This authoritative and eminently readable book relates how the alien vertebrate animals now living in the wild in Britain and Ireland were introduced and naturalized, their status and distribution, and their impact on the local environment. The core of the book describes animals that have been imported deliberately or accidentally and have established populations in the wild, among them the Red-necked Wallaby, Monk Parakeet and African Clawed Toad. There are also sections on feral domesticated species such as feral cats, goats and Reindeer, ephemeral species such as the Canadian Beaver and Mongolian Gerbil, and reintroduced species like the now-thriving Red Kite. Distribution maps show the locations of most of the featured species, and full-colour photographs reveal their amazing diversity. First published in 1977.
SIR CHRISTOPHER LEVER, Bt has been studying and writing about the history and ecology of naturalized animals, on which he is now the world authority, for nearly 50 years. His books include Naturalized Mammals, Birds, Fishes, and Reptiles and Amphibians of the World (4 volumes), Mandarin Duck, Cane Toad and Naturalized Animals. He is a frequent contributor to many journals and newspapers, including New Scientist, BBC Wildlife, BirdLife, The Times, Country Life and Illustrated London News. A dedicated conservationist, he is deeply concerned with the conservation of the environment and of the ever-decreasing stocks of the world's fauna and flora. He is Honorary Life President of the Tusk Trust, the leading UK NGO involved exclusively with conservation and community programmes in Africa.