Discover Big Cats

* Reviews *

This series is brimming with information for readers who are curious about the animals who inhabit the planet alongside humankind. Currently four series titles highlight the history and way of life for bugs, sharks, snakes, and big cats. Discover Bugs swarms with images of different creepy crawlies in vivid detail, whereas Discover Big Cats will satisfy readers who are hunting for the most obscure facts about the wild animals. Bugs makes important distinctions between "bugs that harm," such as crop-eaters, and "bugs that help;, like those who clean the landscape. The book also highlights the difference between insects and "true bugs," those that have both piercing and sucking mouthparts, and offers a plethora of data regarding habitats, appearance, defenses, nourishment, and reproduction. Like the other books in the series, Big Cats offers large, full-color photos and images. The book starts with a short history of the species that appeared more than thirty million years ago and moves to the big cats that exist today. Well-known members of the cat family are given adequate attention, but lesser-known ones, such as the lynx and ocelot and surprising relatives of big cats like the civet and the hyena, are also explored. The endangered status of many of the big cats is also discussed, including why they are threatened and what measures are being taken to protect them.