Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals. By Ross Piper. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2007. 1 vol. 297 p. $85.00. ISBN 10: 0-313-33922-8; 13: 978-0-313-33922-6.

Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals While the cobra is familiar to most students, other animals such as the spoon worm and water bears are less likely to be. Zoology classes will enjoy this introduction to animals who posses strange and bizarre adaptations allowing them to exist in extreme environments. Excellent drawings of the animals, usually in their habitat, with an occasional black and white photograph illustrate the text. Chapter subtitles describe the contents: "Animal Collectives," "Defensive Tactics," "The Quest for Food," "Solutions to the Problems of Movement," "Looking Out for the Next Generation," "Parasitism," "Sex and Reproduction" and "Surviving Extremes." For each entry, the scientific name and classification are given with a sentence for "What does it look like?" and "Where does it live?" A short description and 6 bulleted items discuss the behavior and habitat. A short bibliography suggests further reading. A 5-page glossary and 2-page bibliography complete the book.