Arachnids

by Jan Beccaloni, Trudy Brannan (Primary Contributor)

With around 11 distinctive lineages and over 38,000 species of spiders alone, arachnids are an amazingly diverse group of invertebrates―and with names like the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, the Tailless Whip Spider, and the Harvestman, they can be both spectacular and captivating. Most books about arachnids focus on spiders, neglecting scorpions, ticks, mites, wind spiders, and other fascinating yet poorly understood groups. This adventurous volume summarizes all existing knowledge about each major type of arachnid, revealing their secrets through detailed species accounts, brilliant photographs, and a compelling cast of eight-legged characters. It examines the anatomy, habitat, behavior and distribution of each lineage, from the garden spider to the death stalker scorpion and even a species of mite that lives inside a monkey's lungs. Drawing on the vast resources at London's Natural History Museum, Arachnids spins a sensational tale, debunking common myths and delving deep into the lives of these bizarre and beautiful creatures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biology

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely the most definitive book on the subject accessible to a wide audience. I adore this book.

[Ajnadenver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic addition to the genre. Very accurate and includes all the prevalent information for each order, with the exception of the acarines, as expected due to their immense size and diversity. The pictures are great and I have to disagree that this doesn't make for a good coffee table book. Most people don't want full size glossy pictures of tailless whip scorpions or ogre faced spiders (unfortunately!), however I've had several people pick up this book, squeal over a picture, then become unwillingly fascinated with the corresponding text and explanation. Arachnids are amazing and fascinating animals and it's wonderful to see the full spectrum represented in a single place, and in such a comprehensive format.

[elliot brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was remarkably informative on the various orders of arachnids and their traits. I was able to borrow it from a professor, and it was very enlightening, however, it does require a base understanding or invertebrate zoology in order to receive the full extent of knowledge stored within its pages. I wouldn’t say this is a huge drawback, as I do not believe it’s target audience is the general public, but that is something I noticed while reading it as a freshman college student.

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so excited to read this book. I began working with this amazing group in August of 2010 knowing little more than the average joe. I think they deserve better from their keeper, so here we go....!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, if dry. I was hoping for more of a coffee-table style book, but this is very textbook-y. Not that that's a bad thing, just something I was surprised to find. Pictures are amazing... they make your skin crawl for sure!