Manatee Insanity

Manatee Insanity
Author: Craig Pittman
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 643
Release: 2010-05-09
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0813047072

Download Manatee Insanity Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The quiet manatee has long been a flash point of frequent environmental debates. It is Florida's most famous endangered species, as well as its most controversial. Manatees appear on hundreds of license plates, attract hordes of tourists, and expose the uneasy relationships between science and the law and between freedom and responsibility like no other animal.  As passions have flared and resentments have grown, the battle over manatee protection has evolved into a war, and no reporter has followed the story more closely than Craig Pittman, the first environmental writer to explore the complex history, culture, and science of the controversies and concerns surrounding this remarkable creature.  With an abiding interest in the uncertain fate of this unique species, Manatee Insanity provides the first in-depth history of the attempts to provide legal protection for the manatee. Pittman follows Florida’s gentle giants through time and space, detailing interactions with a variety of human actors, from Jacques-Yves Cousteau to Jeb Bush to Jimmy Buffett, from a popular children's book author to a federal lawman who dressed in a gorilla suit for the ultimate undercover assignment.

The Florida Manatee

The Florida Manatee
Author: Roger L. Reep
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 323
Release: 2021-04-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0813072085

Download The Florida Manatee Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

From two scientists who have been at the forefront of manatee research for over three decades, The Florida Manatee offers an engaging, accessible introduction to manatee biology, including communication, diet, long-distance migration, and much more. This second edition is updated with new scientific research, as well as discussions of recent conservation efforts—largely driven by manatee injuries and deaths resulting from boat collisions—that have contributed to the robust growth of manatee numbers in Florida. It also includes the latest predictions for manatee populations and health in the future, both in Florida and worldwide. This is the perfect book for anyone seeking the most comprehensive, current information on this fascinating marine mammal.

Oh, Florida!

Oh, Florida!
Author: Craig Pittman
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2016-07-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1250071208

Download Oh, Florida! Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A fun- and fact-filled investigation into why the Sunshine State is the weirdest but also the most influential state in the Union.

Paving Paradise

Paving Paradise
Author: Craig Pittman
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 499
Release: 2010-05-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0813037433

Download Paving Paradise Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Florida possesses more wetlands than any other state except Alaska, yet since 1990 more than 84,000 acres have been lost to development despite presidential pledges to protect them. How and why the state's wetlands are continuing to disappear is the subject of Paving Paradise. Journalists Craig Pittman and Matthew Waite spent nearly four years investigating the political expedience, corruption, and negligence on the part of federal and state agencies that led to a failure to enforce regulations on developers. They traveled throughout the state, interviewed hundreds of people, dug through thousands of documents, and analyzed satellite imagery to identify former wetlands that were now houses, stores, and parking lots. Exposing the unseen environmental consequences of rampant sprawl, Pittman and Waite explain how wetland protection creates the illusion of environmental protection while doing little to stem the tide of destruction.

Cat Tale

Cat Tale
Author: Craig Pittman
Publisher: Harlequin
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2020-01-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1488098719

Download Cat Tale Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A Garden & Gun Best Book of 2020 “Witty and passionate.” —Lauren Groff “Craig Pittman has a remarkable talent for telling stories set in the Sunshine State that never fail to fascinate and entertain.”—Gilbert King “The definitive book on one of America’s least understood apex predators. The story of how Florida’s panthers were saved from extinction is one that both deserves and needs to be told.” —Dane Huckelbridge The captivating tale of the Florida panther, its survival and rescue from extinction With novelistic detail and an eye for the absurd, Craig Pittman recounts the extraordinary story of the people who brought the panther back from the brink of extinction, the ones who nearly pushed the species over the edge, and the cats that were caught in the middle. This being Florida, there's more than a little weirdness, too. An engrossing narrative of wry humor, sharp writing and exhaustive reportage, Cat Tale shows what it takes to bring one species back and what unexpected costs such a decision brings.

Florida Manatees

Florida Manatees
Author: John Elliott Reynolds
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2017-04-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1421421917

Download Florida Manatees Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A photographic journey into the secret world of Florida’s beloved manatee. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL Manatees, the gentle giants of Florida's lagoons and coastal habitats, can bring a smile to the face of anybody lucky enough to spy one. As manatees dip and roll through the water, crowds gather to watch them feed on aquatic vegetation. Whether they are congregating by the hundreds or resting or feeding alone, viewing these sea cows can provide anyone interested in nature with hours of tranquil pleasure. Having survived for eons, today's manatees are now under constant threat due to our rapidly swelling human population. Their habitats are often devastated by development and pollution. The slow-moving manatees also live at the mercy of chance, for they occupy waters filled with fast-moving boats powered by razor-sharp propellers—a new form of predator from which they have no protection. Boat speed limits have been put in place to protect manatees, but there is a constant push to lift them so that people can once again zip across the waters that manatees call home. For this reason, manatees are often a subject of controversy that pits their lives against the rights of boat owners. In this book, manatee expert John E. Reynolds III and famed photographer Wayne Lynch join forces to reveal the clearest portrait of manatees ever published. Florida Manatees is a song for the manatee, a celebration of the lives of these majestic creatures. Reynolds's concise, informative text shares what scientists know about manatees, while Lynch's beautiful photographs instantly demonstrate how special these "potatoes with whiskers" really are. By encouraging an appreciation of manatees, the authors hope to help ensure a future in which Floridians can find ways to coexist with and continue to enjoy these uniquely wonderful sirenian inhabitants of their state. Included in this book: How manatees first came to Florida waters How manatees fit into the ecosystems of Florida What and how much manatees eat How manatees behave and communicate with one another Why manatees look the way they do Why manatees have whiskers How manatee mothers feed their young and much more

The State You're In

The State You're In
Author: Craig Pittman
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2021-08-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813065968

Download The State You're In Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Jump into the wacky, wild world of Florida For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be. With a folksy style, an eye for the absurd, and a passion for the history and environment of his home state, Pittman describes some of Florida’s oddest wildlife as well as its quirkiest people. The State You’re In includes a love story involving the most tattooed woman in the world, a deep dive into the state’s professional mermaid industry, and an investigation of a battle between residents of a nudist resort and the U.S. Postal Service. Pittman introduces readers to a who’s who of Florida crime fiction, a what’s what of exotic animals, and an array of beloved places he’s seen change rapidly in his lifetime. Many of these stories are funny, some are serious, and several offer rare insights into the heart of the Sunshine State. For Pittman, Florida is both inspiring and dangerous—an “evolutionary test” for those who live in it. Together these pieces paint a complex picture of a fascinating state longing for an identity beyond palm trees and punchlines.

Face to Face with Manatees

Face to Face with Manatees
Author: Brian Skerry
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2010
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1426306172

Download Face to Face with Manatees Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Introduces readers to tghe life cycle, behaviors, and the natural habitats of manatees living off Florida's southern coast and describes the conservations efforts performed to protect tyhe species.

Mysterious Manatees

Mysterious Manatees
Author: Karen Glaser
Publisher:
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2003
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780813026374

Download Mysterious Manatees Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

"Mysterious Manatees" is a synergistic partnership between photographer Glaser and writer and scholar Reynolds. This union of science and art makes for a compelling exploration of the manatee through two independent essays--one textual, one visual--in a book addressed to both specialists and a general audience. 52 illustrations.

Secrets of the Manatee

Secrets of the Manatee
Author: Diane Morgan
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2023-04-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1683343492

Download Secrets of the Manatee Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Secrets of the Manatee offers a fascinating look at Florida’s most mysterious marine creature. Floating just below the surface of the water, manatees have remained largely unknown and misunderstood by humans. Now, their very survival depends on a delicate balance between human interference and conservation. This book is written for people who care about manatees, who want to learn about them, and, ultimately, who want to save them. This book explores the evolutionary history and fascinating biology of the manatee, asking questions such as, why do they have solid bones and marching molars? Big tummies but no blubber? Lots of friends and no enemies? And other queries like, are manatees invasive? Do they speak or squeak? Why do they have whiskers? Are they dangerous? How can we help them thrive again? This book answers these—and many more—questions about this very special mammal.