The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Discovering Moths
John Himmelman
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811772112, $24.95, PB, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Moths-Nighttime-Backyard-American/dp/081= 177211X

Synopsis: Lepidopterology is a branch of entomology concerning the scientif=
ic study of moths and the three super-families of butterflies. Someone who = studies in this field is a lepidopterist.

With the publication of "Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Ba= ckyard, Eastern North American Species", and featuring a lively, accessible=
prose, author John Himmelman explains the intricacy of moths' life cycle, = their importance in nature, and how just a tiny handful of the many moth sp= ecies are truly pests to humans.

"Discovering Moths" also tells the reader how to attract moths with lights = and bait, when and where to observe them, and how best to photograph these = tiny subjects. Entertaining personal anecdotes and short profiles of some o=
f the country's foremost moth-ers add human interest.

This new second edition of "Discovering Moths" from Stackpole Books include=
s updates, photos and information while focusing on moths populated in stat=
es east of the Mississippi.

Critique: Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, of by John Hi= mmelman's "Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard, Easter=
n North American Species" with its focus on Eastern North America specifies=
, includes a six page Glossary, a two page Bibliography, and a seventeen pa=
ge Index. While illustrated throughout with black/white illustrations, ther=
e is also a section of full color photos of moths. "Discover Moths" is a we= lcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, comm= unity, and academic library Entomology collections and supplemental curricu= lum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, lepidopterist=
s, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that = "Discovering Moths" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17= ..99).

Editorial Note: John Himmelman (www.johnhimmelman.com) is an author/illustr= ator of over eighty books for children and books (for grown up kids) on var= ious nature topics. He graduated from School of Visual Arts in 1981, with h=
is first book, Talester the Lizard, published later that year. He is a natu= ralist and author of Cricket Radio, Tuning In the Night-Singing Insects, an=
d Guide to the Night-Singing Insects of the Northeast (Stackpole). He lectu= res on a variety of natural history topics and leads trips in search of exc= iting flora and fauna.

Cougars on the Cliff
Maurie Hornocker
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493073290, $29.95, HC, 328pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cougars-Cliff-Pioneering-Understand-Mythical/dp/1493= 07329X

Synopsis: Maurice Hornocker is recognized worldwide as the first scientist =
to unravel the secrets of America's most enigmatic predator -- the mountain=
lion. A story of redemption, "Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Q= uest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion" is a memoir about the never-= before-told adventures, challenges, and controversies surrounding Hornocker=
's groundbreaking study of cougars in the remote reaches of the Idaho Primi= tive Area.

North America's biggest cat was once killed for bounty dollars, slaughtered=
with impunity and driven toward extinction. But today's cat of intrigue, d= espite our lingering fears and misconceptions, has returned to much of its = native range in the western United States and gained respect as a predator = integral and necessary to wild ecosystems. This turnaround was triggered by=
one man: Maurice Hornocker. Cougars on the Cliff recounts the early years =
of his research (1964-1973) when he tracked lions following a dog's nose an=
d footprints in the snow -- and before telemetry was available.

Hornocker was first to learn that mountain lions living in stable populatio=
ns limit their own numbers through territoriality and a concept he called "= mutual avoidance." This insight flew in the face of long-held beliefs that = cougars were prolific and wanton killers that needed to be controlled as ve= rmin. Thanks to Hornocker's work, today cougars can be found throughout the=
West and have even started to reclaim their place in New England.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of a section of color plates, "Cougar=
s on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mount= ain Lion" showcases the amazing life and achievements of Maurice Hornocker =
in a detailed and inherently fascinating memoir (written with the assistanc=
e of David Johnson) that will have immense appeal to those interested in wi= ldlife in general, mountain lions in particular. While highly recommended f=
or personal, professional, community, and academic library American Biograp= hy/Memoir and American Wildlife collections, it should be noted for that "C= ougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical = Mountain Lion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.49).

Editorial Note: Maurice Hornocker, PhD, is a wildlife biologist best known = for advancing our knowledge of the elusive mountain lion's behavior and eco= logy. During his fifty-five years of research in Idaho, New Mexico, and Yel= lowstone National Park, he published numerous scientific papers about couga=
rs and edited books that include "Cougar: Ecology & Conservation," "Yellows= tone Cougars" (which was the recipient of a 2020 The Wildlife Society Publi= cation Award), and "Desert Puma" (which was the recipient of the 2002 The W= ildlife Society Book of the Year Award). His writing, research, and mountai=
n lion photographs have appeared in publications such as National Geographi=
c, Smithsonian, and National Wildlife. (https://upcolorado.com/university-p= ress-of-colorado/itemlist/tag/Maurice%20G%20Hornocker)

Eight Bears
Gloria Dickie
W.W. Norton
500 5th Avenue New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9781324005087, $30.00

https://www.amazon.com/Eight-Bears-Mythic-Imperiled-Future/dp/1324005084

Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future is an insightful survey of ei= ght bear species and their history and conservation issues. It comes from a=
n environmental journalist and National Geographic explorer who followed sc= ientists studying these bears around the world, from China to South America=
..

From observations of the wild/urban interface in the American West that hav=
e led to historic changes in bear habits to the impact of human changes to = their environment, Eight Bears is an important survey. It goes beyond the u= sual natural history approach to blend in facets of environmental change th=
at are key to understanding the bears' past and future struggles to remain =
on this planet.

Eight Bears should be in any natural history or environmental issues collec= tion as a classic story of world changes and their impact on all life.

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