Australia’s Wild Heart by Peter Knowles

Australia’s Wild Heart

by Peter Knowles

Rigby, 1972, [First Edition], ISBN 0851794106, colour photographic plates and photographs throughout, illustrated endpapers (maps), hardcover, dustjacket

Very Good Condition, minor edge and shelf wear, minor rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, no inscriptions, dustjacket shows minor edge and shelf wear with a little rubbing, bumping, chipping and small tears (see photographs)

“The Dead Heart, it is called sometimes, but in this book the author shows that it is the wild and living heart of Australia; a region which, despite the effects of some invaders, still preserves much that is uniquely Australian.
Its plant and animal life is perfectly adapted to one of the world’s harshest environments, and the author describes the seemingly miraculous provision which nature has made to ensure the survival of desert flora and fauna.  The seeds of wildflowers germinate best after several years in the ground, so that there is always an ample reserve to benefit from good seasons.  The eggs of tiny water creatures can withstand dry heat up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, year after year until the rains come again.  The Brine Shrimp lives in water containing nearly ten times more salt than the ocean.  Some animals survive the heat by spending the days underground, and some desert mice store food in their tails...”