The Encyclopedia of Animal Predators

August 1, 2017

Suburban homeowners know if a skunk has visited their property but may not be aware of what attracted this predator. A farmer may discover the corpse of a lamb, a scattering of feathers, or an empty, licked-out egg shell and wonder if a hawk, fox, or something else was responsible. Dohner (Farm Dogs; Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds) has some answers. Full-color photographs depict the many predators of North America and Canada, and illustrations of paw prints and scat provide more information for identifying an unseen animal. Edifying entries describe the creatures and suggest measures to discourage them from showing up on one's property. The exhaustive descriptions make it easy to identify the predators, and an extensive section on nonlethal control methods encourages coexistence rather than extermination. The appendix includes websites and an index organized by predator name, identifying the damage the animal is capable of. VERDICT Useful for farmers and homeowners researching predator issues, this volume offers plenty of material for general and student audiences.--Frances E. Millhouser, formerly of Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
Small-farmer Dohner follows up her well-received Farm Dogs (2016) with a volume of equal value not only to farmers and rancherscovering such impactful predators as bears, mountain lions, feral swine, and raptorsbut also to city and suburban dwellers bedeviled by the likes of rats, raccoons, crows, and even domestic roaming cats and dogs. The book is well organized into animal families (cats, bears, weasels, raccoons, skunks, opossums, rats, domestic and feral animals, birds of prey, true owls, crows, snapping turtles, gators/crocs, and snakes), which are then broken down into more-specific animals (e.g., American crow, common raven, and black-billed magpie under the crow category). Most animal-family entries include a damage ID that includes method of kill, paw prints, gait, time of day they hunt, and even a drawing (not photo, thankfully) of their scat. Inclusion of deernot strictly carnivores but devastating to cropswould have helped. Still, an informative, well-illustrated reference. Resource listings appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)