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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Reilly_Media#Early_days

> The original cover art consisted of animal designs developed by Edie Freedman because she thought that Unix program names sounded like "weird animals".[2]

The reason is provided in the last pages of many books that they are either endangered or important/keystone species who are threatened.

And if the cover animal is in colour there’s colour inside, if it’s got a black and white animal then there’s only black and white print inside

Not true. Author of colored cover with bw book...

Interesting… they obviously changed there approach in the last few years

I think it's just cheaper to use public domain illustrations than to hire an artist.

Thanks for this, made my evening!