http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
luscious leeches, bashful botflies, and the wondrous, history-shaping world of parasites
viii, 323 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
There is the tapeworm, which can grow 120 feet in length withinthe gut of a whale; the tsetse fly, a notorious vector of disease that can pierce the skin even of crocodiles with its needle-like mouth; and the most universal symbol of parasitic behavior: the leech. Long villainized as, well, parasitic, these creatures are actually a vital part of every ecosystem--and Dr. Dino Martins, an award-winning entomologist and biologist from Kenya, has made it his life's mission to demystify these beguiling beings. Hidden Creatures is a journey across the world ten times over--from Martins's home in the wildsof East Africa to the rainforests of Borneo to cities and backyardsacross the globe. Along the way we encounter brilliant and eccentric experts who join Martins on his adventures to investigate not onlyparasites but their hosts, from hyraxes and hippos to, of course, humans.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-323).