Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats

by Lillian Q. Stokes, Donald Stokes, Kim Williams, Rob Mies

Overview

A pocket-size, brilliantly colorful, simple-to-use guide to bats, containing dozens of full-color photographs that enable readers of all ages to identify the most common species; range maps; tips on the best times to view bats, information on habitat needs, life cycle, food preferences; and much more.

Whether you're intrigued by the amazing ability of bats to eat over 1,000 insects per hour or want to identify bats roosting or in flight, you'll find everything you need in this easy-to-use guide. The Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats is factually, visually, and organizationally superior to any other beginner's guide. Special features include:

• Coverage of the 45 species in North America, including all of the endangered species
• User-friendly color tab index for quick reference
• Brilliant full-color photographs of each species
• Information about the benefits of bats, which devour thousands of harmful insects
• Up-to-date range maps
• Plans for building a bat house and other ways to attract bats
• Details on habitat, bat biology, food preferences, and much more

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316816588
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	04/29/2002
Series:	Stokes Beginner's Guides Series
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	4.50(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.37(d)

About the Author

Donald and Lilian Stokes are widely recognized as America's foremost authorities on birds and nature. They are the hosts of the PBS series BirdWatch with Don and Lilian Stokes. Their books include the bestselling Stokes Field Guide to Birds (Eastern and Western editions). 


Kim Williams and Rob Mies are leading authorities in bat conservation throughout North America and founded the Organization for Bat Conservation. They have collectively authored more than 17 publications on bats. 

Read an Excerpt

Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats

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By Donald Stokes Lillian Stokes Kim Williams and Rob Mies

Back Bay Books

Copyright © 2002 Donald W. Stokes and Lillian Q. Stokes
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0-316-81658-2

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Foreword

Bats capture our imagination for many reasons. First, they are active mostly at night, so we literally do not know much about them. Second, they are mammals, like us, but they can fly. Third, they often roost during the day in dark caves or crevices where we are reluctant to go. And finally, any animal that is more comfortable in the night than the day is a wonder to us humans, who seek out the daylight.

Until quite recently, humans filled the vacuum of their knowledge with superstition and myths. This led people over the ages to be afraid of bats, to try to eliminate them from areas, and to invent stories about them that only increased the fear.

In today's world, the relationship between people and bats is changing. Scientists are learning about the vital role bats play in our environment in dispersing seeds, pollinating plants, and eating insects. People are attracting them to their yards with bat houses and chemical-free landscaping so they can enjoy watching them as well as have a natural control over many night-flying insects. And large organizations, such as the Organization for Bat Conservation, are promoting the understanding and conservation of bats through education, the media, and research. It is a great turn of events.

This is the first field guide to all of the bats of the United States and Canada that has ever been published. We have asked Rob Mies and Kim Williams to write it because they are at the forefront of the movement to appreciate and protect these animals. As founders and directors of the Organization for Bat Conservation, they bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the task.

Of the 4,000 species of mammals in the world, nearly 1,000 of them are bats. There are 45 species of bats in the United States and Canada, and many of them are endangered. We hope this authoritative yet user-friendly guide will help you understand, identify, and appreciate the bats that may live near you, and that this in turn will lead you to take more active steps toward conserving these wonderful little mammals.

Yours in nature, Don and Lillian Stokes

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats by Donald Stokes Lillian Stokes Kim Williams and Rob Mies Copyright ©2002 by Donald W. Stokes and Lillian Q. Stokes. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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