Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You [Paperback]

Roger M. Knutson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

The author of the popular, offbeat book Flattened Fauna returns with a look at such fascinating fellows as the eyebrow mite and to tooth amoeba, not to mention the dreaded tropical chigoe, which can lay thousands of eggs in places you'd really rather not think about. This fully illustrated book gives a whole new meaning to the term "a perfect host."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of the weirdly hilarious Flattened Fauna --a field guide to the common animals often bulldozed on highways by cars and trucks that has sold more than 125,000 copies--here casts his inquisitive eye closer to home to examine ectoparasites, little "friends" who live on the outer surfaces of our bodies. These range from female mosquitos (who stop by for a quick meal) to tooth amoebas (permanent and apparently harmless residents who subsist on stray bits of organic matter in our mouths). We're even introduced to flea researchers, who "feed their own fleas in little cages strapped to their ankles," a practice that minimizes the appeal of that career option. Knutson's lively descriptions of flies, chiggers, bedbugs, fungi and so on will most interest junior-high boys; adults may find the humor wears thin. Readers of all ages, however, can discover some useful tidbits (for example, if you spot a tick, use tweezers to get rid of it promptly) or at least learn humility from the fact that a maggot thinks a human looks pretty much like a dead animal or a piece of dung. Illustrations not seen by PW . Author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898158273
• ISBN-13: 978-0898158274
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,136,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun reading, December 26, 1999

By 

Karen (Rockwall, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You (Paperback)

My third grade daughter and I found this a fun and informative book. It takes some of the mystery out of the little creatures we live with.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Capitivate young readers with this one, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You (Paperback)

Librarians and teachers looking for books for reluctant readers, take note of this title. With facts about fleas, mites and other tiny human-loving insects, this book will fascinate (and gross out) even the most resistant reader. Great for book talks, I've used this title in many school visits leaving everyone scratching furiously and begging for more.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You Will Never Be Alone., September 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Furtive Fauna: A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You (Paperback)

Did you know that fleas are highly specie-specific (e.g., the fleas that prefer dogs don't like cats or people)? Did you know that the lice found on the bodies of people are completely different from the lice inhabiting the head or pubic region (a.k.a. crabs)? Do you care?

Well, I do. This is a captivating book about the many little creatures which make us their home. From the little mites that eat dead skin cells to the various flora and fauna which reside in the digestive system, this book covers the lifeforms, good and bad, which have evolved with us just as we have evolved with them. As the old saying goes, we can't live without them and we can't live with them.