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The blue whale holds the title of largest creature that has ever lived, and it may also be the most mysterious. The biggest blue whales can outweigh every player in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League combined. Their mouths can gulp more than thirteen thousand gallons of seawater. A newborn can be over twenty feet long and gain nearly twenty tons in seven months—about eight pounds per hour. Blue whales emit more powerful sounds than any other animal on earth, though many of their vocalizations are beyond the range of human hearing.
Yet nearly everything that we have learned about blue whales has come after humans almost wiped them out from the oceans. A century ago, some three hundred thousand roamed the seas. But in the first decades of the twentieth century, humans hunted and killed 99.9% of them. Their numbers decimated, the species seemed destined for extinction. Only in recent years has the number slowly begun to increase, along with hope for the blue whale’s future.
Equal parts history and science, Wild Blue is the first comprehensive portrait of the blue whale. It draws upon new findings from scientists who have begun to identify individual blue whales and understand how they dive, how they feed, where they migrate, and why they emit their haunting, low-frequency calls. With deft, poignant writing, Dan Bortolotti gives us the most vibrant, breathtaking view to date of these magnificent creatures. (20080801)...
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A century ago, 100,000 tigers roamed the forests of Asia. Today, only a few thousand remain, thanks to shrinking habitat and a lucrative trade in tiger parts. Firefly Animal Rescue is a new series of books about endangered and threatened species and what is being done to protect them. It is aimed at readers aged 10 and up with accessible text and color photographs. Each book introduces readers to a featured animal, explains the threats it is facing, and explores efforts to protect it. Young readers will be inspired by the leading scientists and conservationists who work in the field, in labs and on the public stage. The books conclude with additional resources for those who want to help. Tiger Rescue takes readers to India, where whole villages are being moved to make room for tigers; to the Russian Far East, where rangers risk their lives to stop poachers supplying the black market in Asian medicines; and to the forests of Malaysia and Sumatra, where farmers and tigers struggle to share the land. Along the way, some of the world's top tiger conservationists show that hard work and determination can bring this mighty cat back from the brink....
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An illustrated preview to the Cassini-Huygens mission arriving at Saturn in 2004. Exploring Saturn is a lively, informative way for students to fully appreciate and understand the Cassini orbiter's historic rendezvous with the ringed planet in 2004. It features Cassini's 4-year mission details including the breakaway Huygens probe that will plummet to Saturn's largest moon, Titan -- the only moon in our solar system with an atmosphere. The data gathered from the Cassini-Huygens mission will help scientists to unravel Saturn's many mysteries, answer questions about Earth's formation, and investigate the possibility of life on other planets. Exploring Saturn tells the remarkable story of discovering Saturn and its moons. Ancient astronomers estimated with surprising accuracy the distance, weight, and composition of Saturn using little more than observation and elementary physics. The book includes the latest findings from NASA as well as stunning color images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Voyager and Pioneer probes. Included are practical website resources and a six-year schedule and location guide for backyard observations of the planet. The informative text is lively and conversational-easily accessible by students and amateur astronomers....
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Insider information and up-to-date stats on today's greatest baseball stars. Grab a hot dog and a cold beer and immerse yourself in the drama of Major League baseball. Baseball Now! profiles the biggest stars in the game, including Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Roy Halladay, Andruw Jones and dozens more. Featuring more than 70 player profiles and up-to-date coverage of the 2007 regular season, playoffs and World Series, Baseball Now! provides an inside look at the game and showcases the best players at every position: - Outfielders -- sluggers who are outstanding in their field
- Infielders -- power on the corners, hot gloves in the middle
- Catchers -- the "quarterbacks" of baseball
- Designated hitters -- big bats off the bench
- Starting pitchers -- armed and dangerous
- Relief pitchers -- firemen who can take the heat
- Rookies and sophomores -- tomorrow's superstars.
With all the latest facts and action-packed, full-color photos, Baseball Now! captures the excitement of a day at the ballpark. ...
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