A Natural History of Australian Bats. Working the Night Shift. 2012. col. photogr. 192 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

To hold a little microbat in the hand, its body the size of the end of a thumb, is nothing but astounding. Its head is nearly the size of a mans fingernail, its tiny ears are twitching as it struggles to get free, and then it bares its teeth to try and scare you into letting it go. Inside that tiny head is a powerhouse of information. Some of Australia little bats know the entire landscape of our east coast, and can pinpoint a cave entrance in dense forest 500 km from its last home. When they get there they know what to do where to forage, which bat to mate with and how to avoid local predators. The book uncovers the unique biology and ecology of these wonderful creatures. It features a description of each bat species found in Australia, as well as a section on bat myths. The book is enhanced by stunning colour photographs from Steve Parish, most of which have never been seen before.