Book of Animal Records by Mark Carwardine (Firefly Books, 256 pages) $19.95
There is no doubt that the animal world can beat humans in most physical activities.
The world record for long jump is 8.95 metres (29 feet 4.5 inches) set by Mike Powell in 1991, but a snow leopard was observed by Russian biologists
leaping over a 15-metre (49-foot) wide ditch. Animals can out-jump, swim, climb and dive us many times over, but which one does it the best? Hundreds of measurements attesting to the strength, speed and unique skills of a wide variety of animals fill the pages of this book. The main categories are based on the animal groupings of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Within each of those are smaller categories examining the more interesting characteristics, such as fastest, largest, smallest, most varied diet, oldest, and much more.
Each page is loaded with fascinating details and colour photographs. You'll learn that the peregrine falcon is the world's fastest animal attaining speeds of more than 200 km/h when in a dive, while a sailfish has been measured at 109 km/h. Anyone interested in the capabilities of the animal world will find amazing facts and comparisons throughout this collection.
