Ain't Love Grand!: Earthworms to Elephant Seals
By Marty Crump and Alan Crump
()
About this ebook
The natural world is filled with diverse—not to mention quirky and odd—animal behaviors. Consider the male praying mantis that continues to mate after being beheaded; the insects, insects, and birds that offer gifts of food in return for sex; the male hip-pocket frog that carries his own tadpoles; the baby spiders that dine on their mother; or the starfish that sheds an arm or two to escape a predator's grasp. In Ain’t Love Grand, Marty Crump—a tropical field biologist well known for her work with the reproductive behavior of amphibians—examines the bizarre conduct of animals as they mate, parent, feed, defend themselves, and communicate. More importantly, Crump points out that diverse and unrelated animals often share seemingly erratic behaviors—evidence, Crump argues, that these natural histories, though outwardly weird, are actually successful ways of living.
Read more from Marty Crump
Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Adder's Fork and Lizard's Leg: The Lore and Mythology of Amphibians and Reptiles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeadless Males Make Great Lovers: And Other Unusual Natural Histories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Year with Nature: An Almanac Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers: & Other Unusual Relationships Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Ain't Love Grand!
Related ebooks
Four Pack: Four Essays on Aspects of Human Nature Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Bond Rabbits: A Practical Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn the Hunt with Lions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExploding Ants: Amazing Facts About How Animals Adapt Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Animal Mating Game: The Wacky, Weird World of Sex in the Animal Kingdom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSnakes: 101 Super Fun Facts And Amazing Pictures (Featuring The World's Top 10 Snakes) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Snakes: 101 Super Fun Facts And Amazing Pictures (Featuring The World's Top 10 Snakes With Coloring Pages) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Female Spotted Hyenas: Commanders of the Clan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRing-Tailed Lemur Princesses: Rulers of the Troop Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSex Weird-o-Pedia: The Ultimate Book of Shocking, Scandalous, and Incredibly Bizarre Sex Facts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Extraordinary Insects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Curious About Bats: Curious Kids Series, #6 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Field Guide to Griffins, Unicorns, and Other Mythical Beasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sloths For Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZebras: Discovering the World of Zebras: Wildlife Wonders: Exploring the Fascinating Lives of the World's Most Intriguing Animals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKangaroos For Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimals from South America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy First Book about Meerkats: Amazing Animal Books - Children's Picture Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Zoo Friends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBigfoot and Adaptation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCheetahs For Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings14 Fun Facts About Big Cats: Educational Verion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Lions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuper Strength Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfrican Wild Dogs For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unusual Life Cycles of Amphibians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Nature For You
Lucky Dog Lessons: From Renowned Expert Dog Trainer and Host of Lucky Dog: Reunions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Forager's Handbook: A Seasonal Guide to Harvesting Wild, Edible & Medicinal Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEncyclopedia of 5,000 Spells Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The God Delusion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Kitchen Garden: An Inspired Collection of Garden Designs & 100 Seasonal Recipes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shelter: A Love Letter to Trees Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Practical Botany for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Botanical Terms Explained and Explored Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Fungi: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foraging for Survival: Edible Wild Plants of North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related categories
Reviews for Ain't Love Grand!
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Ain't Love Grand! - Marty Crump
RAMPANT MACHISMO
When the beachmaster [male elephant seal] is angered by a serious challenge, he thunders across the sand, humping and heaving his huge body with surprising speed and taking no notice whatever of what lies in his way.
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, The Trials of Life
Loud snorts erupted as I ambled toward the beach on Península Valdés, Argentina. Around the bend lay hundreds of giant brown or gray four-ton sausages parked from one end of the beach to the other. Binoculars revealed the sausages to be southern elephant seals. Some slept, using one another for pillows. Others lazily rolled over from time to time. One balanced on his front flippers, humped his body, and propelled himself forward, like a giant inchworm crossing the sand. A smaller individual lumbered after another, in what appeared to be a sausage race. As I focused on one particularly large, ponderous pile of blubber, he threw back his head, proboscis dangling down in his open mouth, and