Describes and illustrates shells found in North America, including gastropods, chitons, and bivalves.

In this astonishingly assured, exquisitely crafted debut collection, Anthony Doerr takes readers from the African coast to the suburbs of Ohio, from sideshow pageantry to harsh wilderness survival, charting a vast and varied emotional landscape. Like the best storytellers, Doerr explores the human condition in all its manifestations: metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships, and slowly mending hearts. Most dazzling is Doerr's gift for conjuring nature in both its beautiful abundance and crushing power. Some of his characters contend with tremendous hardship; some discover unique gifts; all are united by their ultimate deference to the mysteries of their respective landscapes.

Describes and depicts eight hundred species of shells.

Conus is the largest genus of animals in the sea, occurring throughout the world's tropical and subtropical oceans and contributing significantly to marine biodiversity. The shells of these marine mollusks are prized for their amazing variety and extraordinary beauty. The neurotoxic venoms they produce—injected by a hollow, harpoon-like tooth into prey animals that are then paralyzed and swallowed whole—have a range of pharmaceutical applications, from painkillers to antidepressants. This beautifully illustrated book identifies 53 valid species of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, a region that supports a diverse but taxonomically challenging group of Conus. Introductory chapters cover the evolution and phylogeny of the genus, and notes on methodology are provided. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, toxicology, life history, and evolutionary relationships. The book includes more than 2,100 photos of shells on 109 splendid color plates; more than 100 additional photos, many depicting live animals in color; and 35 color distribution maps. Identifies 53 valid species—the first reassessment of western Atlantic Conus in more than seventy years Features more than 2,100 photos of shells on 109 color plates Blends the traditional shell-character approach to identification with cutting-edge shell and radular tooth morphometrics and molecular genetic analyses Includes color images of live animals as well as color distribution maps

identification guide to marine mollusks in the families Conidae and Conolithidae found in Florida including description of one new species

Presents a pictorial guide to marine mollusks, providing descriptions for native varieties and important introduced species.

"Descriptive accounts, distribution maps, and 265 color photographs describe 252 species of mollusk shells as beachcombers are likely to find them"--P. [4] of cover.

Color your own field guide and make nature come alive. Coloring your own field guide, from the peachy white of a Knobbed Whelk to the pinkish purple of a Tulip Mussel, is the most enjoyable way to learn about shells. Each drawing is accompanied by a brief description that educates as it entertains. Place the new color stickers next to the drawings for a visual reference while you work. Coloring the drawings helps reinforce the image, shape, and colors of each shell, improving your memory and perception while offering a pleasant and easy way to learn. Fun for adults as well as children, beginning and experienced naturalists alike.