(Part 2) Best animal biology books according to redditors

If you haven't heard of or what is bellow I highly suggest it. It is an amazing read.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Tiger-Vengeance-Survival-Borzoi/dp/0307268934

In it the author describes how tigers will kill Russian Brown Bears, a similarly sized cousin of the grizzly, simply because they are competition. And, will hunt down humans that have shot at them, days, or even months after the incident.

Moral of the story, don't fuck with Tigers.

Feathers. Check out this delightful book on Mesozoic Birds for some other cool ideas.

The Beast in the Garden should be required reading for new Boulderites.

He also wrote an excellent book on pterosaurs too

Welcome! First and foremost, I'd just like to say that herpetology is such an underrated and generally unknown science by most of the world. Herpetology comes from the Greek word herpetón, which means creeping thing or essentially just something that crawls. The world has insane diversity of herpetofauna and you can find animals pretty much anywhere you go, so it's a great hobby that doesn't cost much at all.

And of course, we all like to catch the animals and look at them and admire them, but it is important to have a good understanding of the effects of doing this. Picking up animals brings a risk of spreading disease, hurting the animal, or causing them stress. This is especially true of our amphibious friends. I'm not going to preach about some protocol wearing nitrile gloves and whatever, but when dealing with these animals you should thoroughly scrub your hands with just water beforehand to remove as much oil as possible. It would be wise to look up more guidelines -this looks like a decent site. For reptiles, it's a good idea to ID whatever you catch before grabbing it, ya never know what might be venemous or painful.

When flipping logs (the best way to find most salamanders and lots of other herps), be sure to flip the log, remove the animal from the log, and put the log back in place. Then when you're done looking at the animal, place it directly next to the log. This will prevent any animals from getting squished. It's also a good idea to reposition the leaf litter around the log so that no moisture escapes.

Know your local fauna! I live in the Northeast U.S., so I don't really have to worry about venemous snakes except for copperheads and maaaayyyyybe a rattlesnake. But northern water snakes still bite! Aside from knowing what can hurt you, it's good to know basic information about each species that lives there, such as their range, behavior, habitat, and IUCN status. For example, if you find a really endangered herp, it might be important that you report it's location, or at the very least take care to not harm it. Knowledge about local fauna will come with time, but it's good to get some basics, which can come from a lot of googling.

Speaking of that, it's also good to get a nice field guide if you can afford it. If you're in the U.S., I definitely recommend this guide. Other than that, always just pack a bag with hiking essentials and you should have all the necessary supplies to get started-no need to buy a fancy snake hook or anything like that yet.

The most important thing is to just get out there and gather as much knowledge about your local fauna as possible. This will only come by spending hours in the field. For example, at a certain point you might begin to recognize that the terrain may be too inundated with water for a terrestrial salamander to live there, or there might be a frog species which prefers a specific type of evergreen tree. The brain is magnificent in its ability to recognize and learn these hard to describe patterns. So yeah, just get out there and have fun. Keep us updated!

EDIT: and one last thing, try to learn terminology! Actively try to use scientific words to describe behaviors or morphology, as it will naturally expand your vocabulary and knowledge of this science and you will be able to speak very clearly about the animals that you study.

If the mountain lion is doing its job right, you will never see it.

Try reading The Beast In The Garden, it's about when mountain lions came to Boulder. The hippies loved the mountain lions, at least until the deer started disappearing, then pets, then people.

https://www.amazon.com/Beast-Garden-Predators-Suburban-America/dp/0393326349

A neighbor was unknowingly stalked by a mountain lion some years back, during deer season. He was up on the other side of Cheyenne Mountain somewhere, walking up a valley or gulch with snow on the ground. He got a creeped out feeling, turned around and headed back to his truck, following his own tracks. He got a little ways down the trail, to find mountain lion tracks in his tracks.

Get on google scholar and see what kind of research interests you. See what academic journals show up in your searches -- browse a whole journal and see what else grabs you. There's venom biochemistry, silk, ecology, conservation, behavior, genetics, neuroscience, taxonomy (describing new species, sorting species into genera and families) ... read Foelix and see what you like. Follow your nose, and reach out to researchers doing stuff you think is cool, whom you could contact for advice and/or a job in their lab. Most researchers are flattered when someone takes interest in their work, and are happy to mentor.

Zoo positions are scarce. Arachnids tend not to require much care, so the keeper/curator positions are usually broader (entomology).

You want to experiment with non-fiction you say?

Hmmm...you like history? I'd recommend books that are about smaller aspects of history.

The Mathews Men tells the story of the Merchant Marine during World War II. The men who defended the merchant vessels that carried supplies to the Allies, and the cost so many paid.

Patton and His Third Army gives a detailed account of Patton's efforts in World War II, and it's written by a man who served under him.

Or maybe you want to learn about animals?

Dangerous Beauty: Encounters with Grizzlies and Bison in Yellowstone gives detailed accounts of human-and-animal interaction in one of our most storied national parks.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival goes into rich detail about a lushly forested region in Far East Russia and the people and animals who live there.

Don't know of a great app, but there are lots of great books on the subject. They are all location-specific, so recommendations may be based on where you dive.

For the Caribbean, I can highly recommend this book:

Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas - 4th Edition (Reef Set)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1878348574/

It is part of a set that includes books on fish identification, other creature identification, coral identification, and then a book on fish behavior.

Fish Do The Strangest Things https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394800621/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_D1f8BbSA2CMPW

Possibly this book. I’m looking for my copy.

FYI, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America has a note about this duck as there was a population imported into California that escaped.

Please source your quotations. Are we assuming this is a child of a primitive hunter/gather family or a modern omnivorious family or a modern vegetarian family or a feral child with no upbringing?

edit: Not surprising you didn't source it, the only other place on the internet this quote can be found is a world of warcraft forum and they source it as a quote from the book Animal Liberation

I've not read the book, you wouldn't happen to have the source of the study they cite in the book for this fact would you?

http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828

There are a number of resources for snake ID and this list is nowhere near comprehensive.

Globally, comprehensive species lists are available via Reptile Database Advanced Search. Reptile Database is mostly correct and up to date in terms of taxonomy. Another worldwide resource is Snakes of the World which, in addition to being comprehensive for extant snakes, also provides a wealth of information on fossil taxa.

Regional guides are useful. If you're in North America, the Eastern Peterson Guide and Western Peterson Guide are great tools, as is Snakes of the United States and Canada. While plagiarized and problematic, the book Snakes of Mexico is the best easily accessible information for the region. For Central America, the Kohler book as well as Savage's Costa Rica book are excellent resources. South America is tough but has a diagnostic catalog. Australia has Cogger as a herp bible. SE Asia has two guides one in German and one comprehensive. For Europe, you simply can't get better than the three volumes of Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Africa is also difficult - no comprehensive guide exists but there are a few good regional guides like Reptiles of East Africa and Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar is a good source for that distinct region. For the Indian subcontinent, use Snakes of India

Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised - old books become dated by the nature of science itself. One of your best resources is going to be following /r/whatsthissnake, or (for North America) with the SSAR Standard Names List for the most recent accepted taxonomic changes.

Here is an example of a small personal herpetology library.

--------------------------------------------------------

I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Pronghorns are a living Artifact in thay sense. As it sits, no predator in their natural range can catch them unless they get an ambush or the prey is wounded.

The Americas had a great diversity of large wildlife several thousand years ago. For anyone interested, I would recommend the book American Serengeti by Dan Flores.

I enjoyed reading Listening for Coyote: A Walk Across Oregon's Wilderness by William Sullivan (https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Coyote-Across-Oregons-Wilderness/dp/0870715267). He is the author of many of the best hiking guide books for Oregon. The story is before the popularity of thru-hiking and describes his challenging adventure across the changing terrain of the state.

I'm now reading Cadillac Desert, a classic book about water in the western US and the water stolen by LA from the Owens River, less about hiking but still possibly of interest, especially if you live in California.

I also enjoy picking up old guide books on less popular areas and flipping through them. Lost of stuff is no longer relevant but its interesting to read about long lost trails and how much has changed (or hasn't). Currently perusing the 1992 Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Guidebook by Jeffrey P. Schaffer.

​

Edit: if your looking for something more technical the US Army Map Reading and Land Navigation Guide is free and has some interesting stuff. The parts about defending your position against enemy forces were less relevant to my backpacking trips. https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-25-26.pdf

A specific regional guide will usually be more meaningful to own than a general guide that covers all of North America.

That been said, I personally own and recommend the National Wildlife Federation's Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. It's packed with pictures and organizes everything by order, and then by family (to really understand the groupings, you should familiarize yourself with taxonomic rank). For each order, it includes some basic anatomical diagrams to help you distinguish one order from another.

It's also printed on some pretty durable gloss paper and has a water resistant cover, as icing on the cake.



I have not compared it to the Kaufman guide, since my book store does not carry it.

Comparing it to the Audubon version, I find that the NWF's guide is better for beginners due to having a picture for everything it lists. I also noticed the toner was coming off on my hand on the audubon guide while I was flipping through it in the book store.

I scarcely use it now because I've gotten good enough at identifying orders and a good number of families to use bugguide to narrow things down, but it was nice to take along on a camping trip.

Note that if you want to learn how to differentiate families of beetles or butterflies or spiders based on their anatomical traits, you'll probably need a specific field guide pertaining only to that bug. I can't recommend any, since I don't own any. Or use online references - again, bugguide is pretty good for a lot of things, but I have learned a ton from just googling for the information on a specific taxon.

Try to find out what species you have. [Here] (http://www.audubonguides.com/field-guides/insects-spiders-nature-app.html) is an app to help you identify the little buggers. I haven't used it, but I have used their [field guides] (http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-American-Paperback/dp/0394507630) which I would recommend highly to anyone interested in studying their local flora and fauna.

Try to find out anything you can about their eating habits, reproduction cycle, etc. Learning about them may make it easier for you to view them as fellow animals.

Also learn where the real danger is. Find out what lives in your area. Learn which ones, if any, are dangerous and what they look like. Knowing this information will give you an edge against your fear response, it should help you differentiate between danger and fear.

Take a look at Rainer Foelix's Biology of Spiders:

https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828

It's very in-depth, and covers all spiders with a special section on Theraphosidae.

You might like this book. At one point he accidentally eats some bad mushrooms on a solo hike across Oregon and nearly dies.

Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved. Don't let the cover fool you, it's a good book.

Here’s one: Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved https://www.amazon.com/dp/1588345823/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3kSZDbEF9ENGD

Depending on his interests, here are a few options:

• Model dinosaurs: There are several companies that sell accurate scale models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life; Safari LTD and Collecta are two of my favorites. Beasts of the Mesozoic are some slightly higher-end poseable raptor models.
  
• If you think he'd be interested in a print of professionally-made dinosaur art, a couple of paleoartists whose sites I could find are Emily Willoughby and Mark Witton.
  
• If he might be into stickers, shirts, or other assorted dinosaur-themed merchandise such as mugs or phone cases: Permia sells shirts, stickers, and cards. Some paleoartists have Redbubble pages or similar. A few I recommend looking at: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
  
• If you think he'd be interested in scientifically accurate plushies, Palaeoplushies might be worth looking at.
  
• Books: There are a wide variety of paleontology-related books. Depending on what he's read, and what he's interested in, here are a few possibilities:
  
  • Books about prehistoric life (mostly dinosaurs) in general:
    
    • Pterosaurs by Mark Witton
      
    • A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and Other Winged Dinosaurs by Matt Martyniuk
      
    • The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte
      
    • The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs by Gregory Paul
      
    • Dinosaurs: How they Lived and Evolved by Darren Naish and Paul Barrett
      
  • Books about paleoart:
    
    • Extreme Dinosaurs 2: The Projects by Luis Rey
      
    • The Palaeoartist's Handbook by Mark Witton
      
    • Recreating an Age of Reptiles by Mark Witton
      
    • All Yesterdays by John Conway, C. M. Kosemen, and Darren Naish

My favorite book is definitely Dr. Holtz's Dinosaur Encyclopedia; it's geared towards a high school level, but I know professional paleontologists who use it, it's just an awesome book.

The next step up is The Complete Dinosaur. It's a solid book, technical, but not as highly praised as ...

The Dinosauria

The Dinosauria is the gold standard, but it's incredibly dense. My best suggestion though is to read primary literature about subjects/clades that interest you. Google scholar is pretty useful for this, although paywalls will be an issue off-campus

I don't know as much about online resources, but I've recently run into a book called The Complete Dinosaur. Far from being just superficial dinosaur trivia, it has a lot of scientific papers about the morphology, ecology, evolution, ontogeny, and history of dinosaurs.

Peterson field guides... ive got a box full of them lol This is the one i think youre looking for

Maybe you could start by keeping one as a pet like everyone else lol. It's honestly a lot like having a fish. If you're feeling really bold you could try reading the short communications or other papers on the American Arachnological Society website. Good starter books:

1. (easiest to read) http://www.amazon.com/Arachnids-Jan-Beccaloni/dp/0520261402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317949575&sr=8-1
   
   
2. (slightly harder) http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Spiders-Rainer-Foelix/dp/0199734828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317949592&sr=1-1
   
   3)(really hard spider identification book that goes through collection methods, microscope use and more)http://www.amazon.com/Spiders-North-America-Identification-Manual/dp/0977143902/ref=pd_sim_b5

I'm currently reading this one http://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613/ It is more of a in depth book and specifically on pterosaurs but I find it highly entertaining in writing and pictures as well.

Gregory Paul's Field Guide to Dinosaurs is pretty big and scientifically accurate for the most part. Some of the length is just brief descriptions of dinosaurs, however, and I wish it went into more depth.

I'm a big fan of Mark Witton and hope to order Recreating an Age of Reptiles soon. For some reason Amazon says it isn't out yet, but it was published a while ago. I find that Witton always does very meticulous research and does a great job of acknowledging and explaining disagreements. While not about dinosaurs, his book Pterosaurs is my favorite paleo book of all time. I love the artwork and it's clear that he has a real passion for these animals. He really goes into detail about different groups of pterosaurs, too. I felt like I learned a lot about pterosaurs reading the book and it really made me excited to read anything else he has written. His blog is also fantastic if you are looking for something to read!

As far as up-to-date, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs was just released and seems really interesting. It's has less of a textbook/encyclopedia feel than the other books I've recommended here and it seems like it might follow more of a narrative compared to the others which jump between types of dinosaurs. I haven't read it but I've heard good things and am excited to read my copy soon.

That was a great book that I also highly recommend. Some other suggestions:

https://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-How-They-Lived-Evolved/dp/1588345823


https://www.amazon.com/Pterosaurs-Natural-History-Evolution-Anatomy/dp/0691150613


https://www.amazon.com/Sauropod-Dinosaurs-Life-Age-Giants/dp/1421420287/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1421420287&pd_rd_r=V3DPH072M1JZWPGQW7JN&pd_rd_w=gjt7n&pd_rd_wg=no70V&psc=1&refRID=V3DPH072M1JZWPGQW7JN

disclaimer: haven't read it myself https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Mesozoic-Winged-Dinosaurs/dp/0988596504/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355657512&sr=8-2&keywords=field+guide+mesozoic

This is a pretty solid and very enjoyable book about our current understanding of Dinosaurs, including the evolution of birds which came out last year: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Dinosaurs-History-World/dp/0062490427

How old is the kid you're getting the book for? Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved is very new and up-to-date, but is probably not ideal for very young kids. Maybe like 11ish up?

I highly recommend a reading of "The Beast in the Garden", about the history of mountain lions (and their interactions with humans) in Boulder. Them kitties deserve some serious respect!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Beast-Garden-Predators-Suburban/dp/0393326349

One of my favorites has been The Complete Dinosaur. It has everything from introduction to the history of dinosaur discovery, to morphology, ecology, behavior, evolution, etc. I found it to be fairly approachable, but still scientific enough to serve as a good educational resource.

This is THE book.

I have it from diving. My girlfriend has an abridged waterproof copy that's printed on synthetic paper that she has actually taken on dives with her.

You can also buy a 3 volume set that includes coral and other reef creatures.

Edit: I just looked at mine. It's great but it talks more about how the fish will respond to divers. I don't see much help on whether or not they're tasty.

We recently bought

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition

and

National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume

Off Amazon and I LOVE them! We opted for a Non-Amazon seller and we paid less than $5 each WITH shipping. I am very impressed with the layout, I have found it a pretty fast flip to find a species while looking at it.

Fish Do the Strangest Things by Leonora Hornblow, I think.

In case you're still wondering, the book is called Fish do the Strangest Things by Leonora Hornblow

For some more nastalgia this site has some more images from the shark section of the book.

Sure thing. These are my favorite guides.
Pretty exhaustive, good details on habitat, color, and range, and lots of pictures of different phases and regional color morphs.

[According to experts] (https://www.amazon.ca/American-Serengeti-Animals-Great-Plains/dp/0700622276) wild horses for last million years or so are basically indistinguishable from what we have today....

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte was a good 10,000 foot introduction. I ended up reading many wikipedia articles about various species and genera mentioned in the book, so I consider it a good springboard. The Audiobook on Audible is really well performed.

PBS has a few good documentaries, too. Some may be a bit outdated, but they're free and fun. Here's a few I found:

• Science Trek: Dinosaur basics (5:51)
  
• PBS Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts (55:10)
  
• PBS NOVA: The Lost Killer - Bigger Than T.rex (51:56)
  
• PBS NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs (51:29)
  
• PBS THE DINOSAURS! The Monsters Emerge part 1 of 4 (56:11) (1992)
  
• PBS THE DINOSAURS! Flesh on the Bones part 2 of 4 (56:12) (1992)
  
• PBS THE DINOSAURS! The Nature of the Beast part 3 of 4 (56:02) (1992)
  
• PBS THE DINOSAURS! The Death of the Dinosaurs part 4 of 4 (55:61) (1992)
  
  If you can find it, I remember enjoying American Experience: The Dinosaur Wars. It's about the early rush into the American West to search for fossils and the intense rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh around 1877-1892 (also known as the Bone Wars).
  

> /u/kona_worldwaker: Do they see 8 images of what they look at or does each eye see an 8th of what they see all together?

> Do they see in color?

> I know in general spider vision is considered poor, but what does this mean? Blurry? No depth perception?

A lot of this information comes from Biology of Spiders, and I would encourage you to get a copy of this book if you want to learn more about spider anatomy, physiology, and behavior.

In short, how well spiders can see depends on species. Not all spider eyes are created the same. As noted in Biology of Spiders, "the efficiency of any eye is determined by the design of its optics and by the structure of the retina."

Most spiders don't rely heavily on vision but tactile and chemical cues. For example, web dwelling spiders like orbweavers, cobweb spiders, and funnel weavers can only see differences in light levels, which helps them entrain their circadian rhythms to the day/night cycle. Their eyes don't form clear images, and they rely mostly on the vibrations transmitted through their webs to know what is going on around them.

Hunting spiders (such as jumping spiders and wolf spiders) tend to have better eyesight, which is usually indicated by the presence of two large median eyes. The input of these two eyes is probably merged into one image, with the slight difference between the eyes helping with depth perception. (Just as we see only one image even though we have two eyes.) The other six eyes, which are much smaller, do things like sense motion and light levels.

Jumping spiders have the best vision of any spider. Not only do they see in color and have binocular vision for gauging distance, but they can see ultraviolet and polarized light. However, even they can only see sharp images within a relatively short distance (we're talking inches, not feet).

https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Liberation-Peter-Singer/dp/0060011572/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487681103&sr=8-2&keywords=animal+liberation

SECTION | CONTENT
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Title | Joe Rogan Experience #942 - Dan Flores
Description | Dan Flores is a writer and historian who specializes in cultural and environmental studies of the American West. His recent books "Coyote America: A Natural & Supernatural History" and "American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains" are both available now via Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/American-Serengeti-Animals-Great-Plains/dp/0700622276/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9VRNEM68AF50K4W4WFHJ
Length | 2:24:50






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A general idea of location would help greatly. For example, Peterson's 4th edition has the most up to date taxonomy for half the the US, and is fairly detailed, but Werler and Dixon's Texas Snakes has a ton of easy to read snake natural history information, but is limited to Texas.

If you can give us a location we can perhaps give better suggestions.

https://www.amazon.ca/National-Audubon-Society-Insects-Spiders/dp/0394507630

Got it as a gift and it isn't bad, groups bugs by appearance which can be helpful or annoying depending on your experiance

also don't limit yourself to the woods only, some of our largest insects are in the water up here in canada, maybe less so in the south

The book list just keeps growing in so many different directions that it's hard to identify which I want to tackle next (I also have a tendency to take meticulous notes while I read and that slows the process down even further!). Some of the topics I intend to read about once I'm done with the books mentioned:

• God: A Human History
  
• Why We Believe in God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith
  
• The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World
  
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
  
• Occult America
  
• When Prophecy Fails
  
• Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
  
• Cosmos
  
• Norse Mythology
  
• Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
  
• Guns, Germs, and Steel
  
• Misquoting Jesus
  
• On Bullshit
  
• The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
  
• Why People Believe Weird Things
  
  Plus a bunch of books by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Carl Sagan, and others. There are way too many. And all the fiction books I want to read too! It's not that I didn't read books before, but my faith transition has sparked an intense desire to study and learn far greater than I ever experienced before.

Dan Flores

I used Human Molecular Genetics by Strachan and Read for a Human Genetics university course a while back. It has the basics in the early chapters, but also goes into more depth regarding the topics you're interested in. It looks like the newest edition has a new section on Human Evolutionary Genetics: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Molecular-Genetics-Tom-Strachan/dp/0815345895/ref=asc_df_0815345895/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=265989256760&hvpos=1o15&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11363577135974897694&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023224&hvtargid=pla-645787829197&psc=1

​

Human Evolutionary Genetics by Jobling et al has a more specific focus, but is a bit dated (2013): https://www.amazon.com/Human-Evolutionary-Genetics-Mark-Jobling/dp/0815341482/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=human+evolutionary+genetics&qid=1571693034&sr=8-1

I don’t know if this is exactly on point but The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs is a great starting point.


https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Dinosaurs-History-World/dp/0062490427/ref=nodl_

If you want a scientific work that really covers all the topics of

>the transition and rise that brought about homo sapiens

I can really recommend Human Evolutionary Genetics from Jobling et al.

Using (and explaining) the tools and methods of modern genetics, this awesome book meticulously traces the development of homo sapiens, even covering topics like the colonization of the world.

Easily one of my favourite scholarly books of all time.

I'll just copy and paste what I responded to earlier in the comment thread. Too lazy to type.

"Snake head shape is also a bad idea. Most snakes will flatten their head when threatened or preparing to strike. Think of what cobras can do, but not so extreme. This is to puff up and look more threatening. This isn't 100% universal, but a common behavior.

Yes your rattle snakes of the family Crotalidae/Viperidae do have very prominent head shape, but the rattling is such a better way to pick them out. Contrasting, the coral snake, Micrurus tener, has a very round head, looks very similar to milk snakes, however their neurotoxin venom will kill you.

EDIT: Best advice I have is to just pick a field guide of your region and read it. (https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Reptiles-Amphibians-Eastern-Central/dp/0544129970) Other then that, just let the sneks be sneks and slither away!"

You mean this one? I've had this since I was a kid, I love it.

I'm reading this one right now:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961815272/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's one that looks good, too:
https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Coyote-Across-Oregons-Wilderness/dp/0870715267/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PRYJR1A24STMYKGQSKKS

I have another Oregon guide book from a local shop here. It covers all regions of OR, with extra chapters and detail on Portland area.

I've got the Sibley guide pretty well used, and my Nat Geo guide is older than a lot of people I know, so it's probably time to get the updated edition to complement the Sibley guide.

Here's the Amazon link for the 7th guide book.

https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Field-Guide-America/dp/1426218354

Hmm I've got a lot of book recommendations perhaps peruse them and see what speaks to you:

Eat Like You Care

Eating Animals

Slaughterhouse

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows

World Peace Diet

An Unnatural Order

Comfortably Unaware

Food Choice and Sustainability

Animal Liberation

Is it Fish Do the Strangest Things by Leonora Hornblow? Its not all about sharks, but it includes the text from your image and the paperback version has a shark on the cover.

Ohhh I would love that! I literally just built my first gaming desktop two days ago so perfect timing!

This would just absolutely petrify me O.o I hated just looking it up.

My steam account is momatt17 :)

Edit: Third thing...

Link?

Do obscure and hard to reach locations. True challenges.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/Listening-Coyote-Across-Oregons-Wilderness/dp/0870715267

That guy set out not knowing what was ahead and what changes would come.

I have a couple of books about big game hunters on my list, but I have not read either of these yet:

• Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett, memoirs of a big game hunter in India in the early 20th century.
  
  
• The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant, about hunting a killer tiger in remote Russia.
  
  As for explorers, the best non-fiction I've read about explorers are The Lost City of Z by David Grann, about Percy Fawcett's attempts to find Eldorado in the jungles of South America, and Endurance by Alfred Lansing, about Shackleton's survival after his doomed polar expedition.
  
  It occurs to me that none of these are set in Africa. Hope that's not a deal-breaker.
  
  I'll also recommend my favorite memoir of all time, Papa Hemingway by A.E. Hotchner. It's about his time spent traveling with Ernest Hemingway, who was something of a hunter and adventurer, and recounts a lot of very exciting trips to exotic locales in which manly deeds were done.

They still do in certain parts of the world. Check out The Tiger. It's one of my favorite books. It's about game wardens in Siberia and Amur tigers, and a great history of the whole area.

I really liked this book, and it's counterparts. This one has all the related books in the "users also bought section"

Reef Fish Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas - 4th Edition (Reef Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1878348574/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_gkowxbSEPQ258

It's got full color pictures of fish, and a bit of information on them. It's also easy to search for what you saw, and if you want more info, it can give you a name to Wikipedia.

Hey, it doesn't look like anyone got back to you about the dinosaurs (or I'm just too lazy to check all the sub-threads)

Here are two textbooks that are sometimes used:

• The Complete Dinosaur, 2nd edition
  
  
• Dinosaur Paleobiology

Here it is I think: http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Strangest-Things-Leonora-Hornblow/dp/0394800621/ref=tmm_hrd_img_popover

try "the tiger" by john vaillant

but, beware, it's a true story about man eating tiger in russia's far east.

http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Story-Vengeance-Survival-Borzoi/dp/0307268934

Same-sex behavior is frequent in many animal species but an evolutionary benefit may not be immediately obvious. For example, you share about the same amount of genes with each parent, your siblings and your children. Therefore, if the cost of raising your own children was too high you'd have a higher chance of spreading at least some of your alleles by investing your resources in supporting your family instead (the theory behind this is called kin selection). What I'm trying to say is, sexual reproduction isn't the only possible way for you to spread your alleles in a population.

Also, sexual orientation (among many other traits, like general intelligence) is thought to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors so saying that children can be rewired willy-nilly is just plain wrong.

source: molecular biology and psychology double major, parents are medical doctors.

edit: in case you're interested in evolutionary biology check out Evolutionary Analysis (or Human Evolutionary Genetics for humans in particular).

edit 2: How Children Develop is a nice book on Developmental Psychology and might be worth a look, too. However, I only read a translated version so your experience may differ.

Check out Dan Flores' book American Serengeti!

https://www.amazon.com/American-Serengeti-Animals-Great-Plains/dp/0700622276

For a general bird guide, I like the Sibley guide (you can use the Sibley East field guide, or the larger Sibley guide for all of North America). There are also those who swear by the National Geographic guide and insist that it is superior.

That should be good to get you started – eventually if you get more into birdwatching, then there are more detailed guides for specific groups.

For insects, I love this massive photographic guide. For a smaller book you can take into the field, the best one I know of is Kaufman. There is also a Kaufman guide for butterflies, specifically.

I'm afraid I don't have any recommendations for mammals, reptiles, or amphibians for your area.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival seems like a good book to submit to my book group for consideration. Thanks for the comment.

https://www.amazon.com/Reef-Fish-Identification-Florida-Caribbean/dp/1878348574/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550494892&sr=8-2&keywords=caribbean+reef+fish+book

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It's a lot more fun if you do it yourself, and you learn more.

I thought this portable grill was great. I don't own one, but it looks really versatile for camping and outdoorsy activities.
https://www.thegrommet.com/popup-grill-portable-grill

Not very 'organic' but these smartphone cases are really good for kayaking and being out in the weather. They are totally submersible, and you can still use it while its in the case including using headphones.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SXMO88

If he's also into wildlife then something like this book on wildlife tracks could give an extra element to his hiking and camping.
http://www.amazon.com/Mammal-Tracks-Sign-American-Species/dp/0811726266

Here's the most up to date version, 2012. It'll be missing one or two big discoveries from the last couple of years (possibly Yutyrannus the feathered tyrannosaur and definitely the new Spinosaurus stuff) but it'll still be very good.

There will be older versions available cheaper elsewhere as well of course.

That last book, the encyclopedia is a bit outdated now. There's a new version out.

This is the second edition.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Dinosaur-Second-Life-Past/dp/0253357012/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536367661&sr=1-1&keywords=the+complete+dinosaur

Audubon Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-American-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/0394508246

Audubon Guide to North American Insects and Spiders

http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-American-Insects/dp/0394507630

The Audubon Guides were beautiful color-photographic plates over several hundred pages that detailed almost all major species. I found them on my father's shelves when I was 5 or 6 and carried them around with me for about 6 years. It is, to this day, why I know most snakes by sight, immediately, and the same for insects and spiders.

I wish I still had them.

If you haven't already, definitely check out this book, by far the best I've seen on the topic (for animals), and I've read a bunch. This one is another great one.

Thanks! I forgot to mention I have also All Yesterdays, and it is indeed awesome! I also have this which is really cool.

Thanks for the advice. I have The Superorganism by Wilson and Hölldobler, and it's really good. The others I don't know and I will look for!

You're being downvoted, but that is part of the premise of the book "the beast in the garden". The other part of the premise is that humans are moving into mountain lion's territory. Anyways, it's an interesting read and I highly recommend it: https://www.amazon.com/Beast-Garden-Predators-Suburban-America/dp/0393326349

• The big name in the genre is Peter Singer's [Animal Liberation] (http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Liberation-Peter-Singer/dp/0060011572). Singer has had a number of titles to follow this original, and they are all worth reading in their own right.
  
  
• Another would be Michael Polan's [Omnivore's Dilema] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History/dp/0143038583/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51QJJGnAsaL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR103%2C160_&refRID=0JY11DAZ0RT4P0PPBND5). Though not specifically about veganism, it endorses the lifestyle enough to warrant a read.
  
  
• I personally liked [Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of our Fellow Creatures] (http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Wise-Thoughts-Emotions-Creatures-ebook/dp/B00985DZQ4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450016974&sr=1-1&keywords=animal+wise) by Virginia Morell.
  
  
  
• I haven't read it, but I've been suggested [Eating Animals] (http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0316069884/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51flAsKFoAL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=0JY11DAZ0RT4P0PPBND5) by Jonathan Safran Foer.
  
  There are a number of books on the topic of Evolution or Evolutionary Psychology that will provide a greater understanding of how connected and similar we really are.
  
  
  Hopefully this is something to start this thread off in a positive direction.

Read Animal Liberation

If you need something to curl up by the fire with - this is a spectacular reference for animal sign in NA. There is a companion volume for birds, as well.

If you wonder how bad ass this is I'd suggest reading the great book (imaginatively named): The Tiger - great read about the beyond bad ass Siberian Tigers. http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-True-Story-Vengeance-Survival/dp/0307268934

Well, I bought this one a while back and it's been super handy

Also: bio books
Ernst Haeckel: Art Forms in Nature Coloring Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764974718/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KJQcBbKBS180V
Art Forms in Nature: The Prints of Ernst Haeckel https://www.amazon.com/dp/3791319906/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vLQcBb6P811G0
The Anatomy Coloring Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321832019/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VMQcBb9XJGXX9
Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507606/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7OQcBb7QBN95M
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders: North America (National Audubon Society Field Guides (Paperback)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507630/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5PQcBb0PZQYNW

Preserved specimen: Real Bat Specimens Science Classroom Specimen for Science Education https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BCCTL1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZSQcBbE7HYPN2
Real Snake Skeleton Specimen in Acrylic Block Paperweights Science Classroom Specimens for Science Education https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078581LLZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OTQcBbN1W3JWE

Models:
Wellden Medical Anatomical Human Skull Model, 3-part, Numbered, Life Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKC5SHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YZQcBbCF8D61B

thanks for that recommendation, I'll look it up! I definitely like the idea of not carrying extra things around with me; the only drawback would be using battery on your phone and not being able to make notes in the book. But I'm definitely going to consider that, I like packing light when I travel.

The only suggestion I can give is a bird book for North America, I really like the [National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America] (https://smile.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Field-Guide-America/dp/1426218354/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526682335&sr=8-2&keywords=national+geographic+bird+book); this is the 7th edition, I have the sixth. A lot seems to be based on personal preference of bird organization and whether they use drawings or pictures, but I really like this one!

Mammal Tracks & Signs: A Guide to North American Species. A long shot but why not? I don't want to spend that much on it (at the moment).

I've been reading a book about this very subject. It's about a tiger that killed a couple people in a remote village in Russia. It's a fascinating book.

The basic answer to your question is that the people who hunt animals like this are poor. Extremely poor. I'm talking like, they forage in the forest for basic food level poor. If they manage to kill a tiger and sell it, they'll be set for years. Hunger and desperation can make people do lots of undesirable things.

Evolution occurs over many tens of to hundreds of thousands of years, and even then, at the scale of single proteins such as haemoglobin that you are talking about. The development of an entirely new organ in response to an environmental change occurring over one organism's lifetime is preposterous. Cancerous tumours do not suddenly turn into new organs that can metabolise carbon, go and read a book, specifically, if you are remotely interested: This and this. These are undergraduate level textbooks so even with as basic an understanding as you seem to have, you should be able to pick them up from the start if you stick with it. Your grandma isn't going to grow an extra arm because a new video game controller comes out that has 3 joy sticks and you want to play it, do you understand?