The urban bestiary Encountering the everyday wild

In this curious work, a naturalist attempts to bring the bestiary, a medieval illustrated compendium of animal lore and knowledge, into our modern age. Part tracking guide, part mythology sourcebook, part treatise on the place of humans in nature, "The Urban Bestiary" is a primer for a civilization that can't keep from intruding on pristine wilderness. Being mindful of nature, Haupt exhorts, can increase our connection to it even when we're in our urban homes. Take a good look at the squirrels out your window, she advises, and you'll soon realize they're your squirrels; squirrel couples generally keep to just a half-acre of land. And beware the slanders against our most common animal neighbors. Rats, Haupt notes, "spend far more time cleaning and preening than humans do." As for "rats with wings," Haupt reminds us that pigeons are taxonomically doves and make great pets: "Hand-raised pigeons are delightfully tame, cuddly, gentle and have the endearing habit of settling all warm and feathery under the hair at the base of your neck." How sympathetic readers will be to this "Seattle eco-hippie," a vegetarian who sleeps in a tent in the yard every summer, will vary, as will their interest in reading what is, ultimately, a reference book. But "The Urban Bestiary" will make even the most hard-boiled urbanite look at the pigeon on the telephone wire as more than just a potential dry-cleaning bill.

In this sparkling follow-up to Crow Planet, Haupt returns to the urban wilds, this time familiarizing the reader with the wildlife ecology within their own backyards. From the ubiquitous squirrel, to the seldom seen coyote, or the subterranean mole, Haupt seeks to demystify the lives of the animals that commonly surround us, even in the most urban and seemingly unnatural settings. Each chapter focuses on a specific species, allowing to Haupt thoroughly untangle the reasons why for example people tend to admire the cleverness and dexterity of the raccoon, yet revile the rat or the opossum. Why many fear coyotes, yet are tempted to feed bears. With a nod to mythology and folklore, she examines the habits and culture of each species, paying particular attention to points where their lives with humanity. Packed with information yet conversation in style, this nature memoir invites backyard birdwatchers and amateur naturalists to take a moment to be still, observant, and to discover that the wild world really does extend into our own lives, and even still today, we are too a part of that wild. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.