Product Description
Crocodilians is the scientific name for crocodiles, alligators, gharials and caimans. Collectively they area walking, breathing link to the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth 240 million years ago. And they look even more fierce as long as a pickup truck, and with giant mouths full of razor-sharp teeth.

Loathed for their eating habits and adored for their skins, alligators and crocodiles were hunted almost to extinction. But thanks to some creative conservation efforts the status of crocodilians has improved dramatically. Even though some populations are thriving, others are still at risk. Eight species remain on the endangered list, and some hover on the edge of extinction.

Alligator and Crocodile Rescue profiles the major programs and people around the world who are active in the conservation efforts to help these animals:
- Rene Hedegaard founded Denmark's Krokodille Zoo, which breeds and cares for 70 crocs from 19 species
- Christine Brewton is a member of Louisiana Fur and Alligator Advisory Council, which actually protects wild gators and their habitat
- Yosapong Temsiripong is a conservationist from Thailand who works to introduce captive-bred Siamese crocodiles into the wild.

Illustrated with 50 color photographs, Alligator and Crocodile Rescue covers the people, the issues and the challenges involved in preserving a future for endangered wildlife.

About the Firefly Animal Rescue Series:

The Firefly Animal Rescue Series identifies endangered and threatened species and what is being done to protect them. Combining lively, accessible text and stunning color photographs, each book provides a detailed overview of the species, describing its characteristics, behavior, habits, physiology and more. ... Read more

Product Description
One of a series which provides an introduction to popular subjects for young readers, this book examines the world of crocodiles and alligators. ... Read more

Product Description
Since 1948, there have been nearly four hundred alligator attacks in Florida, with more than a dozen fatalities. Florida leads the world in unprovoked shark attacks. This book describes 26 such fatal encounters and explores the complex relationship between these animals and the world's most dangerous predator - man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This isn't Disneyland!
This book should be handed out at the Florida Information Centers to everyone entering Florida for fun in the sun.Our wildlife is not trained or warm and fuzzy!Respect it or you will pay a scarey price.It also should be manditory reading in Florida schools.These creatures should be feared but valued for the treasures they are.There is no "Florida" without them .Symbiosis - a vastly underused word in our vocabulary.

Fascinating Look at Predators in Florida
ALLIGATORS, SHARKS & PANTHERS by Charles Sobczak was one of those books that reads like a great thriller/horror novel: you are so fascinated you can't put it down, yet you have nightmares from reading it.

The focus of the nonfiction book is on Florida's predators and their relationship to man.Alligators get the most coverage, followed by sharks (specifically bull sharks and great whites), with panthers getting the least amount of writing time.I have to say I learned a lot about all three animals and their attack patterns, which was delightfully surprising because I love watching Shark Week and other predator TV specials on Animal Planet, etc.

I also found myself sharing a lot of this info with my friends and family, especially warning them not to go swimming with dogs at the beach or elsewhere.

The most riveting moments of the book have to do with the numerous descriptions of actual attacks.Here, the victims become "real people" and their last moments on earth are described in brutal detail.It is hard not to get sucked into these stories.

The parts I found most depressing related to the chapters on extinction, over-harvesting, and the deliberate extermination of animal populations.I can't imagine my children or grandchildren growing up in a world without animals like sharks, big cats, and alligators, all of which fascinate and inspire, and all of which are essential to a healthy ecosystem.

The only problems I had with the book were the small amount of redundancy (the same exact info seemed to be repeated here or there), as well as the unexpected alligator story thrown into the shark or panther sections.These stories were interesting, but seemed to be located in the wrong chapter.

Otherwise, I thought this book remarkably interesting and easy to read and would definitely recommend it to animal lovers or to anyone planning on visiting Florida any time soon.I also recommend MONSTER OF GOD by David Quammen, a similarly-themed book that looks at Africa's crocodiles, India's lions, Siberia's tigers, and Romania's bears.For those interested in big cat reserves, JAGUAR by Alan Rabinowitz deals with efforts to study and protect jaguars in Belize.

The Other Side of a Perspective
This book has soared to the top of my favorite "Non-Fiction" list.
Mr. Sobczak has really grabbed for the 'gut' with an alternate perspective of Nature and our role in it. The call to consider the other side of the 'predator' coin, combined with backed up research makes this book a must read. It contains an educational quality that would suffice to make it a 'required' read in the Nation's school systems.

Susan Haley, Author
Rainy Day People
Fibers In The Web

If you care about the environment
"A fascinating (if sometimes horrifying) and well-written look at the critters which sometimes turn the tables on the planet's dominant predator, us. It balances their sometimes less-than-friendly treatment of Homo sapiens with accounts of the grim impact people have had on them. A good book to read if you care about our environment and don't want to end up as dinner."

Paul R. Ehrlich, PhD Stanford University /author of The Population Explosion and One with Nineveh

An evenhanded discussion of four deadly species
Offshore fisherman and avid conservationist Charles Sobczak presents Alligators, Sharks & Panthers: Deadly Encounters with Florida's Top Predator - Man, an evenhanded discussion of four deadly species: alligators, who have committed nearly four hundred attacks in Florida since 1948; panthers, whose rare assaults have been historically authenticated; sharks, whose notoriety needs no explanation; and man, who has slaughtered thousands and millions of these dangerous yet endangered animal predators. Alligators, Sharks & Panthers teaches the reader about animal predators' behavior with instructions for avoiding danger and protecting oneself; explores the often strained history of man's interaction with these species; and urges personal efforts to improve conservation for the sake of humans and animals alike. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the characteristics, habitat, behavior, and life cycle of alligators and crocodiles. ... Read more

Product Description
Talk about a mouth! According to authors John and DeborahBehler, "When the jaws of an adult crocodilian close, they can do sowith tremendous force . . . Yet, the muscles that open the jaws areweak. A thick rubberband placed around the jaws of a six-foot croc caneasily hold them shut."

Readers will learn fascinating facts like this and more inAlligators & Crocodiles, which examines the natural history of thecrocodilians--alligators, crocodiles, caiman, andgharials--collectively and individually. Its "Crocodilian Gallery"includes information on all 23 existing crocodilians, from theAmerican alligator to the Chinese alligator, to the spectacled caiman,to the broad-snouted caiman, and the Orinoco crocodile to the gharial.

Alligators & Crocodiles provides information about the range,diet, appearance, behavior, and mating practices of these creaturesand shatters some of the myths about crocodilians (for example, thedifferences between alligators and crocodiles), and discussesconservation issues throughout the text as well as in a separatechapter.

Also recommended: Sea Turtles (WorldLife Library).

Discover the world's animals in the WorldLife Library from VoyageurPress. This highly acclaimed series brings you the latest researchfrom leading naturalists, along with stunning color photographs ofyour favorite animals.

John and Debbie Behler have worked at the Wildlife ConservationSociety since 1970. John is senior author of the Audubon Society FieldGuide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians; his wife Deb isExecutive Editor of Wildlife Conservation magazine. They live inAmawalk, New York. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

absolutely wonderful!
I bought this book as a gift, but had to stop and look at the photos! They are great! The photographer for this book has a great eye! The person I sent it to is a Very Good photographer and often takes pics of alligators.She and her husband both said they loved the book! ... Read more

Product Description
Fun and learning come together in Georgia's Amazing Coast, an inviting collection of one hundred short, self-contained features about the flora, fauna, and natural history of that fascinating place where land meets sea. Each page includes a full-color illustration and breezy, fact-filled commentary on coastal wildlife from fifty-foot-long northern right whales to single-cell plankton, from shy coyotes to overbearingly sociable sand gnats.

Readers will learn about the lifespan of the gopher tortoise, the acting talents of the hognose snake, the health benefits of eating pawpaws, the importance of tidal fluctuations, and much more. Written for the general reader, yet solidly researched, Georgia's Amazing Coast will spark our sense of wonder and inspire us to learn even more about our natural heritage and what all of us can do to preserve it. ... Read more

Product Description

How can an alligator swim swiftly with its short, stubby legs? How can it open its big mouth and grab prey underwater without getting water in its lungs? Why would an alligator guard a big mound of plants and mud?

Outside and Inside Alligators answers these questions and many others. With stunning color photographs of developing alligator babies as well as their huge parents and with clear, accessible text, Sandra Markle invites children to learn all about these unique and fascinating creatures.

Curious young readers will delight in this close look at alligators -- from the inside out! ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the practice which people throughout history and around the world have had for choosing pets from among an enormous variety of wild animals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A single book
Although this book has only 64 pages, I thought that this book had more information about many exotic animals. However,this book is very single with a short information (Because it has big letters , it has less information that I expected) and I thinkIt should cost less.
It has color photos,some of them good, but however the information and photos are few.

A very single book
Although this book has only 64 pages, I thought that this book had more information about many exotic animals. However,this book is very single with a short information (Because it has big letters , it has less information that I expected) and I thinkIt should cost much less.
It has color photos,some of them good, but I insist, the information and photos are few.

A very single book and expensive I think
Although this book has only 64 pages, I thought that this book had more information about many exotic animals. But not!, this book is very single with a short information (wroten with big words.Therefore, it has less information that I expected) and I think it is expensive. It should cost less....
It has color photos,some of them good, but I insist, the information and photos are few. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a 6 page bulletin {Leaflet} Covering topics: Identification,shooting,trapping,food habits,range, and general biology,reproduction,behavior. Excellent research bulletin on alligators. ... Read more