The Science of Animals: Inside their Secret World

Description

Explore the everyday miracle of the animal kingdom. With spectacular, studio-quality photography and clear explanations, this book reveals the incredible anatomy, behaviour, and beauty of every type of creature, from hair to scale and whisker to tail. This elegant introduction to zoology offers interesting views, angles, and close-ups that show you animals in surprising detail. The unique nose-to-tail approach, with chapters on different body parts, allows you to focus in on the beauty of the antenna of a moth, the flight feathers of a parrot, or the feeding tentacles of a jellyfish. It explains how form relates to function - how each feature is an evolutionary answer to the challenges of environment and lifestyle. Features on key animals combine photography from the field with rounded descriptions of star species. These species are glowing examples of hunting, speed, camouflage, or any topic in question. The Science of Animals also explores how we have depicted animals in art, from zoological drawings that recorded new discoveries to great paintings inspired by a deep connection to the natural world. With fascinating stories, such as how animals communicate, defend their territories, and attract mates, The Science of Animals offers an engaging introduction to the diversity of the animal kingdom. contents the animal kingdom what is an animal? evolution types of animal beetle diversity fish and amphibians reptiles and birds mammals prehistoric paintings shape and size symmetry and asymmetry forming colonies radial symmetry symmetry in motion the darwinists comb jellies bodies with simple heads sexual differences the renaissance eye segmented bodies vertebrate bodies frog body form shape shifters large and small fantasy beasts tall animals skeletons communal skeletons water skeletons external skeletons exoskeletons on land chalky skeletons internal skeletons aboriginal insights vertebrate skeletons vertebrate shells bird skeletons cheetah mammal horns deer antlers skin, coats, and armour permeable skin getting oxygen toxic skin skin colour forming a shell mollusc shells vertebrate scales reptile skin advertisement colours in the mughal courts frills and dewlaps weapons and fighting blending in lichen katydid feathers flight feathers display plumage seasonal protection mammal fur expressionist nature skin glands horns from skin armoured skin senses sensitive antennae sensory bristles small world sensory whiskers sensing under water tasting the air sensing heat electrical sense detecting light pupil shapes compound eyes colour vision seeing depth common kingfisher scent detection smell in birds song birds smell in mammals how animals hear mammal ears listening for echoes common dolphin mouths and jaws filter feeding christmas tree worms invertebrate jaws injecting venom vertebrate jaws bird bills bird bill shapes art of the ornithologist carnivore teeth giant panda eating plants flexible faces legs, arms, tentacles, and tails tube feet jointed legs vertebrate limbs vertebrate claws tiger sticky feet raptor feet climbing and perching mammal hooves alpine ibex arthropod pincers artists of the floating world swinging through trees primate hands orangutan octopus arms stinging tentacles prehensile tails pintailed whydah fins, flippers, and paddles nekton and plankton blue dragon sea slug how fish swim underwater wings fish fins swimming with the dorsal fin four-winged flying fish venomous spines empire of abundance walking on the sea bed returning to water tail flukes wings and parachutes insect flight scaly wings gliding and parachuting how birds fly lammergeier bird wings emperor penguin hovering egyptian birdlife wings of skin eggs and offspring making eggs fertilization parental devotion polar bear shelled eggs bird eggs marsupial pouches from larva to adult amphibian metamorphosis reaching maturity glossary index acknowledgments