Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species

***"Meshing deft scientific text with Tuttle's sumptuous images, it's a superb introduction to the baroque morphologies and flying prowess of these beguiling beasts."**- Nature **Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species*** **looks in detail at the more than 1,300 species known today.** Nocturnal, fast-flying and secretive, they are **endlessly fascinating**, yet extremely difficult to observe and catalogue. The **diversity of bats is both rich and underestimated** and the **threats they face from humans** are very real. This guide **illuminates the world of bats** and **reveals their true nature** as intelligent, social and deeply misunderstood creatures. This **extravagantly illustrated** handbook features the work of **famed nature photographer Merlin D. Tuttle** and **in-depth profiles of 288 bats**, from the Large Flying Fox, which has a wingspan of more than five feet, to the Bumblebee Bat, contender for the world's smallest mammal. *Bats* includes **close-up images** of these animals' delicate and intricate forms and faces, each shaped by evolution to meet the demands of an extraordinarily specialized life, and a **thorough introduction** which **explores their natural history** and unique adaptations to life on the wing. If you like this you might also be interested in *Owls* by Marianne Taylor . . .