Book Description

This volume provides a general overview of the basic ethical and philosophical issues of animal rights. It asks questions such as: Do animals have moral rights? If so, what does this mean? What sorts of mental lives do animals have, and how should we understand welfare? By presenting models for understanding animals' moral status and rights, and examining their mental lives and welfare, David DeGrazia explores the implications for how we should treat animals in connection with our diet, zoos, and research. Animal Rights distinguishes itself by combining intellectual rigor with accessibility, offering a distinct moral voice with a non-polemical tone. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Animal Activists
Animal Activists may be interested int he following link:
http://www.peta2.com/ot/o-madetour.asp ... Read more

Book Description

Analysis and Management of Animal Populations deals with the processes involved in making informed decisions about the management of animal populations. It covers the modeling of population responses to management actions, the estimation of quantities needed in the modeling effort, and the application of these estimates and models to the development of sound management decisions. The book synthesizes and integrates in a single volume the methods associated with these themes, as they apply to ecological assessment and conservation of animal populations.

Key Features
*Integrates population modeling, parameter estimation and decision-theoretic approaches to management in a single, cohesive framework
* Provides authoritative, state-of-the-art descriptions of quantitative approaches to modeling, estimation and decision-making
* Emphasizes the role of mathematical modeling in the conduct of science and management
* Utilizes a unifying biological context, consistent mathematical notation, and numerous biological examples ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good reference book
This book provides a good summary of methods and techniques that are available for wildlife studies. It is a good starting point for graduate students and researchers who would like to get a broad overview, but for more details on particular types of analysis, other resources are needed. For someone who has never been exposed to population biology, the expansive breadth of the book may be somewhat overwhelming. ... Read more

Book Description

We've all heard that chimpanzees are our closest relatives - that, in fact, they share 98% of their genes with us. But what evidence supports these often-repeated commonplaces? Very little, concludes physical anthropologist Jeffrey Schwartz. In his keenly insightful demolition of conventional wisdom on the family relationships between apes and humans, Schwartz provides a fresh examination of fossil evidence, modern anatomy and physiology, and DNA. He argues that it is not chimpanzees or other African apes that are humankind's closest cousins, but Asian orangutans. The result is a compelling challenge to what we think we know about the origins of humans, and about the pursuit of science. In this thoroughly revised edition of The Red Ape, Schwartz analyzes the myriad fossil discoveries made since the publication of the first edition. He reveals the embarrassing fact that orangutan and human teeth are so similar that they have commonly been misidentified for each other in the fossil record, even by experts. New material provocatively addresses whether molecules (DNA) are more reliable than fossils and anatomy in assessing evolutionary relationships. Numerous new plates and drawings illustrate the text. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A good observer of nature, walking, say, in an oak forest, may discern that some of the acorns on which he or she is treading are broken into little bits. After reading wildlife interpreter and photographer Paul Rezendes's guidebook to animal signs, that same observer will be able to tell which of those acorns have been split by human footsteps and deer hooves and which have been gnawed apart by squirrels--and by what species of squirrel. A wonderfully thorough, well-illustrated compendium, Rezendes's text covers a wide range of North American animal species, including rodents, hoofed animals, bears, raccoons, opossums, and members of the weasel, rabbit, dog, and cat families. He describes not only the signs these animals leave but also their ways of life throughout the year, and with an appropriately environmentalist purpose. "Ultimately," Rezendes writes, "tracking an animal makes us sensitive to it--a bond is formed, an intimacy develops. We begin to realize that what is happening to the animals and to the planet is actually happening to us." He's right, of course, but one need not take such a macrocosmic view of nature to take pleasure in, and learn from, this fine book. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Best tracking book
Detailed accounts of wildlife encounters. Personal stories put you in the shoes of the tracker. Great pictures and examples of animals and their tracks. Easy to read, loaded with information. A must have for field work.

Excellent introduction
This book provides an excellent introduction to reading animal tracks. In the first chapter the author explains why we should try to understand the tracks around us in the forest, and what we might see. He then delves into the kinds of observations we need to make, such as trail widths and trail patterns and scat. The rest of the book is divided into chapters by animal family, including chapters for rodents, rabbits, weasels, dogs, cats, bears, and hoofed animals. There is also an extensive bibliography and index.

Each chapter is comprised of short articles about the specifics of tracking the individual animals that make up the family covered in the chapter. Rezendes provides a short informative description of the animal with a color photograph. The descriptions cover behavior, range, and diet. Rezendes also includes black and white photos of the animal's feet, both front and back. The next section of the article covers tracks and trail patterns, and it includes illustrations or diagrams, photographs, and typical trail width and stride measurements, as well as a lot of information to help you sort out this critter's tracks from all the others out there. He also includes short sections on signs, such as dens, food caches, kill sites, and scat, also with photographs or illustrations.

I purchased this book after moving out into the country because I wanted to identify the critters that visited at night leaving their tracks in the snow around our house. I found Rezendes' approach captivating and easy to understand, even as a beginner. Rezendes explains how tracks can tell us much more than just the identity of an animal- -through a careful study of tracks, you can determine how fast the animal was moving, whether it was browsing, being chased, or chasing another. This book is a highly informative reference; it's also a delightful read on a blustery winter afternoon.

Best Tracking Book to Be Found
This is a truly magnificent tracking book. The book has no pseudo-spiritual dribble about tracking ants across rocks or pressure points; it is full of useful information, and it is clear that the author is as genuine of an expert naturalist as they get. He shares an incredible wealth of information on how to examine and analyze the wilderness from a microcosmic level. The photography is outstanding and the descriptions of animal signs are excellent. Being a survival instructor, I have read many fine books on tracking animals and observing their signs, but I have never read one that I learned more from than this one.

My First Choice
I do a lot of tracking, both animal and human. I have read most books on the subject in print. This book is excellent for the beginner and expert and focuses on animal tracking. Rezendez helps the tracker learn both the animals track characteristics and its living habits. If I had to recommend only one book on tracking, this would be it, hands down.

To the Korean Reader
I know the lacking of the tracking guide about Asia-region's Mammals.
This book is written for the NorthAmerican Mammals.
So, there is no information about our Asia-specific mammals.-for example,Tiger.-. A few animals is like asian species.
But, We can use this book for the same Genus Animals on our region to the American species. And if you like the world-wide Mammals, this book is recommanded very very strongly.

Genus in this book :

Peomyscus sp.;Zapus sp.;Napaeozapus sp.;Tamias sp.;Tamiasciurus sp.;Sciurus sp.;Glaucomys sp.;Marmota sp.;Erethizon sp.;Ondatra sp.;Castor sp.;Sylvilagus sp.;Lepus sp.;Mustela sp.;Martes sp.;Lutra sp.;Gulo sp.;Mephitis sp.;Spilogale sp.;Didelphis sp.
;Procyon sp.;Vulpes sp.;Urocyon sp.;Canis sp.;Felis sp.;Ursus sp.;Odocoileus sp.;Ovis sp.;Rangifer sp.;Cervus sp.;Alces sp;Bison sp.; ... Read more

Book Description

I See a Kookaburra! lets readers search for an oystercatcher, an elephant shrew, and a fierce snapping turtle in the places where they live. Learn how these animals and many othersgrow and thrive in very different environments.

Incorporated into the book is an interactive element. Hidden in the illustrations are animals camouflaged in their surroundings. Turn the page to see if you were able to find them all! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent resource for biologists
This book explains the methods of distance sampling, which is a statistical procedure for estimating the abundance and density of biological populations. This book outlines the statistical procedures, assumptions, and philosophy of distance sampling, and gives good advice for survey protocol and design. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Clear, concise, and covers most current knowledge..
A short, biceps-friendly "textbook" on reproduction that covers most of the current knowledge in the field. Very well organized, and beautifully set up. Look at those colorful pictures and diagrams. I enjoy reading this book very much. But, when we were preparing for our endocrinology exam, we found something in table 3.4, p.39, on luteinizing hormone structure - it says that the beta-subunit of LH has two carobohydrate chains (instead of one?). Hopefully it's just a small typo. Well, nobody's perfect. I still give it nine out of ten.

Course Book
I am currently using this book for a college course. The book is perfect for people first learning about mammal reproduction. The book is clearly organized into subjects. I recommend this book for people who want a foundation in reproduction. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An absolutely wonderful source of information!
This book is absolutely wonderful! Last summer I worked for a company that took passengers out of Provincetown and went out to watch whales. As the naturalist, my job was to provide information about the environment and the things we were seeing there. This book was with me on every trip! There were many occasions when I walked around showing pictures out of it or used it for a quick reference. It was enjoyable and easy to read!

A very informative, but easy, read.
An excellent overview of the Fauna of StellWagon Bank. It includes many wonderful photopgraphs. There is also pretty balanced account of some of the significant environmental issues effecting the bank.

Educational and entertaining for scientists young and old
I purchased this book because I am doing a paper about Stellwagen Bank. If you are interested in marine biology, whales, oceanography or know a young budding marine biologist, this book is an excellent and very enjoyable resource. It is easy to read, good photos, yet packed with information about everything from Captain Stellwagen to glacier formation to the numerous forms of sea life that thrive in Stellwagen Bank. It is peppered with lore about the history of local fishermen and the former whaling industry, and very interesting tidbits about the Massachusetts coast. A bright youngster on your gift list would enjoy this book, as would the college student or anyone seeking knowledge about the sea and the life forms that depend on it. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

You can't go without it.
This book, referred to by many other authors, is THE guide for this group of Mammals. I found it indispensible for use in the rainforest, even if most mammals are very hard to see. The perfect illustrations, combined with the thorough descriptions and clear distribution maps, make it easy to determine what kind of animal you've seen. Very helpful to understand the local guides are the translations of the names in many tongues.

It's a very practical and well illustrated fieldguide
It's the most usefull book I own related with the mammalfauna proyects ( inventories, education, management ) we are doing in Central and Western Colombia. Every aspect of the text and illustrations has proven to be very usefull and practical. The taxonomical descriptions are generaly good enough to clasify the bigger species in the field, and the habit and habitat descriptions coincide mostly with our own experiences. The distributionmaps included in the text are also very usefull. The illustrations are sometime a little small, but have proven to be easily recognized by the local habitants, what is extremely usefull during quick inventaries. The relation price-quality is outstanding

wonderful
Adorei este livro, à muito tempo não vejo um livro sobre mamíferos neotropicais com este. A primeira vez que o li foi na universidade onde eu estudo. Sou aluno de veterinária e pretendo trabalhar com animais silvestres, por isso gostaria de ter este livro. Gostaria de saber mais sobre trabalhos ou livros publicados por estes autores. Um abraço, Adriano Carneiro (Pernambuco- Brasil). ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive field guide to the mammals of Central America, one of the most diverse and species-rich regions in the world. Generously illustrated with 48 full-color plates and many drawings, the book is designed for use both by amateur naturalists and professional biologists.The guide provides accounts for all mammals native to the land and surrounding waters of Central America and southeast Mexico. Detailed accounts include complete descriptions, measurements, range maps, and comparisons with similar species.The entire distribution, habitat, endangered status, and behaviors are also described, with sources of scientific references.For travelers to the region, a guide to the major parks and preserves is provided, with lists of the animals likely to found in each. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Absolutely the best mammals guide for the region
I had the opportunity to participate in a research project in Nicaragua. A local Nicaraguan university library allowed me to check out and use any field guide I wanted. Within days, all other field guides were permanently stowed in the bottom of my bag until I could return them to the university.

Having never been to the tropics before, I was still able to identify every bat I caught using mist nets with only the aid of this book (my local guides were unfamiliar with the bats).
This book will be your best piece of equipment if you plan to study mammals in Central America.

One of the first things I did when I returned home was order my own copy of this wonderful book.

A wonderful companion for both amateurs and pros
This field guide is a definitive yet handy guide that will surely be a classic of its type. It covers all the living species of native mammals from Mexico to Panama (including aquatic species such as whales and otters). For each species there is a careful description of its physical appearance along with notes on habitats, ranges (with maps) and behaviour, as well as other useful comments such as the best place to see a particular species, what the ground tracks look like and the status of threatened species. It is an absolute mine of fascinating information, much of it newly gathered or previously available only in obscure academic sources. There are excellent introductory sections on the main mammal groups, and good indexes and bibliographies -- in short , everything one needs to find and enjoy looking at mammals. But the most unique and useful feature (as well as the greatest delight -- and why this is a true classic), are the illustrations - hundreds of beautifully drawn colour plates painted from life (often in the most demanding of circumstances), that will allow you to settle important questions like "Is that a Woolly False Vampire Bat or a Great False Vampire Bat that just bit you" without flaming your travelling companions. (The book is especially strong on Bats.) Flying squirrels, monkeys, oppossums, sloths, deer mice, armadillos dolphins and skunks, they are all here. I would highly recommend this book both for amateurs and professionals (whether they are going to central america or not!). Every academic library should have a copy of it.

The care taken over detail throughout make the book both scientifically valuable and highly readable. It is a true labour of love - and just look at this quote from the author's preface! "Some species I painted while sitting in a truck, using the steering wheel as an easel, and some in a tent with a hadlamp at night, but most were done outside during the day, sitting on the ground or on a log. The white background of the plates suffered from a continuous onslaught of dust, sweat, and grime, and other indefinable debris. Carrying the plates throughout Central America involved some harrowing experiences, one of which was a short flight to Tortuguero in Costa Rica. The pilot had at length persuaded me to put my portfolio in the front baggage hold in the nose of the plane, and after we took off he realized that the door to this hold had come open. While the other four passengers agonized over the possibility of the plane going down if the luggage became tangled in the propellors, I was trying to follow our coordinates so I could search for my plates if they fell to the swampy ground below. Fortunately, we landed at a small airfield, corrected the problem, and lost nothing but peace of mind." ... Read more

Book Description

The American horseshoe crab that comes ashore on the East Coast in vast numbers to mate and nest is much the same creature that haunted the coast before the time of the dinosaurs. It is among the world's most intensely studied marine invertebrates, critical to our understanding of many groups of organisms, both modern and extinct, and crucial to the ecology of large estuaries such as the Delaware Bay. Some stocks of this great survivor, whose ancestors made it through the mass extinction some 286 million years ago, have been severely depleted today because of overfishing and habitat destruction.

Carl N. Shuster, Jr., H. Jane Brockmann, and Robert B. Barlow are at the forefront of research on Limulus polyphemus, and in this book they bring together twenty scientists who have worked on all aspects of horseshoe crab biology to compile the first fully detailed, comprehensive view of the species. An indispensable resource, the volume describes the horseshoe crab's behavior, natural history, and ecology; its anatomy, physiology, distribution, development, and life cycle; the puzzle of its immune system; and its present management and future conservation.

Book Description

Invertebrate Zoology deals with the animals that have no backbones, including the shrimps, crabs, sponges, worms, snails and squids. This book deals specifically with the invertebrates that spend all or part of their lifecycle in a freshwater environment. (As is usual and as in the previous edition, aquatic insects are excluded due to their vast numbers.) The invertebrate species far outnumber the vertebrate species, and a through understanding of aquatic invertebrate zoology is essential to understanding the community structure of freshwater environments.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book with keys that work!
This is an excellent book that belongs on the self of anyone who wants to be considered up-to-speed on the critters that dwell in our waters. I've had the opportunity to use the annelid and the tardigrade keys thus far, and both worked wonderfully. The general information for all of the groups is well written and up-to-date, and the addition of color plates is a nice touch. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

The culmination of more than a decade of work, this is the most complete manual available on the large family of insectivorous passerines, the Old World warblers Sylviidae, native to Israel and other Mediterranean countries.

The authors include detailed information on the phylogeny, distribution, ecology, appearance, and behavior of Sylvia warblers. They draw on tremendous experience and expertise to sort out the complex plumage variations of these notoriously stealthy birds, noting coloration changes by distribution, age, and sex. Attention is also given to the wide variation in song among Sylvia. The volume contains an incredible amount of original data, compiled from field studies and meticulous museum research. Importantly, the authors use a novel approach to systematics, resulting in the proposal of four new species splits. One of Europe's finest bird illustrators contributed the beautiful color plates, and a respected pioneer in field bird photography spent countless hours in desert conditions to obtain the 546 remarkable color photographs of these furtive warblers.

No other book has provided such an abundance of detail for one genus of birds, nor the quality and number of illustrations showing individual and geographic variation. All this, combined with DNA information on systematic relationships, makes this book unique among modern identification guides. It is that rare guide that constitutes both a major contribution to ornithology and an excellent reference for birders. It marks a new stage in ornithological literature and will set the standard for future works. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the better in the series
This book is part of a whole series covering fish, reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians and insects. "How to Hide an Octopus" is one of the better books in the series, and not a bad place to start if you haven't tried them before. If you do have another one, this is certainly a good member of the series. Some of the fishes are very difficult to find (Even I took a few tries to find all of the pipefish). My son like "How to Hide a Butterfly" better, possibly because this one is a little difficult (He's only 2). If your child is older, this may be a good choice. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a book for all readers who want to learn about amphibians, the animal group that includes frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. It draws on many years of classroom teaching, laboratory experience, and field observation by the authors. Robert Stebbins and Nathan Cohen lead readers on a fascinating odyssey as they explore some of nature's most interesting creatures, interspersing their own observations throughout the book. A Natural History of Amphibians can serve as a textbook for students and independent learners, as an overview of the field for professional scientists and land managers, and as an engaging introduction for general readers.

The class Amphibia contains more than 4,500 known living species. New species are being discovered so rapidly that the number may grow to more than 5,000 during our lifetimes. However, their numbers are being rapidly decimated around the globe, largely due to the encroachment of humans on amphibian habitats and from growing human-caused environmental pollution, discussed at length in the final chapter. The authors focus our attention on the "natural history" of amphibians worldwide and emphasize their interactions with their environments over time: where they live; how they reproduce; how they have been affected by evolutionary processes; what factors will determine their destinies over time. Through the experienced eyes of the authors, who are skilled observers, we come to see and understand the place of amphibians in the natural world around us. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good book, a lttle technical
I don't have a biology background but was (am) very interested in learning more about amphibians since we're setting up a neat frog pond in the back yard. So this was a book I came across and its pretty good for the lay person like me but it does get a bit technical in parts (so its probably better for beginner biology student or someone with the basics already under their belt). There are some really neat drawings in here - like those that show the different toe shapes of different salamanders and then go on to describe the different modes of locomotion. There's interesting behavioral info like territorialism in salamanders (I had no idea! they always seem so mellow!) And there's a fascinating chapter (short unfortunately) on homing and migration. There are lots of neat chapters, those are just a few items that spring to mind. I'm still looking for more books that will give me a good basic understanding of the life and times of amphibians but this was certainly a great start. I highly recommend it since it does have so much info and for the lay person like myself it gave me a chance to expand my knowledge. I'm fascinated by vernal pools and the whole migration/reproduction cycles but this was a good start.

well-written and easy to read
This book is intended for a general audience and is great for anyone who wants to know more about frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. Despite this fact, I'm sure that even professional herpetologists will find this book interesting and learn something that they do not know. Chapters include: skin, breathing, food habits, voice, reproduction and declining amphibians. Overall, an interesting and highly informative book. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great addition to conservation biology!
I think this is a great new addition not only to the study of primates in critical habitats but for the science of conservation biology. I recommend this book for anyone who is intersted in what is going on the the tropics. ... Read more