Living on the Edge Amazing Relationships in the Natural World

by Corwin, Jeff

• ISBN13: 9781579547929
• ISBN10: 1579547923
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-08
• Publisher: Rodale Books

Summary

No one engages the natural world the way Jeff Corwin does. One of America's favorite nature show hosts, Corwin delivers awe and respect for the natural world to a broad audience in a way that is both wildly funny and educational. This beautifully illustrated book captures the adventurous and educational spirit that fans expect while exploring the fantastic relationships among the rare wildlife in four exotic ecosys-tems: -The Pantanal, a wetland in Brazil that supports rare aquatic plants and unique underwater inhabitants such as electric eels, a rare species of crocodiles, and birds that can literally walk on water -The Sonoran Desert in Arizona, full of burrowing owls, black-tailed jackrabbits, and the Southern desert horned lizard, which elicits a squirt of blood when in danger from a predator -The Costa Rican Tropical Rainforest, which hosts the amazing poison-dart frogs, bromeliad crabs, and longest of pit vipers, the Bushmaster -The East African Savannah of Tanzania, where one finds the scavenger marabou stork and the greater kudu, which become nocturnal feeders when stalked by prey With Jeff Corwin as your guide, you will witness the unique interde-pen-dence and competition among these wonderfully bizarre creatures in a lavish book that will entertain and educate readers of all ages.

Author Biography

Explorer, naturalist, and wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin is the executive producer and host of the popular Animal Planet television series The Jeff Corwin Experience, currently in its fourth year, and host of the forthcoming shows King of the Jungle and Jeff Corwin Unleashed. Jeff firmly believes that it is through education and awareness that the natural resources, wildlife, and ecosystems that make up our planet will be conserved for future generations.

Jeff earned two bachelor of science degrees, in biology and anthropology, from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and a masters of science in wildlife and fisheries conservation from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; in 1999 he was honored with a doctorate in public education from Bridgewater State for his lifelong work in communicating to the public the need for a sustainable approach to using natural resources and the importance of conserving endangered species. Jeff is also the founder of the interactive EcoZone Wetlands Museum in Norwell, Massachusetts. When he's not in the field he resides on a small island off the coast of New England with his wife, Natasha, and baby daughter, Maya Rose.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD	xi
THE SONORAN DESERT OF ARIZONA	3	(78)
"I feel like I am in a bloody convection oven!" Jeff gasped when he stepped out onto the brittle and baked earth of the Sonoran Desert for the first time. There are seemingly few places on Earth more inhospitable than this vast arid landscape, but during the few weeks of spring rain it teems with newly awakened life keen on reproducing and prowling predators hungry to dominate the food chain.
THE SAVANNAH OF SOUTHEASTERN AFRICA	81	(68)
"That's no boulder, that the monster's massive skull!" Jeff thought as he went nose to nose with a man-killing crocodile. Explore the vast frontier of this east African savannah, where the large grassy areas support some of the largest animals in the world, including elephants, giraffes, lions, and rhinoceros. Jeff brings you ringside in the dynamic contest of predator and prey and divulges perhaps the greatest predator of all.
THE COSTA RICAN RAINFOREST	149	(80)
"For the love of God, get 'em off!" Jeff cried as he failed to sidestep an approaching army of ants. Walk with him through this towering rainforest wonderland, laced with vines and trees that strangle, that is home to more species of plants, birds, and butterflies than in all of Europe. Chance upon a ghostly anteater, hear the deafening roar from a troop of monkeys, spot the tracks of a jungle cat, and learn what has drawn Jeff to the rainforest nearly 100 times.
THE LLANOS OF VENEZUELA	229	(58)
"Dear God, mangy Run ... Run as fast as you can?" Jeff yelled as his crew was ambushed by a cranky giant river otter. In the center of the South American continent lies an immense prairie that exhibits utter extremes as each year, extensive fields of parched grasses are transformed to a glassy sea of flooded grassland. For the abundant and diverse plants and animals living here, the annual wet season brings with it an awesome display of animal and plant adaptability. Jeff demonstrates that the Llanos is one of our planet's most spectacular habitats.
CONSULTED RESEARCH	287