newly discovered native species (one notable case is the patch-nosed salamander, a small species found in a tiny part of northeastern Georgia that somehow evaded discovery until 2009), and many newly differentiated cryptic look-alike species, as well as many more established non-native species that have been recently recorded, in large part from Florida."
"This book arrived in perfect condition."
"Helpful book with information needed to identify reptiles and amphibians across USA."
"Pictures need to be larger for better details."
"Very good and thorough, as would be expected from Peterson guide!"
"This is a great field guide."
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The Bearded Dragon Manual: Expert Advice for Keeping and Caring For a Healthy Bearded Dragon
This newly updated and expanded edition of the best-selling The Bearded Dragon Manual promises to excite new and seasoned herp enthusiasts with its in-depth discussion on all aspects of dragon keeping and its brilliant color photography. •How to select bearded dragons as pets or for breeding. Robert Mailloux is the owner of Sandfire Dragon Ranch and the originator of the spectacularly colored Sandfire bearded dragon morph. His veterinary specialization in reptiles along with many years of experience keeping numerous types of reptiles has led to his being recognized at the forefront of the field of reptile veterinary medicine and surgery.
Reviews
"Lots of photos and a handy Q&A section."
"My son loves this book and is teaching him how to care for his bearded dragon."
"Good book for my son lots of info for the first time dragon owner."
"The entire book is full of good information but it does have a definite tone of discouragement towards raising your own dragon."
"Very helpful book when starting out and just to look up any questions you may have."
"Good book with excellent information, but cover arrived ripped."
"Very informational book and a great quick guide to a new bearded dragon owner."
"Product arrived on time and was as expected."
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Best Reptile Zoology

Bearded Dragons (Animal Planet Pet Care Library)
Because of their manageable size, easy-to-meet care requirements, and outgoing personalities, these active lizards are perfect for beginning keepers and experts alike. He was the editor of Reptile and Amphibian Hobbyist magazine and currently edits reptile, amphibian, and bird books at TFH Publications.
Reviews
"I choose this to research bearded dragons and care.The format was clear preset coffee,diet and general husbandry.The author provided a good bibliography for further research."
"Bought for my neighbor boy when he got his first beardie."
"Gift for someone who has one of these."
"Came on time and the book is perfect for my little girl who happens to be getting a dragon for Christmas."
"Thank you for quick delivery."
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Best Mammal Zoology

The Hidden Life of Wolves
For conservationists and lovers of animals, nature, and especially dogs, this National Geographic book shares the surprising understanding of wild wolves gained over six years the authors spent living intimately with them. — Apogee Photo Magazine "A richly layered work that speaks to the intricate and controversial relationship between wolves and humans." “A richly layered work that speaks to the intricate and controversial relationship between wolves and humans.” --Oregon Live.
Reviews
"Her birthday is in February, falling this year in the deepest frozen tundra of the coldest winter here in New York since 1885."
"Wonderful book!"
"This book is on my coffee table & it does catch everyone's eyes as they reach for this book to scan the photos."
""The Hidden Life of Wolves" is an excellent book!!!!"
"Amazing photos reveal the authors concerns and devotion to this complex and majestic wild american symbol."
"I've loved wolves since I was a kid and this book is filled with lots of great pics of the wolves along with the sawtooth scenery."
"Stunning pictures, perfect if your an artist."
"Wonderful and very informative book on these beautiful creatures that are being destroyed by total ignorance."
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Best Invertebrates Zoology

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
Sy Montgomery’s popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, “Deep Intellect,” about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. Experience a real intelligence based on a sense of touch that humans can barely imagine.” (Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation). "Renowned author Sy Montgomery's latest gem is a must read for those who want to dissolve the human-constructed borders between "them" (other animals) and us. In this beautifully written book, she brings empathy, insight, and an enchanting sense of wonderment to the bonds we inherently share with other beings—even those seeming far different from us." Sy Montgomery faces these questions head-on in her engaging new book as she explores the world of octopuses, making friends with several and finding heartbreak when they die. " The Soul of an Octopus is one of those works that makes you hope we can save the planet if for no other reason than to preserve the wondrous beasts we are fortunate enough to share it with." "Sweet moments are at the heart of Montgomery's compassionate, wise and tender new book... Only a writer of her talent could make readers care about octopuses as individuals...
Reviews
"I once kept an octopus in a sea water aquarium. She had so much impact on me that by the end of the week I knew I had to put her back in the ocean."
"I would probably not have given this book a second glance except that just days before it was offered to me for review I had read Turtle Reef, an Australian contemporary romance novel, in which the heroine, working at a marine park, befriended an octopus. It offers a very readable and rather unique blend of personal experience, scientific knowledge and philosophical opinion about what is understood, and unknown, about the nature of octopuses. During her time spent at the New England Aquarium she befriended several individual octopuses including Athena, who was the subject of a popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect" which went viral and was the inspiration for this book, Octavia, Kali and Karma."
"Perhaps so, perhaps not - she offers little to support this beyond the sensation of suckers winding up her arms, and what may have just as likely been the animals' desperate attempts to find relief from such close boring confines. If as seems the case that the author and aquarium staff care so deeply for these creatures, how can they then reconcile confining - alone - in a small dark boring pickle barrel for months at a time, animals captured in young and mid-life from their wild free oceanic homes. One can reasonably argue the value, plusses and minuses of zoos and aquarium in general, but capturing and tightly confining smart, free, wild animals for eventual display - and losing some in this process as the price of doing business - does have implications that are an inherent yet all but unacknowledged under-theme of this book."
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Best Primatology

In the Shadow of Man
World-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall’s account of her life among the wild chimpanzees of Gombe is one of the most enthralling stories of animal behavior ever written. Today Dr. Goodall spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future, and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.
Reviews
"This is a stunning book that really helps everyone to understand the importance of protecting other creatures and their habitat, not just for their survival, but for our own."
"This book was a nice exploration into Jane Goodall's research in Gombe."
"Excellent read."
"Great experience, great book !"
"Touching, inspiring, and definitely worth reading."
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Best Ornithology

The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition
“Undoubtedly the finest guide to North American birds.”—Guy McCaskie, Birding The publication of The Sibley Guide to Birds, First Edition quickly established David Allen Sibley as the author and illustrator of the nation’s supreme and most comprehensive guide to birds. The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition, brings the genius of David Allen Sibley to the world once again in a thoroughly updated and expanded volume that every birder must own. Sibley has contributed art and articles to Smithsonian, Science, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Birding, and North American Birds, and he wrote and illustrated a syndicated column for The New York Times.
Reviews
"**UPDATE**. The second printing has been released and should be available at brick & mortar book stores as well as a number of online stores. 2) Go to an alternative online source such as Buteo Books, where the second printing is in stock, available for shipping and it is specified as the second printing. They even have the option to buy the first printing if one is so inclined. I'm looking forward to this second printing! The book betrays itself with statements like "brilliant red" on the scarlet tanager when it's obviously showing dark red; "flaming-orange throat" on the blackburnian when it's dark orange; "bright orange-red bill (never as dark red as many Caspians)" on the royal tern, well it's not bright and when you flip to the Caspian it's almost the same color! Along with the male Scarlet Tanager, I hope Sibley will fix color issues with the following birds: - Eastern and Western Bluebirds (too dark). - Orange-crowned Warbler (too green). - Blackburnian Warbler (make the orange "flaming"). - Baltimore Oriole (brighten the orange). - Lighten some of the birds on which the facial features cannot be discerned. I look forward to the next printing (which should be available this September)and the fixes it will offer."
"The text is a size six font still but it doesn't seem dark enough and it appears to be the same as the second edition first printing. Information of many of the birds were limited because it is a very compact book of many species. It seemed to focused on the more unreliable plumage of birds too much and not enough on the very reliable shape and structure."
"They also show you the range the bird is located, migrates, summer, winter, and year round..."
"In this case, it is the coloration of the birds which struck me right away.Some of the white birds are far too light,and some of the darkest birds are so dark such that it is difficult to see the features of the birds. I have the Sibley Guide to BIrds,Second Edition,Second Printing (July 2014) side by side with the "Sibley Birds East."
"A huge disappointment, as I'd looked forward to Sibley's new plates and the expanded information in the text, but I can't read it without a magnifying glass!"
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Best Animal Psychology Science in Zoology

A Wolf Called Romeo
“Beautifully written, A Wolf Called Romeo is a thoughtful and moving story about one of nature’s most evocative animals.” —Patricia McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash “Jans is a perfect narrator for this story. For six years, this friendly wolf graced the Juneau wilderness, accompanying people on hikes and interacting with their dogs.
Reviews
"Lived in the Anchorage area years back and have a soft spot about animal stories."
"My favorite, all-time man-dog book is Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Free-thinking Dog by Ted Kerasote. Jans uses his life experience as an author, naturalist, experienced outdoorsman, investigative journalist and photographer to weave a wonderful story. The essence of the book (for me) is characterized in the following excerpt: “Running a Darwinian gauntlet that demanded constant adaptation and complex responses, with scant margin for error, he had accomplished what few large predators ever had, or will: he lived near, even among, thousands of humans over most of his life – not just a shadowed presence or camp follower,, but as an independent, socially interactive creature whose territory overlapped our own – without the benefit of a large-scale preserve. Through this time among us, he remained his own gatekeeper, his comings and goings defining the ever-shifting boundary between worlds, rendering our own surveys and markers meaningless.” (excerpt from page 185). When it comes to understanding the wolf ( I hike in northeastern Oregon - Eagle Cap Wilderness - where wolves are now becoming re-established ) hikers, civilians, researchers, ranchers, naturalists and environmentalists would ALL be well-served by consuming this work."
"A dog and wildlife lover, I LOVED this book!"
"An excellent, heart-warming story that may leave you in tears."
"I just read about this wonderful story about Romeo the wolf."
"Mr. Jans tells an incredible true story about an Alaskan wolf."
"Super service."
"Great read!"
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Best Ichthyology

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback))
The most comprehensive field guide available to the reptiles and amphibians of North America--a must-have for any enthusiast's day pack or home library--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers. "Reptiles & Amphibians, an exciting new Explore Your World(TM) handbook, incorporates the Discovery Channel's unique authoritative approach and acclaimed visuals to answer these and other questions in a captivating blend of information and entertainment. , Practical advice on how to responsibly study reptiles and amphibians in the wild or care for them as pets.
Reviews
"Useful field guide, jam-packed with information to allow you to identify those frogs and snakes and such you find while outside."
"Bought this to ID critters in our yard."
"Would order from vendor again."
"I needed an updated version of my current guide ."
"I was looking for a field guide in a smaller format size."
"I like that the authors use general symbols for quick identification but it certainly doesn't do morphs or anuran calls justice."
"Bought two of these for grandsons for xmas, they are very into all the creepy crawly things."
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Best Animal Behavior & Communication

The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion―Surprising Observations of a Hidden World
In this, his latest book, Peter Wohlleben follows the hugely successful The Hidden Life of Trees with insightful stories into the emotions, feelings, and intelligence of animals around us. ...Wohlleben’s words are bound to touch even the animal-emotion skeptic". — Washington Post , Jennifer S. Holland, author of Unlikely Friendships. "With the same charm and clarity that drew so many readers to The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben has produced another gem . I found delight on every page, thanks to the author’s rare skill at blending scientific discoveries with his own wealth of insightful personal experiences . Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight , this book shows us that animals think, feel and know in much the same way as we do—and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us."
Reviews
"The novelty of the Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben's last book, was the author's ability to combine scientific discoveries with personal insight and anecdote to describe how truly animate trees actually are. While always hewing to a necessary humility about the limits of our scientific knowledge of animals, Wohlleben weaves the best of scientific findings with personal anecdotes of the animals in his forest which illustrate and develop what otherwise could be cold and esoteric research. We are story-telling creatures after all and Wohlleben has discovered a formula for writing scientific books that are both popular and informative."
"Sure to be a best seller, his first book written about trees sold 320,000 copies before being translated into English, The Inner LIfe of Animals leaves the reader with a clear understanding that animals share many psychological and social characteristics with people. Buy the book and enjoy a heckeva good read."
"I was delighted to discover that there was a follow-up to "The Hidden Life of Trees.""
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