Animal Watching: A Field Guide to Animal Behaviour

Desmond Morris draws examples from the rainforests of Australasia, the plains of Africa, the depths of the Pacific Ocean and the heart of the English countryside, identifying behaviour patterns both ordinary and extraordinary in species common and bizarre. For instance, "nest-building" encompasses the bird whose eggs are incubated in a compost heap and the intricate behaviour of our native sticklebacks, while death-feigning is shown to occur not only in the opossum but also in our common grass snake. As he guides us through the gamut of animal interactions, Dr Morris tries to convey a sense of that childhood wonderment that led him to become a professional zoologist. His pioneering work in the field of human behaviour, expounded in "Manwatching" and "The Naked Ape" was made possible by his years spent watching animals. This new book aims to help us to understand and appreciate our fellow creatures, to realize how precisely they are in tune with their environment and adapted to their needs, and to discover where we fit into the scheme of things.