A Natural History Of Australia (Natural World)

A Natural History of Australia (Natural World)

A Natural History of Australia is for anyone interested in this long-isolated continent. It presents the many wonders of Australia, including geography, geology, the Aborigines, the Great Barrier Reef, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It also covers the history, life style, and language of Australia. From rock art to giant earthworms, this book is a well-written and beautifully illustrated narrative.Key Features* Contains color illustrations, diagrams, and photographs throughout* Covers the geological history of Australia as well as the biological history* Reviews Aboriginal cultures* Demonstrates the complexity of the Great Barrier Reef* Includes valuable appendices for the traveler covering political, social, economic, idiomatic, and practical mattersReview"I urge anyone visiting Australia with a modicum of interest in its plants and animals to buy this book. It is a bargain and a natural history treasure."-Robert C. Cashner, University of New Orleans, in OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE (2000)"A combination of tourist guidebook and primer of Austalian natural history. This book serves several functions and serves them well. First, it arms the uninitiated visitor to Australia with a brief synopsis of the most conspicuous and famous Australian animals and plants and puts them in their proper historical and geographic context. Second, it provides visiting specialists with a broad perspective of Australian natural history against which to silhouette their more detailed knowledge and allows them to branch out and learn something of other Australian taxa. Third, the volume informs the visitor about various aspects of Australian life, thereby enhancing the pleasure of the Australian experience. Finally, the glossary of Australian slang will enable you, the visitor, to understand what the Aussies are saying to you or about you."--Harold Heatwolf in COPEIA (1999)"Berra's nifty volume is written for the educated nonscientist and succintly summarizes the natural history of Australia in an engaging and literate style. Properly, the origin and culture of Aborigines occupies a prominent chapter with no attempt made to gloss over the current friction regarding "native title". Isolation and aridity have influenced the biota of Australia, and the author selects the more prominent examples of plants and animals to focus on the peculiarities and adaptations these species exhibit. There are continual references to the danger of humans interfering with native fauna, plus suggestions for treatment of injuries resulting from such interference. Frequent maps and photographs. A work of value to anyone eager to learn more about Australia."--CHOICE"This is a well-illustrated, attractive, and enjoyable book. The author clearly fell in love with Australia in his youth; he has spent some years working there, has travelled much of it, and photographed a good deal of it; a selection of his photographs complements a very readable text. The book is wisely titled 'A' natural history: its 10 chapters provide 10 tastes of Australia, from European discovery and current economic geography, the 'Gondwana legacy', the 'First Australians', to chapters on botany, marine biology, terrestrial invertebrates, and the four popular divisions of vertebrates. This is a good introduction to Australian natural history for the biologist with absolutely no prior information on the topic. ...it's worth a read: Quantas should stock it in all U.S. departure lounges."--JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY"Tim M. Berra set out to explain how flora and fauna have been shaped by the isolation and aridity of the continent. The book is aimed at the interested visitor, incorporating a geography of Australia and useful information for the traveller."--NATURE"Astounding full color pictures leap out of each page in this marvelous history of Australia. Tim Berra goes into enough detail to please the more discerning readers of natural his