Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California

Download or read book Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California written by Lawrence Mark Elbroch and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-05-07 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spotting an animal’s fresh footprints in the wild can conjure a world for the hiker: Why did the deer tracks disappear? Where did the cougar turn off the trail? What does it mean when two sets of footprints seem to coincide? This beautifully illustrated field guide, the first devoted to the tracks and signs of California animals—including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like spiders and beetles—blends meticulous science with field experience to provide an engaging companion for both armchair exploration and easy field identification. Filled with useful tools for the wildlife expert, and essential background and visual aids for the novice, including in-depth information about the ecology of each species, this book goes beyond basic recognition of types to interpret what animals leave behind as a way of "seeing" how they move through the world.