The Best-Selling Spider Identification Books of All Time

With over 40,000 described species, spiders have adapted to nearly every terrestrial environment across the globe. Over half of the world’s spider families live within the three contiguous Pacific Coast states—not surprising considering the wide variety of habitats, from mountain meadows and desert dunes to redwood forests and massive urban centers. This beautifully illustrated, accessible guide covers all of the families and many of the genera found along the Pacific Coast, including introduced species and common garden spiders.

The author provides readers with tools for identifying many of the region’s spiders to family, and when possible, genus and species. He discusses taxonomy, distribution, and natural history as well as what is known of the habits of the spiders, the characters of families, and references to taxonomic revisions of the pertinent genera. Full-color plates for each family bring to life the incredible diversity of this ancient arachnid order.

A fresh layout, full-color photographs throughout – many of them new – and diagrams of diagnostic features make this a quick and easy guide for use in the field. The spiders are grouped into web-living, ground-living and plant-living species to aid identification. Each family is described in terms of the spiders’ lifestyle, habitat, size, behavior and venom potential, and the best collecting methods are given in each case. For those species whose venom is potentially harmful to man, the effects and recommended treatment of bites are discussed.

This handy format book will appeal to anybody wishing to gain insight into the daily lives of spiders. It is packed with full-color photos and diagnostic diagrams.

Part of the popular North Woods Naturalist Series, this field guide contains detailed information with an innovative format that makes field identification a snap! The guide will help you know what to look for and when, and it was developed exclusively for the regions surrounding the North Woods of the United States and Canada.

Spiders are the most successful of all terrestrial predators. Humans share the planet with about 40,000 known species of the remarkable creatures called spiders. From mountaintops to seashores and from ponds to deserts, spiders are likely to be nearby. Stephen Dalton provides fascinating information on the astonishing array of techniques spiders use for catching their prey: trapping in webs, lassoing, jumping, stealing, chasing, ambushing, spitting, fishing, masquerading as other animals and even attracting prey by mimicking the prey's pheromones.

Although spiders have an image problem, many of these intriguing creatures are actually not at all creepy. The jumping spiders, by far the most numerous single group, have, some might say, an almost cuddly appearance. Spiders features spectacular photographs that are extraordinary in their detail. Chapters provide information on habitat, hunting techniques, anatomy, general characteristics and location in the world and include:. Nocturnal huntersTrappers: orderly websDaylight visual huntersTrappers: disorderly websJumping spidersTunnel-web buildersAmbushers and lurkersNonconformists. There is also a guide to photographing spiders. Sure to be a hit with nature buffs and general readers, Spiders: The Ultimate Predators documents some spider behavior never recorded previously.

This beautifully illustrated guide to the spiders of North America, north of Mexico, provides more than 1,400 illustrations and keys to the genera in 68 spider families. The book includes more than 550 genera.

The manual contains 72 chapters and a wealth of information including an introduction to spider morphology, natural history, collecting techniques and preservation methods; an overview of the current status and most recent developments in spider evolutionary history; a key to the 68 families of spiders found in North America, north of Mexico; keys to the genera in each of these 68 families; an etymological dictionary explaining the derivation of the names of spider genera and families; and a well illustrated glossary.

This stunning field guide provides a comprehensive resource for identifying and appreciating nearly 500 species of spiders. Arachnids are among the most diverse groups of terrestrial invertebrates, yet they are among the least studied and understood. This is the most comprehensive field guide to all 68 spider families in North America, with beautiful illustrations of 469 of the most commonly encountered species.

Group keys enable accurate identification by web pattern, morphology, and other observable details, and species descriptions include tips to help everyday naturalists identify spiders, as well as their common names, typical habitat, geographic distribution, and behavioral notes. A concise illustrated introduction to spider biology and anatomy explains spider relationships. Featuring 82 gorgeous color plates, this book is an accessible and detailed resource for curious naturalists who want to understand this ubiquitous and ecologically critical component of our biosphere.

The 2nd edition of this beautifully illustrated guide to the spiders of North America, north of Mexico, provides completely updated keys and information about this important part of North American fauna. This is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in spider diversity or identification. This updated edition provides more than 1,400 illustrations and keys to the genera in 71 spider families. Over 600 genera are included. Taxonomic changes since the publication of the 1st edition in 2005 are reflected in every chapter.

The manual includes 76 chapters and a wealth of information including an introduction to spider morphology, natural history, collecting techniques and preservation methods; an overview of the current status and most recent developments in spider phylogeny and evolutionary history; a key to the families of spiders found in North America, north of Mexico; keys to the genera in each of these families; an etymological dictionary explaining the derivation of the names of spider genera and families; a well-illustrated glossary; a pronunciation guide to the names of common taxa; and a complete bibliography. This is the first completely revised version of the manual since its original publication in 2005. Note that this is not a photo-ID guide to spiders; it is intended to aid in accurate identification and to do this one must become familiar with some of the details of spider morphology/anatomy. To aid in this task, a guide to morphology used in classification is provided in the introduction. The information on spider biology and identification make this manual especially suitable for both amateur naturalists and professional arachnologists. With contributions by: Darrell Ubick, Pierre Paquin, Paula Cushing, Nadine Dupérré, Adalberto Santos, Bruce Cutler, Michael Draney, Daniel Mott, Matjaž Kuntner, Lara Lopardo, James Cokendolpher, H. Don Cameron, Ingi Agnarsson, Joseph Lapp, Stephen Lew, Vince Roth, Robert Kallal, Sarah Crews, Charles Griswold, Warren Savary, Bernhard Huber, Frederick Coyle, Patrick Craig, Gustavo Hormiga, Alan Brady, Charles Dondale, Herbert Levi, Martin Ramírez, Joel Ledford, G.B. Edwards, Marshal Hedin, Marisa Sripracha, Eric Parrish, Brent Hendrixson, Thomas Prentice, Jason Bond, Robert Bennett, Diana Silva Dávila, Jonathan Coddington, Brent Opell, James Carico, David Richman.

Which spider spits venom and sticky threads? Why don't Northerners need to fear the Black Widow? These answers and more are found in Spiders of the North Woods. The easy-to-follow format makes field identification of 135 species simple and fun.

A wonderful reference book with illustrations, photographs and maps throughout, making it a marvellous study on spiders.

Usborne Beginners Nature 10 Books Set:. Ants:. Where do ants live? What do they eat? How much weight can they carry? Little children can find out the answers to these questions and much more in this simple introduction to the world of ants. Bees & Wasps:. A slim and unintimidating book which belies its contents - a wealth of information, much of which will be new even to adults. Bugs:. Usborne Beginners are colourful information books for children beginning to read on their own. Spiders:. Usborne Beginners are colourful information books for children beginning to read on their own. Caterpillars and Butterflies:.

Usborne Beginners are colourful information books for children beginning to read on their own. How Flowers Grow:. How do flowers grow in dry deserts? How do animals help to spread seeds? Which flower smells like rottng meat? Trees:. This is a fantastic brand new addition to the 'Beginners' series, designed to provide an informative introduction to trees and plant-life for young readers. Rainforest:. It offers a terrific reading practice for children who prefer fact to fiction. It is developed with a reading expert from Roehampton University to help young readers grow in confidence. Tadpoles and Frogs:. Vivid, full colour illustrations and photographs on every page, accompanied by short, informative text. Reptiles:. This is a fantastic brand new addition to the "Beginners" series, designed to provide an informative introduction to trees and plant-life for young readers.