Furtive Fauna

A Field Guide to the Creatures Who Live on You

We've all been bitten by mosquitoes, annoyed by buzzing flies, and perhaps had an itchy and embarrassing encounter with head lice back in grammar school. But there are many more strange creatures that thrive on humans, living out their entire lives on or around our heads, bodies, bedsheets, and carpets. In this oddly charming and utterly engaging wildlife guide, biology professor Roger Knutson (author of Flattened Fauna, the classic guide to animals of the highways) introduces us to a rogues' gallery of visitors, guests, and permanent residents, including:

*Ticks: They can lie in wait for years hoping for something tasty to wander by. If it happens to be you, you can look forward to the possibility of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tsutsugamushi disease, and other interesting disorders.

*Fleas: They have incredibly elaborate sex lives and can jump really, really far. And you almost certainly don't want to become a flea researcher, given what the job entails

*Face Mites: You'll probably never see one, as they're microscopically small, but you may never feel the same way about your eyebrows again either.

 ...and many more micro-critters, from the ubiquitous fly to the wiy tooth amoeba. Scientifically accurate, adorably witty, and handsomely illustrated, this book that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "you're a perfect host."