Dean Morris

As part of the Raintree Read About series, Animals that Burrow focuses on the diversity of species that find ways to live underground or in other hidden locations that offer protection from predators and temperature extremes, as well as places to raise young. As such, it offers a useful introduction for children to animal natural history.

"Burrowing" is interpreted broadly to not only include holes dug by the animals but such specialized locations as holes in cactus plants, locations under logs and rocks, and burrows in beach sand. Mammals get particular emphasis, such as armadillos, skunks, moles, badgers, aardvarks, water shrew, and the egg-laying platypus and the spiny echidna. Other vertebrates include birds, fish (the lungfish), amphibians (e.g., spadefoot toad), and reptiles. A few invertebrates are also included, notably leaf- cutting ants (with their elaborate burrow systems), earthworms, hunting wasps, and trapdoor spiders.

The illustrations are excellent, and the text, interesting and accurate. A glossary is included, as is an index and suggestions for further reading.… (mere)

This small book offers to children a useful introduction to amphibians -- those vertebrate animals that commonly reside at the interface of land and water. Although frogs and toads receive most of the attention, salamanders and the limbless caecilians are also mentioned (the book title notwithstanding). The text presents basic information about natural history, including what the animals eat, where they live, and how they reproduce and develop. Good quality, full- color diagrams of the various species are found in nearly every page. A variety of types of amphibians is featured, including tree frogs, arrow-poison frogs, the desert- dwelling burrowing toad, fire salamander, and the crested newt. Also included is the midwife toad (in which males carry developing eggs on their backs), the cave- swelling blind salamander (the olm), the Mexican axolotl, and the "paradoxical frog," whose tadpoles are three times larger than the adult. The book contains an index, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary of biological terms. This 48 page guide is part of the "Read About" series, and it may well spark the interests of youngsters into the fascinating world of amphibians.… (mere)