South America
South America
The Llanos is a vast area of tropical grassland broken up by patches of forest. It stretches from the Columbian foothills of the Andes Mountains to the delta of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.
The Llanos is dry for much of the year. But when heavy rains start in April, the rivers that flow into the Orinoco burst their banks. Then the area becomes a series of huge, shallow lakes. These lakes are perfect feeding areas for birds and reptiles, including the world’s most powerful snake- the green anaconda.
Penned by award-winning natural history author Tim Harris, the “Wildlife Worlds” series takes readers on a fascinating journey to all of the world’s continents where they will learn about the landforms, flora and fauna from various regions of each continent. Harris knows of what he speaks. After studying Norwegian glaciers at university, he became interested in the natural world. Among other places, his travels took him to the Namib Desert, the slopes of Popocatépetl (an active stratovolcano in Mexico), the Sumatran rainforest, and the frozen Sea of Okhotsk. The books have eye-catching covers and an attractive layout. Despite the information’s being a general overview of specific areas within each continent, Harris captures the reader’s attention with his engaging text and wonderful full-colour photographs, a winning combination that is bound to pique the reader’s interest and desire to learn more. All of the books begin with a general introduction to the featured continent, along with a map showing the various regions. The remaining chapters focus on each of 12 specific areas, with a double-page spread devoted to each one. A table of contents, a glossary, an index, and a list of books and websites for further study are included.
South America is a continent of extremes of climate, landscapes and population density. It boasts more birds and amphibians than anywhere else on Earth, and, in the Galapagos Islands, almost all of the reptiles, most of the land birds and one-third of the plants are exclusive to the region. Freshwater wetlands, rain forests, deserts, pampas and llanos (different types of grasslands), high plains, mountains, glaciers and tepuis (flat-topped mountains) can all be found here. Information in South America includes facts about rare and unusual animals, such as bird-eating spiders, butterflies with transparent wings, and poison dart frogs.
Educational, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable, the “Wildlife Worlds” series offers readers a glimpse into the diverse natural world of the Earth’s continents and an opportunity to marvel at Mother Nature’s handiwork.
Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.