Field Guide to Carnivores of the World, 2nd edition

Author: Luke Hunter
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472982673
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
From the largest terrestrial carnivore, the Polar Bear, to the tiny Least Weasel that can squeeze through a wedding ring, the true carnivores include some of the world's most charismatic, admired, feared and spectacular creatures. This fully updated second edition of Luke Hunter's comprehensive guide profiles all of the world's terrestrial carnivore species. Thoroughly updated throughout and covering recently described species, a detailed account describes each species' key identification characteristics, distribution and habitat, behaviour, feeding ecology, social patterns, life history statistics, conservation and the latest on classification. This edition also includes accurate distribution maps for each species. Colour plates by top wildlife artist Priscilla Barrett depict each species, with subspecies, colour variations and behavioural vignettes for many. There are also detailed line drawings of more than 230 skulls and 110 footprints.

Walker's Carnivores of the World

Author: Ronald M. Nowak
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801880339
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
Although they are highly intelligent, ruthless predators, carnivores are increasingly rare. From the dwarf mongoose to the polar bear, carnivores are at once respected and misunderstood, invoking both fear and curiosity in the humans with whom they share their world. Ronald M. Nowak celebrates these fascinating mammals in Walker's Carnivores of the World. This comprehensive guide, featuring 225 illustrations, covers the world's eight terrestrial families of carnivores. Each generic account comprises scientific and common names, number and distribution of species, physical attributes, measurements, hunting and social activity, reproduction, habitat, population dynamics, longevity, and status of threatened species. A thought-provoking overview by David W. Macdonald and Roland W. Kays is packed with results of the latest field and laboratory research on topics ranging from evolutionary history to the adaptive value of fur patterns. Emphasizing the interplay of social life, morphology, and predatory behavior, it provides an up-to-date panorama of the world's carnivores.

Wild Cats of the World

Author: Luke Hunter
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472922859
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
Wild Cats of the World provides detailed accounts for all 38 species of wild cat accompanied by magnificent artwork and stunning photography. From the rabbit-sized Black-footed Cat of southern Africa to bear-killing Amur tigers of the Russian Far East, the 38 members of the Cat Family include some of the world's most fascinating and magnificent species on earth. Supremely adapted for the kill, all cats are obligate carnivores; they survive only by preying upon other animals, and they have become one of evolution's most successful predatory lineages of mammals. Wild Cats of the World explores the spectacular Cat Family in unprecedented depth. Drawing on thousands of scientific papers and direct observations in the field, each species is profiled at length, covering all aspects of felid behaviour and ecology. The book is profusely illustrated with colour plates, black-and-white sketches showing important aspects of cat life and accurate images of every species' skull. Over 400 spectacular photographs are included, many of them showing extremely rare and little-known cats published here for the first time. Each profile includes an up-to-date range map and explains the most current science on how cats are classified and related to each other, including some very recent, surprising discoveries. Despite their great evolutionary success, the challenges facing felids in the modern world are profound. Only one, the ubiquitous domestic cat, does not require dedicated conservation action to ensure survival for the next century. The book also explores the current conservation issues facing wild cats, the increasingly perilous status of many species and how they can be saved.

Carnivores

Author: Aaron Reynolds
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452134227
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 41

Book Description
A lion, a great white shark, and a timber wolf, all meat-eaters who have been hurt by the cruelty of plant-eaters, form a support group which has limited success until their newest member, a great horned owl, shares some advice.

Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity

Author: Justina Ray
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597266094
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 544

Book Description
Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity brings together more than thirty leading scientists and conservation practitioners to consider a key question in environmental conservation: Is the conservation of large carnivores in ecosystems that evolved with their presence equivalent to the conservation of biological diversity within those systems? Building their discussions from empirical, long-term data sets, contributors including James A. Estes, David S. Maehr, Tim McClanahan, Andrès J. Novaro, John Terborgh, and Rosie Woodroffe explore a variety of issues surrounding the link between predation and biodiversity: What is the evidence for or against the link? Is it stronger in marine systems? What are the implications for conservation strategies? Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity is the first detailed, broad-scale examination of the empirical evidence regarding the role of large carnivores in biodiversity conservation in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It contributes to a much more precise and global understanding of when, where, and whether protecting and restoring top predators will directly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Everyone concerned with ecology, biodiversity, or large carnivores will find this volume a unique and thought-provoking analysis and synthesis.

People and Predators

Author: Defenders of Wildlife
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597269107
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Book Description
Carnivores provide innumerable ecological benefits and play a unique role in preserving and maintaining ecosystem services and function, but at the same time they can create serious problems for human populations. A key question for conservation biologists and wildlife managers is how to manage the world's carnivore populations to conserve this important natural resource while mitigating harmful impacts on humans. In People and Predators, leading scientists and researchers offer case studies of human-carnivore conflicts in a variety of landscapes, including rural, urban, and political. The book covers a diverse range of taxa, geographic regions, and conflict scenarios, with each chapter dealing with a specific facet of human-carnivore interactions and offering practical, concrete approaches to resolving the conflict under consideration. Chapters provide background on particular problems and describe how challenges have been met or what research or tools are still needed to resolve the conflicts. People and Predators will helps readers to better understand issues of carnivore conservation in the 21st century, and provides practical tools for resolving many of the problems that stand between us and a future in which carnivores fulfill their historic ecological roles.

The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World

Author: Donald W. Duszynski
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128113502
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 740

Book Description
The fundamental concept of The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Carnivores of the World is to provide an up-to-date reference guide to the identification, taxonomy, and known biology of apicomplexan intestinal and tissue parasites of carnivores including, but not limited to, geographic distribution, prevalence, sporulation, prepatent and patent periods, site(s) of infection in the definitive and (if known) intermediate hosts, endogenous development, cross-transmission, pathology, phylogeny, and (if known) their treatments. These data will allow easy parasite recognition with a summation of virtually everything now known about the biology of each parasite species covered. The last (very modest) and only treatise published on this subject was in 1981 so this book fills a fundamental gap in our knowledge of what is now known, and what is not, about the coccidian parasites that infect and sometimes kill carnivores and/or their prey that can harbor intermediate stages, including many domestic and game animals. - Offers line drawings and photomicrographs of many parasite species that will allow easy diagnosis and identification by both laypersons and professionals (veterinarians, wildlife biologists, etc.) - Presents a complete historical rendition of all known publications on carnivore coccidia for all carnivore families and evaluates the scientific and scholarly merit of each apicomplexan species relative to the current body of knowledge - Provides a complete species analysis and their known biology of all coccidia described from each carnivore lineage and species - Reviews the most current taxonomy of carnivores and their phylogenetic relationships to help assess host-specificity patterns that may be apparent - Evaluates what little cross-transmission work is available to help understand the complexities of those coccidians that use two hosts (e.g., Sarcocystis, Besnoitia, and others) - Provides known treatments for the various parasite genera/species

The Call of Carnivores

Author: Prof. Hans Kruuk
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1784271829
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 361

Book Description
Carnivores include some of the most impressive, dangerous and mysterious animals in the world. Hans Kruuk has spent his life studying them against magnificent backdrops, from the Serengeti savannahs and Kalahari deserts to the Scottish Highlands, from the Galápagos Islands to the Far East. In each location he has used meticulous observation of animal behaviour to understand the ecology and natural history of wild carnivore populations, and ultimately to promote their conservation. This book describes the methods, challenges and rewards of the science of behavioural ecology. However, it essentially concerns the personal, rather than the scientific, side of that work, and above all the field experiences involved. With photographs and line drawings, it brings to life African safaris, the hyena in his bath, flights with vultures, dives with otters, attacks by a badger in Scotland and by feral dogs in Galápagos, gull-eating hedgehogs in Britain and the role of animals in African witchcraft. The author communicates his lifelong fascination with wildlife through these unique experiences and the insights they afforded him. Professor Kruuk is a leading authority on animal behaviour and the author of classic studies of hyaenas, otters and badgers, as well as a biography of his Oxford mentor Niko Tinbergen.

Urban Carnivores

Author: Stanley D. Gehrt
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 9780801893896
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Book Description
It includes an extensive bibliography and is an essential reference for wildlife biologists, mammalogists, and urban planners.

Carnivores

Author: James Benefield
Publisher: Raintree
ISBN: 1406289108
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 26

Book Description
Read this book to find out what classifies an animal as a carnivore, as well as what common features, such as tooth shape and eye position, can tell you about carnivores. This book will look at a wide range of fascinating animals from around the world and will introduce readers to ideas about the relationships between different living things, using key terminology.