Peter Christie is a long-time naturalist and native of Prince Edward County. Before turning his attention to writing, he worked as a researcher for various universities and private foundations, conducting natural history surveys of wildlife in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This work included his participation in a 1979 survey of reptiles and amphibians on which much of this book is based. Most recently, Peter returned to Canada from Tokyo, where he worked as a newspaper editor. His illustrations have appeared in a number of magazines and newspapers in Canada and overseas. Peter considers his ecologist father, the late Jack Christie, to have been his most important guide to the natural world.
