Carnivorous Nights

On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger

by
Margaret Mittelback

and

Michael Crewdson

Villard, February 2005, 320 pp.
ISBN: 1-4000-6002-8

Genre: Non-Fiction
Subgenre: Natural History
Reviewed: 4/22/2005

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

The trees were tall, and the forest looked think and impenetrable.

Todd indicated that this was our destination.

This would be our first journey into the Tasmanian bush. "Anything we should watch out for in the woods?" we asked.

"A lot of people are worried about the snakes. But on the whole, I'm more scared of the bears."

"Bears?" There were no bears in Tasmania.

"I went to America for a crayfish conference and I was shit-scared of going into the American woods. It's the unknown . . ."

"I saw a bear on the porch of my country house--" Alexis began.

"Bugger that! A nine-foot grizzly coming at me? I'll take a six-foot tiger snake. Now that's all right."

Six feet?

"So," Alexis said, "the tiger snake is the one to be concerned about?"

"All the snakes are poisonous over here. If you stand still, they'll go right past you."

"What happens if you get bit?" we asked.

"Ninety-nine times out of a hundred you won't be. But if you are, the tiger snake's venom delivery system isn't all that effective. Its fangs are really small. The mainland's a bit more deadly. They have some nasty ones over there." He brushed a few flies from the bait bucket he was carrying. "Taipans are pretty aggressive," he continued. "They're probably the only snake you've really got to watch. That's an angry snake. A lot of people say tiger snakes are angry at this time of year, but they're just more active.

What exactly was the difference between "active" and "angry"? We wished we had worn thicker pants.

Synopsis

In New York City, Mittelbach and Crewdson (nature writers) find themselves visiting the American Museum of Natural History frequently to stare at and admire the stuffed Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine). This supposedly extinct marsupial carnivore used to be on the top of the food chain in Tasmania, until the settlers hunted it to extinction in the 1930's. Sightings are still reported, but no one has been able to prove if any of these majestic animals still live.

The writers travel to Tasmania with their good friend and artist, Alexis Rockman, whose first act after landing is to find himself some local pot. As the three, and a few guests, travel across Tasmania visiting with multiple experts in their fields, they really begin to get a feel for the marsupials that live on this fascinating island. At every stop, Alexis collects a bit of local mud, animal scat, blood, or whatnot . . anything to add to his painting to give them a real feel for the animal.

As they travel the land making connections, they take in all types of regions and the many varied animals that live there. They gather their information and start to close in on the possible whereabouts of the Tasmanian Tiger. Will they find one?

Carnivorous Nights is a non-fiction book by Margaret Mittelback and Micahel Crewdson. All of the artwork in the book was painted by Alexis Rockman. The book revolves around two nature writers and an artist that journey all over Tasmania looking for the possibly extinct Tasmanian Tiger.

Review

Before reading this book, I had known about the Tasmanian Devil, but not the Tasmanian Tiger. The Tasmanian Tiger was a dog-like marsupial that could be a long a six feet from nose to tip of tail. His jaw opened 120 degrees and had multiple dark stripes across this back and rear, which is why it was names after the tiger.

The artwork in the book by Alexis Rockman is utterly fantastic and adds a dramatic depth to the book. Never having traveled to Tasmania (and how many of us truly have), I had not clue as to what most of the wildlife looks like. Thanks to Alexis and his remarkable way of painting, the reader can fully grasp the splendor of these animals.

As for the authors, their witty writing keeps the reader turning pages to see if they will discover a living thylacine. As I was reading, I was both hoping they would find one, and then again I hoped that they wouldn't. I hate to see any animal driven to extinction because of mankind, and I would love to see this animal running around the island again. They would have to find an entire colony of these animals to being them back from the brink of extinction. S

o, you ask me, "Did they find a thylacine?" Well, I certainly am not going to tell you. You are going to have to pick up a copy of Carnivorous Nights and read it to find out. You won't be disappointed.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.