Showing 1–12 of 25 results
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Freshwater Mollusks of the World: A Distribution Atlas
Artist/Author: Lydeard, Charles, (Editor), Kevin S Cummings (Editor)$218.00 Add to cartThere are more species of freshwater mollusks – well over 5,000 – than all the mammal species of the world. Mollusks are also arguably the most endangered freshwater fauna on the planet. Yet few references exist for researchers, shell enthusiasts, and general readers who are interested in learning more about these fascinating creatures. In Freshwater Mollusks of the World, Charles Lydeard and Kevin S. Cummings fill that void with contributions from dozens of renowned mollusk experts.
Touching on 34 families of freshwater gastropods (snails) and 9 families of freshwater bivalves (mussels and clams), each chapter provides a synthesis of the latest research on the diversity and evolutionary relationships of the family. Freshwater Mollusks of the World also includes
– a look at how evolving DNA sequencing data techniques help shed light on mollusk taxonomy
– distribution maps of each family’s biogeographic locales
– a representative photo and distribution map for each of the freshwater mollusk families
– the latest information on each family’s conservation status—and how to reverse the habitat destruction, modification, and pollution that threatens it
– a discussion of the ecological and economic damages caused by invasive mollusk species, as well as their role as disease vectorsMollusks provide us with amazing biogeographical insights: their ancient fossil record goes back over 500 million years, and their distribution patterns are a reflection of past continental and climate changes. The only comprehensive summary of systematic and biodiversity information on freshwater mollusk families throughout the world, Freshwater Mollusks of the World is a must for malacologists, limnologists, ichthyologists, stream ecologists, biogeographers, and conservation biologists.
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Crabs and Crustaceans
Artist/Author: Marsh, Nigel$20.00 Add to cartExplore the fascinating world of crustaceans from the shy box crab to the beautiful spiny lobster.
Crabs are one of those common critters we often encounter at the beach or local jetty. Most people don t pay any attention to them, especially as they are quick to scuttle away and hide if you get too close. But did you know that the world s largest crab has legs that are wider than a car and that the smallest crab is no bigger than a pea?
Crabs are just one member of a fascinating bunch of creatures called the crustaceans. These incredible animals come in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes, and live in the oceans, rivers, lakes and even on land.Designed for the young reader, Crabs and Crustaceans will entertain and delight as readers discover what crustaceans are, how they live, how they grow, how they breathe, what they eat and what feeds on them.
Filled with spectacular pictures, interesting facts and figures, delve deep into the fascinating world of crabs and crustaceans.
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Australian Land Snails, Volume 1: A Field Guide to Eastern Australian Species
Artist/Author: Stanisic, John, Michael Shea, Darryl Potter, Owen Griffiths$104.00 Add to cartLand snails are perhaps among the most misunderstood of Australia’s invertebrate fauna. To most people they have a largely unpleasant reputation earned through encounters with a relatively small number of introduced species that damage crops and backyard vegetables and introduce diseases. This field guide attempts to set the record straight by introducing the reader to the vast diversity of native species living in the forests of eastern Australia.
This volume covers 794 species and 3 subspecies (native and introduced) in 44 families, ranging from Cape York down to the New South Wales /Victoria border. It contains 2000 colour images, distribution maps, key localities and habitat and ecology notes.
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Australian Land Snails, Volume 2: A Field Guide to Southern, Central and Western Species
Artist/Author: Stanisic, John, Michael Shea, Darryl Potter, Owen Griffiths$104.00 Add to cartAustralian Land Snails Volume 2 covers 756 species in 39 families from an area that extends from western Queensland and New South Wales to Victoria and Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory; several species from Christmas Island are also included. The field guide is dominated by the Camaenidae (480 species) which has radiated exuberantly in the semi-arid and arid areas of Australia. Contained in the guide are more than 2000 colour images plus descriptions, distribution maps, key localities and habitat and ecology notes. Most species are illustrated in colour for the first time. Thirty-five genera and five species are described as new. This guide is targeted at both professional and semi-professional malacologists as well as students, amateur natural historians and those involved in land management. But whether it is used as a manual for study or as an identification handbook, this field guide should be an inspiration for those with an interest in the natural world.
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Green Guide: Seashells and Other Marine Molluscs of Australia
Artist/Author: Marsh, Nigel$19.00 Add to cartThis new title in New Holland’s award-winning Green Guides series investigates the ever-popular subject of Australia’s seashells and other marine molluscs, including squid, cuttlefish, octopus and ridiculously colourful nudibranchs. The structure of this book is similar to that of other titles in the series. Fact panels cover interesting aspects of the subject, including what these critters eat, where they live, how they reproduce, and why certain species pack a very poisonous punch, with some of the strongest toxins known in the animal kingdom. Meanwhile, identification spreads cover all the key species and families which occur around Australia, including the likes of cowries, cone shells, murex shells, giant cuttlefish, pyjama squid and blue-ringed octopus. The many beautiful images are taken from the author’s own collection, which has been built up over many decades, making it an entertaining and enlightening read for everyone.
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Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells
Artist/Author: Scales, Helen.$21.00 Add to cartThis book provides a natural history of the seashell. Two major themes weave through the narrative: the science and natural history of shells and their original owners, and the cultural importance and ways they have been used by humans over the millennia. Helen Scales shows how these simple objects have been sculpted by fundamental rules of mathematics and evolution, how they gave us colour, gems, food and money, and how they are prompting new medicines and teaching scientists how our brains work. Seashells are also bellwethers of the impact of humanity on the environment.
Molluscs today face an onslaught of anthropogenic challenges, notably ocean acidification, a side-effect of climate change that could see 30% of all seashells gone in just twenty-five years. But rather than dwelling on what we risk losing, this book emphasises that seashells offer an accessible way to reconnect with nature, helping to heal the rift between ourselves and the living world, and it reveals in full the amazing story of these undersea wonders of calcium carbonate. -
Octopus: The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea
Artist/Author: Courage, Katherine Harmon.$30.00 Add to cartOctopuses have been captivating humans for as long as we have been catching them. Yet for all of our ancient fascination and modern research, we still have not been able to get a firm grasp on these enigmatic creatures. Katherine Harmon Courage dives into the mystifying underwater world of the octopus and reports on her research around the world. She reveals, for instance, that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs and that two thirds of an octopus’s brain capacity is spread throughout its arms. Filled with interviews with leading experts, this book is both entertaining and scientifically grounded.
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Conus of the Southeastern United States and Caribbean
Artist/Author: Kohn, Alan J.$188.00 Add to cartPrized for their amazing variety and extraordinary beauty, Conus is the largest genus of animals in the sea. The shells of these marine mollusks occur throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans and contribute significantly to marine biodiversity. The neurotoxic venoms they produce have a range of pharmaceutical applications, from painkillers to antidepressants. This beautifully illustrated book identifies 53 valid species of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, a region that supports a diverse but taxonomically challenging group of Conus. Introductory chapters cover the evolution and phylogeny of the genus, and notes on methodology are provided. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, toxicology, life history, and evolutionary relationships. The book includes more than 2,100 photos of shells on 109 splendid color plates; more than 100 additional photos, many depicting live animals in color; and 35 color distribution maps.
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A diagnostic manual of Cowry species, subspecies and forms.
Artist/Author: Heiman, E. L.,$200.00 Add to cartThis manual contains the main diagnostic shell characters of 189 species and 83 subspecies the taxonomic level of which is confirmed in a Project Intraspecific variation in living cowries (1998-2012). All the conclusions drawn in this project are based on the results of conchological studies. The diagnostic conchological information is supplemented in the Manual by discussion of the 18 main cowry forms and illustrated by more than 1,100 colour pictures.
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Abalone: Worldwide Haliotidae
Artist/Author: Geiger, Daniel L. and Buzz Owen.$190.00 Add to cartThis volume provides a thorough introduction to the history, systematic, classification, biology, fisheries, and cultural use of abalone. The emphasis is on diversity, illustrating all known abalone taxa. Multiple shells of even the rarest species and hybrids are shown, along with many images of live animals. One species and two subspecies new to science are described.
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The Seashells of Tasmania: A Comprehensive Guide
Artist/Author: Grove, Simon.$36.00 Add to cartTailored for Tasmania, but relevant for all of southern Australia, this field guide has comprehensive and authoritative coverage of all species likely to be encountered on the shore. The colour photographs illustrate the commonest 350 species. The facing text describes these and a further 100 species.
How often has a casual stroll along a Tasmanian beach resulted in a pocketful of shells that you wish you knew more about? How many species of cowrie have you got sitting in that jar of holiday treasures? How different are winkles and whelks, scallops and oysters, cockles and mussels? Are all those limpets on the rocks the same species? Is that screw-shell native? Are all abalones the same? What shell species went into making that necklace? This book will help you find out – and much more besides.
The author Dr Simon Grove is a professional conservation biologist with a lifelong passion for seashells, marine life and natural history – and a shell collection to match.
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Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Artist/Author: Bailey, Elisabeth Tova.$25.00 Add to cartIn a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Tova Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris—a common woodland snail.
While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of the interconnections between species and her own human place in the natural world.
Intrigued by the snail’s molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and mysterious courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, providing a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this overlooked and underappreciated small animal.
Told with wit and grace, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world illuminates our own human existence.
