The Biology of Bats

Author: Gerhard Neuweiler
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195099508
Category : Bats
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Book Description
Well adapted to numerous habitats, bats comprise almost one quarter of all species of mammals. This book is a comprehensive introduction to their biology. Suitable as a textbook for undergraduates and written by one of the world's leading researchers, the book offers an accessible summary of the extensive body of research on bats. The book takes a broad physiological perspective and devotes separate chapters to specific physiological systems as well as to bat ecology and phylogeny. It features a thorough discussion of echolocation, which continues to be the subject of intense research, and describes many European and neotropical bats, as well as North American species. "Biology of Bats" is an important resource both for students and researchers.

Biology of Bats

Author: William Wimsatt
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0323151191
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Book Description
Biology of Bats, Volume I, examines most of the basic characteristics related to the anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology of the bat. It covers the animal's evolution, as well as karyology, bioeconomics, zoogeography, principles of classification, and procedures and issues involved in the care and management of bats as research subjects in the laboratory. Organized into 10 chapters, this volume begins with a historical overview of bat origins and evolution, karyotypic trends in bats, and the role of karyotypes in studying the biology of bats. It then discusses the bat skeletal and muscular systems; flight patterns and aerodynamics; prenatal and postnatal development; migration and homing; ecology and physiological ecology of bat hibernation; thermoregulation and metabolism; and the urinary system, including gross anatomy and embryology, histophysiology, and renal physiology. It also looks at morphological contrasts between the skulls and dentitions of different families and genera of bats. This book will benefit biologists, zoologists, teachers, and others concerned with the general biology of Chiroptera.

Reproductive Biology of Bats

Author: Elizabeth G. Crichton
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080540538
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 523

Book Description
The Reproductive Biology of Bats presents the first comprehensive, in-depth review of the current knowledge and supporting literature concerning the behavior, anatomy, physiology and reproductive strategies of bats. These mammals, which occur world-wide and comprise a vast assemblage of species, have evolved unique and successful reproductive strategies through varied anatomical and physiological specialization. These are accompanied by individual and/or group behavioral interactions, usually in response to environmental mechanisms essential to their reproductive success. - Is the first book devoted to the reproductive biology of bats - Contains in-depth reviews of the literature concerned with bat reproduction - Contributors are widely recognized specialists - Provides a powerful database for future research

BAT BIOLOGY & CONSERVATION

Author: KUNZ THOMAS H
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description
Presenting the most recent research and synthetic reviews of more than thirty-five of the world's leading authorities on bats, Bat Biology and Conservation discusses bat phylogeny and evolution, functional morphology, echolocation, and conservation biology. It is an essential reference not only for bat scientists but also for conservation biologists and those working with other mammalian groups.

Bat Ecology

Author: Thomas H. Kunz
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226462072
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 799

Book Description
In recent years researchers have discovered that bats play key roles in many ecosystems as insect predators, seed dispersers, and pollinators. Bats also display astonishing ecological and evolutionary diversity and serve as important models for studies of a wide variety of topics, including food webs, biogeography, and emerging diseases. In Bat Ecology, world-renowned bat scholars present an up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative review of this ongoing research. The first part of the book covers the life history and behavioral ecology of bats, from migration to sperm competition and natural selection. The next section focuses on functional ecology, including ecomorphology, feeding, and physiology. In the third section, contributors explore macroecological issues such as the evolution of ecological diversity, range size, and infectious diseases (including rabies) in bats. A final chapter discusses conservation challenges facing these fascinating flying mammals. Bat Ecology is the most comprehensive state-of-the-field collection for scientists and researchers. Contributors: John D. Altringham, Robert M. R. Barclay, Tenley M. Conway, Elizabeth R. Dumont, Peggy Eby, Abigail C. Entwistle, Theodore H. Fleming, Patricia W. Freeman, Lawrence D. Harder, Gareth Jones, Linda F. Lumsden, Gary F. McCracken, Sharon L. Messenger, Bruce D. Patterson, Paul A. Racey, Jens Rydell, Charles E. Rupprecht, Nancy B. Simmons, Jean S. Smith, John R. Speakman, Richard D. Stevens, Elizabeth F. Stockwell, Sharon M. Swartz, Donald W. Thomas, Otto von Helversen, Gerald S. Wilkinson, Michael R. Willig, York Winter

Bats

Author: John D. Altringham
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199207119
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 349

Book Description
Bats are highly charismatic and popular animals that are not only fascinating in their own right, but illustrate most of the topical and important concepts and issues in mammalian biology. This book covers the key aspects of bat biology, including evolution, flight, echolocation, hibernation, reproduction, feeding and roosting ecology, social behaviour, migration, population and community ecology, biogeography, and conservation. This new edition is fully updated and greatly expanded throughout, maintaining the depth and scientific rigour of the first edition. It is written with infectious enthusiasm, and beautifully illustrated with drawings and colour photographs.

Phyllostomid Bats

Author: Theodore H. Fleming
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022669612X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489

Book Description
With more than two hundred species distributed from California through Texas and across most of mainland Mexico, Central and South America, and islands in the Caribbean Sea, the Phyllostomidae bat family (American leaf-nosed bats) is one of the world’s most diverse mammalian families. From an insectivorous ancestor, species living today, over about 30 million years, have evolved a hyper-diverse range of diets, from blood or small vertebrates, to consuming nectar, pollen, and fruit. Phyllostomid plant-visiting species are responsible for pollinating more than five hundred species of neotropical shrubs, trees, vines, and epiphytes—many of which are economically and ecologically important—and they also disperse the seeds of at least another five hundred plant species. Fruit-eating and seed-dispersing members of this family thus play a crucial role in the regeneration of neotropical forests, and the fruit eaters are among the most abundant mammals in these habitats. Coauthored by leading experts in the field and synthesizing the latest advances in molecular biology and ecological methods, Phyllostomid Bats is the first overview in more than forty years of the evolution of the many morphological, behavioral, physiological, and ecological adaptations in this family. Featuring abundant illustrations as well as details on the current conservation status of phyllostomid species, it is both a comprehensive reference for these ecologically vital creatures and a fascinating exploration of the evolutionary process of adaptive radiation.

Bats of Southern Africa

Author: Peter John Taylor
Publisher: University of Kwazulu Natal Press
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 234

Book Description
Public appreciation of the ecological value and remarkable biological adaptations of bats is rapidly changing. Bat-watching is one of the world's fastest growing specialist wildlife interests, and bat conservation groups have sprung up all over the world. This book was written to raise public awareness of bats in southern Africa, and to dispel some popular myths about them. It provides the prospective bat-watcher with both an authoritative species identification guide and a practical handbook. Bats of Southern Africa contains species accounts for all the region's 74 species of bats, with descriptions and diagnostic features as well as information on habitat, social and roosting habits, diet, reproduction, echolocation call, distribution and conservation status. Superb photographs by world bat expert Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle and illustrations by Christeen Grant are supplemented by distribution maps and sonograms of ultrasound echolocation.

Bats

Author: M. Brock Fenton
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022606526X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Book Description
There are more than 1,300 species of bats—or almost a quarter of the world’s mammal species. But before you shrink in fear from these furry “creatures of the night,” consider the bat’s fundamental role in our ecosystem. A single brown bat can eat several thousand insects in a night. Bats also pollinate and disperse the seeds for many of the plants we love, from bananas to mangoes and figs. Bats: A World of Science and Mystery presents these fascinating nocturnal creatures in a new light. Lush, full-color photographs portray bats in flight, feeding, and mating in views that show them in exceptional detail. The photos also take the reader into the roosts of bats, from caves and mines to the tents some bats build out of leaves. A comprehensive guide to what scientists know about the world of bats, the book begins with a look at bats’ origins and evolution. The book goes on to address a host of questions related to flight, diet, habitat, reproduction, and social structure: Why do some bats live alone and others in large colonies? When do bats reproduce and care for their young? How has the ability to fly—unique among mammals—influenced bats’ mating behavior? A chapter on biosonar, or echolocation, takes readers through the system of high-pitched calls bats emit to navigate and catch prey. More than half of the world’s bat species are either in decline or already considered endangered, and the book concludes with suggestions for what we can do to protect these species for future generations to benefit from and enjoy. From the tiny “bumblebee bat”—the world’s smallest mammal—to the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox, whose wingspan exceeds five feet, A Battery of Bats presents a panoramic view of one of the world’s most fascinating yet least-understood species.

Evolutionary History of Bats

Author: Gregg F. Gunnell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521768241
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 581

Book Description
This book explores the rich evolutionary history of bats from multiple perspectives, presenting some of the most remarkable discoveries involving fossil bats.