Prickly Pear, needlegrass, deer mouse, roadrunner. Where can you find these fascinating plants and animals? In the vast ecosystem of North America's prairies and grasslands! In this guide you will learn about these huge, open areas and unique habitats. Find out how plants survive after wild prairie fires. Learn where to find water sources and when best to view the animals in these habitats. Identify the many different plants and animals in colorful illustrations. Each prairie or grassland region-Tallgrass Prairie, Mixed Grass Prairie, Shortgrass Prairie, Palouse Prairie, California Valley Grassland, and Semidesert Grassland-features full-color illustrations which helps you identify plants and animals. The "hard to find" sections point out unusual finds such as pocket gophers, vernal pools, and the living rock cactus. Maps, a list of common scientific names, and additional resources make America's Prairies and Grasslands a complete guide to North America's prairie habitats.
I'm a nature writer and illustrator although I've also been an elementary school science teacher, a writer for the US Forest Service, a veterinarian's assistant, and a tour guide at a botanic garden. In our backyard at the base of mountains near Los Angeles, we've had a bear asleep in our oak tree, deer eating our fallen apples, a hawk using the birdbath and squirrels fighting over who gets the most acorns. No wonder I write about nature.
Did I mention I used to have a pet tarantula named Tilly?
