Spiders: The Ultimate Predators

by Stephen Dalton

"I have never warmed much to spiders . . . [they] are too creepy . . . Well, I'm wrong and this book has changed my mind. Spiders are tops. . . . One is tempted to think there is no such thing as a dull spider."
-- British Wildlife "The hair-raising factor will attract even arachnophobic teens."
-- Booklist Spiders provides information on habitat, hunting techniques, anatomy, general characteristics and location of spiders, the most successful of all terrestrial predators in the world. Stephen Dalton has chosen to focus on spiders' hunting methods and provides fascinating information on the astonishing array of techniques spiders use for catching their trapping in webs, lassoing, jumping, stealing, chasing, ambushing, spitting, fishing, masquerading as other animals and even attracting prey by mimicking the prey's pheromones. The spiders are grouped by their method of Dalton's spectacular photographs are extraordinary in their detail, and some of them document spider behavior never recorded previously. He also gives expert guidance on photographing spiders.

Genres: Nature, Science, Nonfiction, Animals, Photography, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen Dalton is a recovering arachnophobe and his enthusiasm for his interest shines through in every page of this generalists' introduction to the subject of "spiders." It's chock full of really cool photos, plus a nice little chapter at the end with tips on how to take pictures of the spiders in your neighborhood.

The only objection a reader may harbor is that we only get to see a relatively small portion of the "kingdom of the spiders" - England, with some discussion of European and North American species.

[Fern Herold · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This is a wildlife photography book that still has a decent amount of biological information. The photos are truly spectacular—Dalton was a pioneer of photographing insects back in the 1970s, and this book was a project in part for him to tackle his arachnophobia head on. The spiders are organized by hunting style rather than by phylogenetic placement, which helps keep the book from feeling dated (it’s from 2008, and spider taxonomy has already undergone some radical revisions in the past decade-and-a-half). There’s also a chapter about advice for photographing small, skittish subjects, a lot to do with lighting and shutter speeds, which went mostly over my head but would probably be useful for people with more photography experience.

[Samantha]

I have always found spiders fascinating—if a little freaky, so this book caught my eye. It is very image-heavy, which I loved (the photos are so detailed and beautiful). This book is focused primarily on the hunting methods employed by different types of spiders, but there’s also info about anatomy, mating, etc. It’s also focused on European and American spiders. This is definitely not an identification book or field guide, as the author readily acknowledges, but it was a great way to pique my interest, feed my curiosity, and give me a greater appreciation for these incredible little critters.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent photography and well-written text. Although the majority of the spiders pictured are from the UK and Europe, there are a number of North American spiders shown too. Fascinating if you enjoy spiders.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I din't realize that the book focused on the spiders of Britain. Even though I don't live there it was an interesting read with lots of great pictures.

[Spoke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully enthusiastic read, very positive and friendly. Gorgeous pictures as well, and some of them really are adorable.

[Scicom Krabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine pictures, helpful to classification, I can definite it as well.