Nature’s Deadliest Creatures Visual Encyclopedia

Description

Come face-to-face with 150 of the world's scariest killer creatures, from the lion and great white shark to the tarantula, anaconda snake, golden eagle, vampire bat, and even the fierce ant! The book profiles every kind of animal--mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, and arachnids. Chapters are arranged according to how these dangerous predators kill. Do they use jaws and claws, venom, stings, traps, tricks and cunning, or mass invasion? With more than 200 spectacular photos in the book, every page has a stunning image of the animal in action, with data files giving a visual guide to its size, distribution, diet, and habitat, as well as a rating of its "scare factor." Each profile features bite-size text that will appeal to all readers. Discover key facts about how the animal lives (is it solitary or a pack animal?), intriguing anatomy (the platypus is famously one of the few venomous mammals, but did you know that the venom comes from the hind leg on the males only?), and of course, their method of attack (such as chasing prey to exhaustion, launching an ambush, or paralyzing with poison). Further fascinating facts can also be found in the reference section at the end of book, including deadly defense, family trees, toxins, and prehistoric deadly creatures that are no more. Contents......Page 6 DEADLY CREATURES 08......Page 10 MUSCLES, JAWS, AND CLAWS 10......Page 12 Giant squid 12......Page 14 Giant Pacific octopus 13......Page 15 Peacock mantis shrimp 14......Page 16 Camel spider 16......Page 18 Great white shark 17......Page 19 Bull shark 18......Page 20 Arapaima 19......Page 21 Viperfish 20......Page 22 Saltwater crocodile 21......Page 23 Green anaconda 22......Page 24 Perentie 23......Page 25 Komodo dragon 24......Page 26 Southern cassowary 26......Page 28 Secretarybird 27......Page 29 Osprey 28......Page 30 Harpy eagle 29......Page 31 Tasmanian devil 30......Page 32 Siberian tiger 31......Page 33 Clouded leopard 32......Page 34 Wolverine 33......Page 35 Leopard seal 34......Page 36 Sperm whale 35......Page 37 VENOMOUS BITES 36......Page 38 Blue-ringed octopus 38......Page 40 Arrow worm 39......Page 41 Yellow-legged giant centipede 40......Page 42 Sydney funnel-web spider 42......Page 44 Brown recluse spider 43......Page 45 Redback spider 44......Page 46 Robber fly 45......Page 47 Gila monster 46......Page 48 Gaboon viper 47......Page 49 Saw-scaled viper 48......Page 50 Black mamba 49......Page 51 Boomslang 50......Page 52 Inland taipan 51......Page 53 King cobra 52......Page 54 Northern short-tailed shrew 54......Page 56 Slow loris 55......Page 57 STINGS AND POISONS 56......Page 58 Sea wasp 58......Page 60 Bearded fireworm 59......Page 61 California sea hare 60......Page 62 Disco clam 62......Page 64 Flamboyant cuttlefish 63......Page 65 Cyanide millipede 64......Page 66 Deathstalker 65......Page 67 Spanish fly 66......Page 68 Rattlebox moth caterpillar 67......Page 69 Puss moth caterpillar 68......Page 70 Giant silkworm moth caterpillar 69......Page 71 Queen Alexandra’s birdwing 70......Page 72 Tarantula hawk 72......Page 74 Maricopa harvester ant 73......Page 75 Bullet ant 74......Page 76 Flower urchin 75......Page 77 Blue-spotted ribbontail stingray 76......Page 78 Striped eel catfish 77......Page 79 Web burrfish 78......Page 80 Reef stonefish 80......Page 82 Rough-skinned newt 81......Page 83 Fire salamander 82......Page 84 Golden poison frog 83......Page 85 Hooded pitohui 84......Page 86 Platypus 85......Page 87 TRAPPED! 86......Page 88 Predatory tunicate 88......Page 90 Brown-lined ribbon worm 89......Page 91 Trapdoor spider 90......Page 92 Darwin’s bark spider 91......Page 93 Ogre-faced spider 92......Page 94 Glowing fungus gnat larva 94......Page 96 New Zealand velvet worm 96......Page 98 Humpback whale 97......Page 99 DECEIVERS AND TRICKSTERS 98......Page 100 Flower crab spider 100......Page 102 Portia spider 101......Page 103 Femme fatale lightning bug 102......Page 104 Orchid mantis 103......Page 105 Moth butterfly caterpillar 104......Page 106 Tasselled wobbegong 105......Page 107 Humpback anglerfish 106......Page 108 Pirate perch 108......Page 110 South American leaf fish 109......Page 111 False cleanerfish 110......Page 112 Indian Ocean crocodile fish 111......Page 113 Alligator snapping turtle 112......Page 114 Sidewinder 113......Page 115 Cantil 114......Page 116 Puff adder 115......Page 117 Tentacled snake 116......Page 118 Black heron 117......Page 119 Green-backed heron 118......Page 120 Polar bear 119......Page 121 Snow leopard 120......Page 122 Margay 122......Page 124 Orca 123......Page 125 DEADLY NUMBERS 124......Page 126 Red-bellied piranha 126......Page 128 Giant moray eel 128......Page 130 Yellow-saddle goatfish 129......Page 131 Social spider 130......Page 132 Western honeybee 131......Page 133 Asian giant hornet 132......Page 134 African driver ant 133......Page 135 Tropical American army ant 134......Page 136 Fossa 135......Page 137 Harris’s hawk 136......Page 138 South American coati 138......Page 140 Spotted hyena 139......Page 141 Gray wolf 140......Page 142 African wild dog 141......Page 143 Lion 142......Page 144 SKILLS, TACTICS, AND CUNNING 144......Page 146 Bolas spider 146......Page 148 Red-veined darter 148......Page 150 Electric eel 150......Page 152 Texas horned lizard 151......Page 153 Common lancehead 152......Page 154 Spitting cobra 153......Page 155 Brown skua 154......Page 156 Barn owl 155......Page 157 Golden eagle 156......Page 158 Peregrine falcon 158......Page 160 Great grey shrike 159......Page 161 Ghost bat 160......Page 162 Stoat 161......Page 163 Cheetah 162......Page 164 Bottlenose dolphin 163......Page 165 Chimpanzee 164......Page 166 DISEASE AND DESTRUCTION 166......Page 168 Common hippopotamus 186......Page 188 Moose 188......Page 190 Cape buffalo 189......Page 191 African savanna elephant 190......Page 192 Rosy wolfsnail 168......Page 170 Chinese mitten crab 169......Page 171 Anopheles mosquito 170......Page 172 Australian paralysis tick 171......Page 173 Tsetse fly 172......Page 174 Oriental rat flea 173......Page 175 Electric ant 174......Page 176 Crown-of-thorns starfish 175......Page 177 Snakehead 176......Page 178 Nile perch 177......Page 179 Red lionfish 178......Page 180 Cane toad 179......Page 181 Brown tree snake 180......Page 182 Brown rat 181......Page 183 Vampire bat 182......Page 184 Domestic cat 184......Page 186 Red fox 185......Page 187 REFERENCE 192......Page 194 GLOSSARY 204......Page 206 INDEX 206......Page 208 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 208......Page 210