The Smaller Majority
Why do we feel so uneasy about small creatures? Easily dismissing them
as not worthy of attention and lumping them into the category of bugs
or creepy-crawlies, "we lack either the patience or the ability to make
observations, and end up drawing false, often ridiculous conclusions.
And because we do not understand small creatures, we fear them." Piotr
Naskrecki's aim in The Smaller Majority (Harvard University
Press, $35, 0674019156, October) is twofold: to increase our awareness
of the danger of habitat loss and to introduce us to an awe-inspiring
world of creatures small enough to fit into a matchbox.
"I could never understand why small animals . . . evoke such polarized feelings. After all, how many people hate jaguars or elephants, things that can really hurt you?" In celebrating everything that is small and misunderstood, he asks readers to notice and understand them, since "understanding is a prerequisite to caring, and caring is the key to saving." His argument for saving these organisms is compelling. Current conservation efforts usually center on "charismatic" animals, like wolves, Siberian tigers or pandas. A better approach is to also preserve hotspots of biological diversity, which would include what is often dismissed as bird food. "As tragic and unforgivable as it would be, the disappearance of mountain gorillas would have far smaller ecological repercussions than the extinction of a single species of savannah termite."
He focuses on three major tropical ecosystems: tropical humid forests, savannahs and deserts. More than 90% of known species is smaller than a human fingernail, and it's a good bet that most of them share the characteristic of being "non-charismatic." However, after seeing the photographs (and reading the outstanding text), you will probably change your mind about the appeal of these beings. The aptly-named fantastic leaf-tailed gecko of Madagascar looks like a delicately beaded, intricate piece of jewelry. The balloon-winged katydid nymph arrayed in a rainbow of flamboyant colors seems to be blown from glass. The color patterns of Australian spotted pyrgomorph grasshoppers are strikingly similar to the pointillist style of Australian aboriginal paintings, raising the question of coincidence or of art imitating nature. And if African driver ants aren't that appealing, they are fascinating in their extreme aggression: entire villages will vacate for a few days at their approach, returning to find their houses clean of cockroaches, ants and anything else the ants consider a meal.
You may not feel more comfortable with spiders after reading this book, but you will be captivated by more than 400 full-color, stunning, jaw-dropping photographs, and charmed by Piotr Naskrecki's writing and passion for these small animals.--Marilyn Dahl
Why do we feel so uneasy about small creatures? Easily dismissing them
as not worthy of attention and lumping them into the category of bugs
or creepy-crawlies, "we lack either the patience or the ability to make
observations, and end up drawing false, often ridiculous conclusions.
And because we do not understand small creatures, we fear them." Piotr
Naskrecki's aim in The Smaller Majority (Harvard University
Press, $35, 0674019156, October) is twofold: to increase our awareness
of the danger of habitat loss and to introduce us to an awe-inspiring
world of creatures small enough to fit into a matchbox."I could never understand why small animals . . . evoke such polarized feelings. After all, how many people hate jaguars or elephants, things that can really hurt you?" In celebrating everything that is small and misunderstood, he asks readers to notice and understand them, since "understanding is a prerequisite to caring, and caring is the key to saving." His argument for saving these organisms is compelling. Current conservation efforts usually center on "charismatic" animals, like wolves, Siberian tigers or pandas. A better approach is to also preserve hotspots of biological diversity, which would include what is often dismissed as bird food. "As tragic and unforgivable as it would be, the disappearance of mountain gorillas would have far smaller ecological repercussions than the extinction of a single species of savannah termite."
He focuses on three major tropical ecosystems: tropical humid forests, savannahs and deserts. More than 90% of known species is smaller than a human fingernail, and it's a good bet that most of them share the characteristic of being "non-charismatic." However, after seeing the photographs (and reading the outstanding text), you will probably change your mind about the appeal of these beings. The aptly-named fantastic leaf-tailed gecko of Madagascar looks like a delicately beaded, intricate piece of jewelry. The balloon-winged katydid nymph arrayed in a rainbow of flamboyant colors seems to be blown from glass. The color patterns of Australian spotted pyrgomorph grasshoppers are strikingly similar to the pointillist style of Australian aboriginal paintings, raising the question of coincidence or of art imitating nature. And if African driver ants aren't that appealing, they are fascinating in their extreme aggression: entire villages will vacate for a few days at their approach, returning to find their houses clean of cockroaches, ants and anything else the ants consider a meal.
You may not feel more comfortable with spiders after reading this book, but you will be captivated by more than 400 full-color, stunning, jaw-dropping photographs, and charmed by Piotr Naskrecki's writing and passion for these small animals.--Marilyn Dahl