Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind

In this fascinating book, wildlife expert and enthusiast Warner Shedd refutes popular animal myths like squirrels remembering where they bury nuts, wolves howling at the moon, and oppossums "playing dead."

Have you ever seen a flying squirrel flapping through the air, watched a beaver carrying a load of mud on its tail, or ducked when a porcupine started throwing its quills? Probably not, says Shedd, former regional executive for the National Wildlife Federation. Offering scientific evidence that refutes many of the most tenacious and persevering folklore about wild animals, Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind will captivate you with fascinating facts and humorous anecdotes about more than thirty North American species—some as familiar as the common toad, and others as elusive as the lynx.

Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind is an entertaining dose of scientific reality for any nature enthusiast or armchair adventurer."Crammed with scientifically impeccable detail about both familiar and mysterious beasts and birds. Anyone with a yen for understanding the fauna of the neighborhood and beyond will find delights here."—Michael Pakenham, Baltimore Sun

"Consider Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind a must-have if you intend to wander about outdoors this summer . . ."—Marta Salij, Chicago Tribune

"Anyone who loves animals will bark and hoot about this charming book."—Detroit Free Press

"Wildlife myths are fun, but Warner Shedd uses the skills and experience of a trained naturalist to make the facts even more fascinating. This will find a place alongside treasured field guides on the bookshelves of wildlife enthusiasts everywhere."—Patrick Leahy, Vermont State SenatorWARNER SHEDD is the director of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation and previously spent 20 years as an executive for the National Wildlife Federation, the nation's largest private conservation organization. His articles have appeared in Sports Afield, Vermont Life, Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, and other publications. He lives in Vermont.