Dangerous Wildlife in the Southeast: A Guide to Safe Encounters At Home and in the Wild / Edition 1

by F. Lynne Bachleda

Overview

What you don't know can hurt you! Do you feel safe in the woods? At the beach? In your backyard? In your home? In clear and precise language, this meticulously researched reference describes which creatures and plants can cause you harm - and when, why, and how to avoid them - in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Most valuable of all, you'll understand what medical risks they present and how best to respond to a hostile encounter. Bees, bears, sharks, snakes, spiders, mosquitoes, lizards, lice, ticks and more - if they're where you live, they're in this book. A finely illustrated field guide, a natural history narrative, and an outdoor emergency medical manual all rolled into one book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897323352
Publisher:	Menasha Ridge Press
Publication date:	11/01/2001
Series:	Dangerous Wildlife - Menasha Ridge Series
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

F. Lynne Bachleda, a resident of Fairview, Tennessee, is a freelance researcher and writer who has contributed to many national publications over the last two decades.

Read an Excerpt

This is the deadliest chapter.

If you are going to have a fatal or life threatening encounter with another creature, save another human, it will likely be an insect, or an arachnid. Some of this probability derives from the sheer number of these creatures. In the United States, there are approximately 91,000 known, or described, species of insects, plus an additional estimated 71,000 unknown species. What does this mean in terms of insect proximity? ¿A whole lotta crawlin,¿ creepin,¿ and flyin¿ goin¿ on.¿ // Soil samples in North Carolina five inches deep yielded an estimated 124 million animals per acre. Similar studies in Pennsylvania produced an estimated 425 million animals per acre. Likewise, if you walk through a grassy field you will likely be sharing the great outdoors with literally thousands of arachnids, spiders in this example, who, we hasten to add, almost definitely will not harm you.// Before the idea of these creepy crawlies overwhelms you, keep in mind several things. The vast majority of these creatures are not only beneficial to life on earth--they are absolutely essential to it.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	viii
	Dedication	xi
	Introduction	xiii
	Reptiles & Amphibians	1
	Snakes	2
	Rattlesnakes	22
	The "Moccasin" Family	27
	Coral Snakes	30
	Crocodilians	33
	Turtles	44
	Musk and Mud Turtles	50
	Toads and Frogs	54
	Salamanders	60
	Insects & Arachnids	65
	Bees and Wasps	68
	Bees	82
	True (Vespid) Wasps	83
	Sphecid Wasps	86
	Ants	90
	Lice	96
	Fleas	101
	Mosquitoes	105
	Flies	119
	Black Flies	120
	Deerflies and Horseflies	121
	Midges	126
	Caterpillars	127
	True Bugs	130
	Beetles	132
	Spiders	135
	Black Widow Spiders	138
	Brown Recluse Spiders	142
	Scorpions	149
	Ticks	153
	Mites	167
	Chiggers	167
	Scabies	169
	Flora	173
	At the Seashore	193
	Sharks	194
	Rays	209
	Jellyfish and Their Relatives	215
	Other Seashore Wildlife	222
	Barnacles	222
	Seashells	222
	Sea Urchins	223
	Segmented Worms	224
	Shrimp, Squid, and Octopus	225
	Sponges	226
	Mammals	229
	Biting Mammals	231
	Opossums and Raccoons	242
	Shrews	245
	Bears	247
	Black Bears	252
	Charging Mammals	260
	Elk	261
	Feral Pigs	263
	Scent-Spraying Mammals	266
	Skunks	266
	Mammal-Borne Diseases	270
	Rabies	270
	Tularemia	280
	Hantavirus	282
	Animals and Automobiles	288
	Text Permissions and Acknowledgments	293
	Photography and Illustration Credits	295
	Selected Bibliography and Resources	302
	Index	309

Editorial Reviews

"All of us, at one time or another, have been inhibited by fear of the natural world," says the practical, seemingly fearless and compassionate Bachleda (Blue Mountain). Luckily, "fear derives primarily from a lack of information," and once we learn the raisons d'?tre of scary things, our fear usually dwindles. Introducing the new Dangerous Wildlife series, this compendious guide does much to dispel the feelings of powerlessness and panic often provoked by sensationalized media coverage of, say, the recent spate of shark attacks along the eastern seaboard. Wasps, poisonous frogs, fire ants, tree-hole mosquitoes, scabies, tiger sharks, moth caterpillars, pit vipers and hundreds of others make cameos here and receive the appropriate respect and understanding. Readers learn where and when (to the time of day) they might encounter these creatures; the likelihood of a meeting; their physical and "personality" traits; their diet, habitat, reproductive practices, range and population size; whether or not it's necessary to visit the doctor when bitten or stung. It's true that familiarity can bring comfort, and Bachleda's calm approach to what many dread will inspire much confidence. A bibliography, a list of U.S. poison control centers and hundreds of color photographs round out this resource. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Bachleda's (Blue Mountain: A Spiritual Anthology Celebrating the Earth) new work is a rare find: a science reference that is comprehensive and loaded with relevant, accurate, and well-organized scientific data and yet so fascinating that you can't put it down. This volume on the dangerous reptiles and amphibians, insects and arachnids, mammals, plants, and seashore creatures of the Southeast is the first of a planned nine-volume set, to be released through spring 2003, that will cover all regions of the United States. Each section includes general natural history information on the particular type of wildlife; an in-depth explanation of how the animal or plant is dangerous; tips on identification, first aid, and avoidance; and a description of each of the dangerous species of that type of wildlife found in the region. The writing is suffused with humor, anecdotes abound, and the illustrations and photos are excellent. Essential for all academic and public libraries in the Southeast and highly recommended for large natural history collections throughout the United States. Lynn C. Badger, Univ. of Florida Lib., Gainesville Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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