What you don't know can hurt you! Do you feel safe in the woods? At the beach? In your backyard? In your home? In clear and precise language, this meticulously researched reference describes which creatures and plants can cause you harm - and when, why, and how to avoid them - in California and Nevada. Most valuable of all, you'll understand what medical risks they present and how best to respond to a hostile encounter. Bees, bears, sharks, porcupines, snakes, spiders, mosquitoes, toads, lice, poison ivy, ticks, fleas, elk, and more - if they're where you live, they're in this book. A finely illustrated field guide, a natural history narrative, and an outdoor emergency medical manual all rolled into one book, Dangerous Wildlife in California & Nevada provides regular doses of humor along with the serious advice. After all, part of dealing with potentially dangerous wildlife is getting over our instinctive fears, relaxing while remaining alert, and ultimately better understanding our natural world. Armed with this guide, you and your family will enjoy the natural world with informed confidence and peace of mind.