A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country

by David Williams, Gloria Brown (Illustrator)

Overview

Published in cooperation with Canyonlands Natural History Association, this comprehensive and beautifully illustrated trailside reference describes more than 270 plants and animals plus geology of an area that includes nine national parks and monuments in the Southwest. A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country is the essential tool for exploring the northern Colorado Plateau, that vast province that encompasses eastern Utah, far western Colorado, and sections of northern Arizona and New Mexico. With this fully updated and revised guide in hand, you will gain a sympathetic understanding of the desert ecosystems that make up the region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493048700
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2020
Series:	Naturalist's Guide Series
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	454,180
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

David Williams is a freelance writer from Seattle, WA. He has written several books including Cairns: Messengers in Stone, and Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology.
Gloria Brown, a self-employed graphic artist from Monarch, CO. She studied art in San Francisco and Chicago.

Table of Contents

Preface vi

Author's Acknowledgments vii

Illustrator's Acknowledgments viii

Introduction ix

Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands Region Map x

Geology 1

Ecology 14

Shrubs and Trees 19

Salt Desert Scrub 20

Riparian or Protected 26

Mixed Desert Scrub 35

Piñon-Juniper Woodland 40

Wildflowers and Grasses 46

Yellow Flowers 48

White Flowers 60

Pink and Purple Flowers 66

Red and Orange Flowers 73

Grasses and Inconspicuous Flowers 77

Mosses 81

Lichens 84

Mammals 90

Bats, Rabbits, and Rodents 91

Carnivores 107

Ungulates 116

Birds 122

Riparian and Wetlands 123

Grasslands and Open Terrain 134

Cliffs and Debris Slopes 141

Piñon-Juniper Woodland 148

Fish 153

Reptiles 158

Lizards 159

Snakes 167

Amphibians 173

Frogs and Toads 174

Salamanders 179

Insects and Arachnids 180

Butterflies and a Moth 181

Dragonflies and Damselflies 188

Biting insects 192

Non-biting Insects 196

Scorpions 200

Spiders 202

Glossary 206

Further Reading 210

Index 214

About the Author 226

About the Illustrators 227

About Canyonlands Natural History Association 228

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the previous edition:
 
"David Williams has written an excellent field guide to the Colorado Plateau that not only opens our eyes, but sustains our souls as we learn who we live among. Knowledge fuels wonder. When I am hiking in the desert I will take four items with me: food, water, a map, and this field guide. David Williams' book is that essental and that critical to a desert lover's experience."
—Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge and An Unspoken Hunger
 
"Wandering through bookstores from Moab to Zion, we kept stumbling across this beautifully illustrated, highly informative book on red rock country. A Naturalist’s Guide to Canyon Country is an indispensable component of any Southwest trip."
—National Geographic Adventure, Best of 2006 Gear and Trends - Desert

From the Publisher