World of Animals Book of Predators

179 Pages·2014·62.53 MB·English

by  Aaron Asadi (Publishing Director)

THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST LETHAL PREDATORS
Inside a
great white
Lethal
shark
serpents
How killer
Killer whales
arachnids hunt
and insects
Earth’s TM
most
venomous
spiders
BOOK OF
Deadly
dragons
Nocturnal
hunters
Modern- How
day cheetahs
dinosaurs attack
Fearsome
big cats
Vicious
raptors
Earth’s
deadliest fi sh
LAND PREDATORS OCEAN HUNTERS DEADLY REPTILES & BIRDS

Welcome to
TM
BOOK OF
The threat of predation looms large for every creature
on Earth, whatever its position on the food chain. From
the lethal aggression of hunting lions to the creeping
stealth of the Brazilian wandering spider, predators
come in all shapes and sizes. But big or small, each of
these creatures is uniquely adapted to preying on other
animals and defending itself against competitors. This
bookazine is the story of the most fascinating predators
on Earth. Learn how a cheetah stalks and takes down
its prey; discover the deadly pack-hunting behaviour of
the killer whale; and fi nd out how the orb-weaver spider
paralyses and devours its quarry. The World of Animals
Book of Predators provides a fascinating insight into the
most deadly animals on the planet.
TM
BOOK OF
Imagine Publishing Ltd
Richmond House
33 Richmond Hill
Bournemouth
Dorset BH2 6EZ
(cid:8) [phone]
Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
Twitter: @Books_Imagine
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineBookazines
Publishing Director
Aaron Asadi
Head of Design
Ross Andrews
Production Editor
Mike Hine
Senior Art Editor
Greg Whitaker
Senior Designer
Sarah Bellman
Cover images
Getty, Thinkstock, DK images
Printed by
William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT
Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by:
Marketforce, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU
Tel [phone] www.marketforce.co.uk
Distributed in Australia by:
Network Services (a division of Bauer Media Group), Level 21 Civic Tower, 66-68 Goulburn Street,
Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia Tel [phone]
Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has
endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.
This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
World of Animals Book of Predators Volume 1
© 2014 Imagine Publishing Ltd
ISBN 978-1910155134
Part of the
bookazine series
Contents
Land
predators
10 L ions
Africa’s most notorious predator
22 Cheetahs
Deadly
The fastest animal on land
32 L eopards
All about these stealthy big cats reptiles
42 H yenas
One of nature’s most intelligent hunters
50 B ears: meet the family 78 Saltwater crocodiles
Six of the most interesting species The world’s most aggressive crocodile
52 B ears: amazing facts 90 Nile crocodiles: evolution
There’s more to bears than fur and claws How this reptile has evolved over 250 million years
54 P olar bears 92 S nakes: meet the family
All about the fearless Arctic beast Discover nature’s most fascinating serpents
62 P olar bears: evolution 94 Y ellow rat snakes
Trace the ancestry of the polar bear All about this constricting killer
64 S now leopards 95 Rock pythons
The rare, graceful and athletic predator How Africa’s largest snake kills and devours its prey
70 S iberian tigers 96 M odern-day dinosaurs
The Asian big cat under threat from poaching The prehistoric creatures still walking the Earth
72 P ied tamarin monkeys 104 Komodo dragons
Nature’s most territorial primate The story of the deadly giant lizard
Birds &
insects
140 Bald eagles
The truth about these iconic birds
152 E agles: meet the family
Ocean
Discover six fascinating types of eagle
154 Spiders: meet the family
hunters Some of nature’s most notorious arachnids
156 T arantulas
The secrets of this infamous spider
114 G reat white sharks 157 B ulldog ant
The life of this ocean leviathan One of Earth’s most aggressive insects
124 G alápagos sea lions 158 O rb-weaver spider
Why this ocean carnivore is threatened An arachnid that takes no prisoners
126 Whales 159 P raying mantis
Six incredible ocean giants explored A stealthy and ravenous predator
128 Killer whales 160 B irds of prey
All about these intelligent ocean predators The most adept aerial assassins
136 K iller whales: how they hunt 164 P eregrine falcons my
The hunting methods of the deadly orca How Earth’s fastest animal hunts Ala
137 M oray eels 166 P enguins nkstock;
How this voracious eater catches its prey The carnivorous bird with a taste for fi sh hi
© T
7
Land
predators
Earth is home to a vast range of land animals
adapted for the purpose of hunting and killing.
Discover some of the fastest and most aggressive
10 L ions 62 P olar bears: evolution
Africa’s most notorious predator Trace the ancestry of the polar bear
22 Cheetahs 64 Snow leopards
The fastest animal on land The rare, graceful and athletic predator
32 L eopards 70 Siberian tigers
All about these stealthy big cats The Asian big cat under threat from poaching
42 Hyenas 72 P ied tamarin monkeys
One of nature’s most intelligent hunters Nature’s most territorial primate
50 B ears: meet the family
Six of the most interesting species
52 B ears: amazing facts
There’s more to bears than fur and claws
54 Polar bears
All about the fearless Arctic beast
10 32 42
8
22
“
Cheetahs are
frequent hunters
with an average kill
”
rate of 50 per cent
nkstock
hi
© T
54 64 50
9
Land predators
10
Lions
All about
The African Lion
With claws like switchblades, a vice-like jaw
and a larynx adapted to produce a fearsome
roar, the lion is Africa’s most notorious predator
Minden Pictures/FLPA
Du Toit/
© Richard
11