Alone on the endless red-sand desert in the Australian outback, tracking Varanus giganteus, the perentie lizard that grows to be more than six feet long. . . for desert rat Eric Pianka, such adventures have led to a satisfying, if unusual, way of life, as well as a distinguished career as a field biologist. In The Lizard Man Speaks, Pianka recounts more than thirty years of adventures in reptile studies, beginning with a boyhood passion for collecting snakes and lizards. He tells of "lizarding" in the North American deserts, the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa, and the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia. His vivid imagery draws the reader into a world where lions lurk in the darkness beyond a gecko hunter's lights, where being stranded by car trouble miles from the last outpost is a constant danger, and where the wilderness still deserves to be called wild. Along the way, Pianka provides much general information about lizard ecology, the fire succession cycle, and the interaction of humans with the landscape. And he reveals the springs of his own determined spirit and love of solitude, describing a near-fatal boyhood accident and its shaping and character-building effect on the life that followed.

An ALA Notable Book Kids ages 9-12 will “delight in [the] oddness” of this Home Alone-style tale set in the 1970s—from a prolific children’s author who captures “a magic that’s not like anyone else’s” (Neil Gaiman). With Victor’s parents out of town, he is free to investigate the mysterious lizard musicians who have recently appeared on TV . . . Things Victor loves: pizza with anchovies, grape soda, B movies aired at midnight, the evening news. And with his parents off at a resort and his older sister shirking her babysitting duties, Victor has plenty of time to indulge himself and to try a few things he’s been curious about. Exploring the nearby city of Hogboro, he runs into a curious character known as the Chicken Man (a reference to his companion, an intelligent hen named Claudia who lives under his hat). The Chicken Man speaks brilliant nonsense, but he seems to be hip to the lizard musicians (real lizards, not men in lizard suits) who’ve begun appearing on Victor’s television after the broadcast of the late-late movie. Are the lizards from outer space? From “other space”? Together Victor and the Chicken Man, guided by the able Claudia, journey to the lizards’ floating island, a strange and fantastic place that operates with an inspired logic of its own.

From the swamplands near Bishopville, South Carolina, come reports of a seven-foot-tall, scaly humanoid creature the locals call the "Lizard Man." Over the years, the creature has been seen by numerous witnesses, including a teenager who claimed it attacked him one night near a remote area called Scape Ore Swamp. The young man's testimony and physical evidence was so compelling, it not only launched a serious investigation by the local sheriff's office but an all-out monster hunt that drew hundreds of people to the small town. This real-life "creature from the black lagoon" has inspired major national news coverage, even a call from the famous CBS news anchor, Dan Rather, as he and the rest of the world clamored to know more about Bishopville's elusive monster. The case is often mentioned in books, websites, and television shows, but the full story has never been told... until now. This book provides unprecedented documentation for one of the most bizarre and hair-raising cases of an unknown creature. The witnesses are convinced they've seen it, and the local law officials are backing them up. This is their story. Follow Lyle Blackburn, author of the bestselling book The Beast of Boggy Creek, as he and his partner, Cindy Lee, revisit the sighting locations, speak to the living eyewitnesses, and consider all possible theories in their search for the truth behind the legendary Lizard Man. Lyle Blackburn is an author, musician, and cryptid researcher from Texas. He has always been fascinated with legends, lore, and sighting reports of "real-life monsters," and is the author of The Beast of Boggy Creek: The True Story of the Fouke Monster. During his research, Lyle has often explored the remote reaches of the southern U.S. in search of shadowy creatures said to inhabit the dense backwoods and swamplands of these areas. Lyle is also a featured speaker at cryptozoology and horror conferences around North America. He has been heard on numerous radio programs, including Coast To Coast AM, and appeared on television shows such as Monsters and Mysteries in America and the CBS Sunday Morning Show."

This book provides an overview of the diversity of lizards and their major adaptive features. The authors discuss the latest research findings and provide new hypotheses about lizard diversity.

Los Angeles, 1943. It's the era of the Zoot Suit Riots, and Flaca and Cuata have a problem. It's bigger than being grounded by their strict mother. It's bigger than tensions with the soldiers stationed nearby. And it's shaped like a five-foot-tall lizard. When a lost member of an unknown underground species needs help, the sisters must scramble to keep their new friend away from a corrupt military scientist—but they'll do it in style. Cartoonist Marco Finnegan presents Lizard in a Zoot Suit, an outrageous, historical, sci-fi graphic novel. "[Lizard in a Zoot Suit] is both a politically charged drama and a pulpy sci-fi story all in one, and an ideal graphic novel for Young Adults."—Comicon.com "A new YA graphic novel [that] takes a moment in real world history and turns it into the basis for a thrilling adventure that is never anything less than stylish."—The Hollywood Reporter

"Horned 'toads' have long inspired curious humans, from ancient Indian rock artists and the earliest Spanish explorers to modern scientists. These lizards specialize on ants for food, employ distinctive defensive tactics for different enemies, arch their bodies to collect rainwater, and exhibit numerous other adaptations to arid environments. Wade Sherbrooke's wonderful book, packed with facts and personal insights, will give everyone from lay naturalists to seasoned field biologists a new appreciation for these magically bizarre animals."—Harry W. Greene, author of Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature "Written in language understandable by anyone, Sherbrooke's newly revised little book on horned lizards is an exceedingly useful reference that covers most of what is known about these interesting and unusual lizards."—Eric R. Pianka, author of The Lizard Man Speaks "Wade Sherbrooke has provided in this very readable book a concise introduction to the evolution and natural history of the horned lizards, their impact on human art, and their future in an increasingly human-dominated planet. No one has more first-hand knowledge of the life history of horned lizards than Dr. Sherbrooke, so this book represents more than a summary; Sherbrooke provides insight into the life and times of horned lizards as no one else could. Amateur and professional alike will find much to enjoy about this book."—Darrel Frost, American Museum of Natural History Praise for the first edition: "[This is] the horned lizard bible deluxe."—Coevolution

The 1980s have become a decade of incredible technological advancement thanks to a race of occupying alien reptiles, but sixteen-year-old Danny Thomas thinks they're up to something. Mostly your average video game loving, pop-culture obsessed teenager, Danny finds adolescence in 1987 a bit trying. Now there's this whole new alien technology called social media. According to the world's allegedly benevolent alien benefactors, sharing photos and personal updates online is the first step to guiding Earth toward a peaceful utopia. Danny and his friends have begun to suspect the opposite is true. Together, seven teenagers and a defecting alien reptile set out to expose a sinister plot while navigating the treacherous waters of teenage friendship and romance. Punk Rock vs. The Lizard People combines the coming-of-age teen comedy-drama of The Breakfast Club with the frenetic sci-fi grit of District 9. Celebrating and subverting beloved tropes, what begins as a loving, nostalgic romp becomes a powerful meditation on grief and the quest for significance.