A quick read, but you're bound to learn something new about animals

 kw: book reviews, nonfiction, animals, anatomy, lifestyles, natural history

During the era of "natural philosophy" every naturalist could draw and paint. There was no photography; later it was possible but too costly. The best naturalists still draw for their notebooks and paint for their publications.

These two notebook pages are examples produced a century apart, in 1806 and 1915. The Eulachon fish was drawn by Meriwether Lewis in Oregon, and the contour map was drawn by Joseph Grinnell in California.

The book Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals Around the World was written and illustrated by Julia Rothman. On the cover she notes "With help from Lisa Hiley", which refers to helping with research.

The subject is anatomy in the broadest sense, because here we learn also about life habits and environments, tools and architecture. "Architecture?", one might say. Yes, beavers and mound-building termites are architects, as are nest-making birds. The level of consciousness may vary, but the creativity cannot be denied.

Here is one 2-page spread that is about anatomy per se. There are sections on antlers, teeth, claws, wings, etc., also.

Well under half the page space is taken up by text, and some spreads are wordless, so if one is strictly reading, this is a very fast read. But it is worth dwelling on the features of the illustrations. This is no novel to race through.

For a writer who is so sparse with words, Ms Rothman packs plenty of meaning into every sentence. And what, one may say, did I learn that was new to me? Several things, but the most fun is the tidbit that star-nosed moles smell underwater "by blowing out and quickly re-inhaling bubbles of air." For a blind mole that hunts by smell, that is an advantage.

If you want to be a naturalist, I suggest learning to draw at a very early age, and keeping at it as long as you live. If you feel you lack artistic talent, take classes; the little bits of artistic talent found in all of us can be shaped and trained. Meriwether Lewis was no Michelangelo, but he didn't need to be. Once you've seen his drawing of a Eulachon fish (a type of smelt), when you see one, you'll recognize it.