Recalling his childhood encounter with a cougar on his family farm, the author of The Red Hourglass describes the life-long obsession with dangerous animals that prompted his amateur studies with virtually all dangerous creatures, from sharks and bears to alligators and spiders.
Whether at a zoo, on a camping trip, or under our bedsheets, we are surrounded by animals. While most are perfectly harmless, it's the magnificent exceptions that populate The Book of Deadly Animals. Award-winning writer Gordon Grice takes readers on a tour of the animal kingdom—from grizzly bears to great white sharks, big cats to crocodiles. Every page overflows with astonishing facts about Earth's great predators and unforgettable stories of their encounters with humans, all delivered in Grice's signature dark comic style. Illustrated with awe-inspiring photographs of beasts and bugs, this wondrous work will horrify, delight, and amaze.
What makes some animals dangerous? Which animals are the fastest? And biggest? How do they hunt? Why are people more dangerous to animals than animals are to people? Find out all the answers in this book, and more, with photographs, step-by-step illustrations, simple text and links to websites with video clips and activities.
From snakes and spiders to snails and jellyfish, all sorts of animals carry deadly venom. And they're not afraid to use it. Bites and stings from these creatures bring pain, swelling, and even death! Find out where venomous animals lurk, and learn how a teeny tiny scorpion can take down a grown human. Just watch where you step along the way!
These 13 deadly creatures can be difficult to spot until you're right on top of them . . . or they're right on top of you. Look for each animal in its environment—look closely!—and learn all the ways you could perish—or survive—depending on how smart, well-informed, and good at running away you are. From the deathstalker scorpion and the poison dart frog to wasps, alligators, and many more, young readers will gain a new appreciation for the animal kingdom, and the dangers it hides in plain sight!
Come face-to-face with 150 of the world's scariest killer creatures, from the lion and great white shark to the tarantula, anaconda snake, golden eagle, vampire bat, and even the fierce ant! The ebook profiles every kind of animal--mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, and arachnids. Chapters are arranged according to how these dangerous predators kill. Do they use jaws and claws, venom, stings, traps, tricks and cunning, or mass invasion? With more than 200 spectacular photos in the ebook, every page has a stunning image of the animal in action, with data files giving a visual e-guide to its size, distribution, diet, and habitat, as well as a rating of its "scare factor." Each profile features bite-size text that will appeal to all readers. Discover key facts about how the animal lives (is it solitary or a pack animal?), intriguing anatomy (the platypus is famously one of the few venomous mammals, but did you know that the venom comes from the hind leg on the males only?), and of course, their method of attack (such as chasing prey to exhaustion, launching an ambush, or paralyzing with poison). Further fascinating facts can also be found in the reference section, including deadly defense, family trees, toxins, and prehistoric deadly creatures that are no more.