Secret Language of Animals: A Guide to Remarkable Behavior - Softcover

Benyus, Janine M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1579129684 ISBN 13: 9781579129682

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2014

Synopsis

Unlock the secrets behind the behavior of the world's most fascinating creatures-from the Adélie penguin to the plains zebra to the giant panda-in this wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated book.

In The Secret Language of Animals, biologist Janine Benyus takes us inside the animal kingdom and shows us the whys and the hows behind the distinctive behavior of creatures great and small in their natural environments.

Divided geographically into five sections-Africa, Asia, North America, the oceans, and the poles-the book examines and describes the behavior, body language, and patterns of communication of 20 different animals: the gorilla, lion, African elephant, plains zebra, black rhinoceros, giraffe, ostrich, greater flamingo, Nile crocodile, giant panda, peacock, Komodo monitor, bottlenose dolphin, California sea lion, gray wolf, bald eagle, sandhill crane, beluga whale, polar bear, and Adélie penguin.

For each animal, Benyus describes and explains basic behaviors (locomotion, feeding, drinking, bathing, grooming, sleeping), communication behavior (greeting, social play, group defense, conflict, aggression/submission, fighting, courtship, copulation), and parenting behavior (birth, care and feeding, teaching, communal care).

The book is illustrated throughout with tender yet precise line drawings that beckon us to the animals and vividly capture everything from changing facial expressions to nurturing postures to playful and aggressive interactions. The text, too, is both intimate and informative, allowing for a deep connection with, and a great admiration for, each one of the animals.

About this title

About the Author

Janine M. Benyus is the author of A Field Guide to Wildlife: Habitats of the Eastern United States and A Field Guide to Wildlife: Habitats of the Western United States as well as Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher's Guide to Habitats. An educator at heart, she believes that the better people understand the genius of the natural world, the more likely they are to love and protect it.

Juan Carlos Barberis was the staff artist/illustrator for the Museum of Natural History in New York for twenty years.

Alexandra Horowitz teaches psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University. She earned her PhD in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego, and has studied the cognition of humans, rhinoceros, bonobos, and dogs. For seventeen years she shared her home with an unwitting research subject, Pumpernickel, a wonderful mixed breed.

Reviews

Humans have always pondered what makes us different from animals. After all, many species exhibit behaviors that resemble our own (or is it the other way around?). This informative volume covers 20 of the world’s most well-known animals, including African elephants, flamingos, giant pandas, Nile crocodiles, and polar bears. Divided by geographical regions (“African Jungles, Plains, and Waterways”; “Asian Forests”; “Warm Oceans”; “North America”; and “The Poles”), the chapters cover some of the basic habits and behaviors of a particular animal, such as elimination, self-grooming, and sleeping. Social behaviors, from friendly to threatening, are discussed, as are sexual and parental interactions. Numerous sidebars showcase vital stats on each animal, quirky facts, and trivia. Each chapter ends with a list of behaviors for readers to look for at the zoo or in the wild.Plentiful introductory material highlights zoo conditions and habitat simulation and includes a lengthy overview of how animals behave in general. Noted nature illustrator Juan Carlos Barberis supplies artful line drawings. The narrative is extremely accessible, and readers of all ages will enjoy learning something new about their favorite zoo animals. Recommended for most public libraries, where this would do well in the circulating collection. --Rebecca Vnuk

Edition details

• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1579129684
• ISBN 13: 9781579129682
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Barberis Juan Carlos
• Number of pages: 480