Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Princeton University Press (2006), Hardcover, 288 pages
Description
"This book is an attempt to survey all the small creatures without backbones that live on land--in technical terms, the terrestrial invertebrates"--Foreword.
User reviews
LibraryThing member psiloiordinary
Attenborough makes the most of the media and adds loads of interesting stuff not covered in the TV series.
From one point of view they are "Creepy Crawlies" from another they are the original conquerors of the land and perhaps it's ultimate inheritors. So why not learn a bit more about them.
There
From one point of view they are "Creepy Crawlies" from another they are the original conquerors of the land and perhaps it's ultimate inheritors. So why not learn a bit more about them.
There
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is no "exchanging a meaningful glance with wild Gorillas" moment but there is plenty to make you stop and think. PLenty of great pictures too. Some you can scare your granny with. Show Less
LibraryThing member jhawn
Attenborough is at it again, exploring the natural world with his team of cinematographers and clearly explaining what they've found to a lay audience. In this companion volume to a series on TV's Animal Planet, Attenborough explores the lives of the planet's land-based invertebrates. Concentrating
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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. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Physical description
288 p.; 9.8 inches
ISBN
0691127034 / 9780691127033