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Life in the Undergrowth David Attenborough
BBC Books 2005 0563522089 / 9780563522089 Hardcover, DJ New copy
This wonderful exploration of invertebrates exceeds the requirements for a great nature book through the strength of its photographs and the quality of its prose.
In this companion volume to a series on TV's Animal Planet, Attenborough explores the lives of the planet's land-based invertebrates. Concentrating mainly on insects and spiders, the author investigates all aspects of the animals' life cycles. He first surveys the invertebrate invasion of land from the primordial sea, as illustrated by some of the most ancient species known (horseshoe crabs, scorpions, velvet worms, and snails). Insects then conquered the skies, and Attenborough observes some of the more familiar fliers as he compares and contrasts the lives of dragonflies, cicadas, and butterflies. A most fascinating section examines the diverse and often complicated ecological relationships of land invertebrates with their prey, their predators, their mates, and their rivals. Finally, the author turns his lens to the insects that live in super societies - ants, bees and wasps, and termites - and discusses the evolution and advantages of such extreme sociality.
Price:
21.15 USD
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