Mittelbach, Margaret & Crewdson, Michael. Carnivorous nights.

MITTELBACH, Margaret & CREWDSON, Michael. Carnivorous nights. Random House. 319p. illus. notes. bibliog. c2005.0-8129-6769-0. $14.95. SA

Two New York-based journalists who write about nature found in unexpected places like Manhattan have written a book based on their long-held obsession with the Tasmanian tiger. This marsupial has a jaw that can open to 120[degrees]; it was probably hunted to extinction by early settlers because of its penchant for sheep. The authors first saw a stuffed specimen in the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan and undertook a trip to Tasmania with their friend, artist Alexis Rockman, in hopes of seeing one in the wild, in spite of the fact that most people believe it to be extinct; the last one in captivity died in 1936. Their quest to find the tiger led them to meet many interesting characters in the wilds of Australia and Tasmania, a small island 150 miles south of Melbourne, including some remarkable animals, such as the Tasmanian Devil, giant crayfish, wallabies and assorted roadkill.

This account of their search is a combination of nature trip, travelogue and madcap excursion filled with Manhattan socialites, rough coots from the bush and anecdotes about the weird Alexis, who needed his daily marijuana fix wherever he went and who collected scat and bodily fluids to use in his drawings of native animals. The combination of science, history, adventure and humor makes the tale a memorable one. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.