Although the specimen of choice in the US drug testing industry is urine, and serum in clinical medicine, interest has recently grown in the use of other matrices as drug testing media. This book provides researchers and forensic toxicologists with a convenient general text summarizing the state of knowledge today. Chapters focus specifically on the application of these practices to drugs of abuse. The up-to-date information provided is complemented with thorough references.

This is the first book to cover all aspects of Lagomorph biology. Lagomorphs are a mammalian order which includes rabbits, hares and pikas. They are distributed throughout the world and are of both scientific and public interest as they are classified between endangered and pest species. In addition, some have a high economic value as important game species. In the last few decades, a huge amount of information has been made available to the scientific community that has resulted in remarkable advances on all aspects of Lagomorph biology.

This atlas presents a series of photographic illustrations and line drawings that summarize the major developmental events that occur during organogenesis in the opossum (Didelphis virginiana).It will be of interest to General Biologists, Zoologists, Wildlife Biologists, Embryologists and Medical Scientists.

Humans are mammals. Most of us appreciate that at some level. But what does it mean for us to have more in common with a horse and an elephant than we do with a parrot, snake or frog?

After a misdirected football left new father Liam Drew clutching a uniquely mammalian part of his anatomy, he decided to find out more. Considering himself as a mammal first and a human second, Liam delves into ancient biological history to understand what it means to be mammalian.

In his humorous and engaging style, Liam explores the different characteristics that distinguish mammals from other types of animals. He charts the evolution of milk, warm blood and burgeoning brains, and examines the emergence of sophisticated teeth, exquisite ears, and elaborate reproductive biology, plus a host of other mammalian innovations. Entwined are tales of zoological peculiarities and reflections on how being a mammal has shaped the author's life.

I, Mammal is a history of mammals and their ancestors and of how science came to grasp mammalian evolution. And in celebrating our mammalian-ness, Liam Drew binds us a little more tightly to the five and a half thousand other species of mammal on this planet and reveals the deep roots of many traits humans hold dear.

The Centre For Fortean Zoology Yearbook is a collection of papers and essays too long and detailed for publication in the CFZ Journal Animals & Men. With contributions from both well-known researchers, and relative newcomers to the field, the Yearbook provides a forum where new theories can be expounded, and work on little-known cryptids discussed.

Ever since humankiind first ventured out onto the oceans, sailors came back with stories of sea monsters. For two hundred years, scientists have been attempting to classify these 'creatures' within an acceptable zoological frame of reference. The most important of these was produced by Professor Bernard Heuvelmans half a century ago. Michael Woodley, takes a look at Heuvelmans' classification model, re-examines it in the light of new discoveries in palaeontology and ichthyology over the past fifty years, and reaches some astounding conclusions.

The information in this volume relates to the country's three prevalent wild pig types: the introduced Eurasian wild boar, the feral (once domestic, now wild) hog, and hybrids of the two. The first section of the book presents a history of wild pigs in this country-their origins; when, where, and by whom they were first introduced; and their subsequent dispersal. John J. Mayer and I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr. then develop specific criteria, based on taxonomic principles, for differentiating between the wild pig types. Employing numerous illustrations, graphs, and tables, they analyze and compare morphometric and discrete characters of the skull, external body dimensions and proportions, coat colorations patterns, and hair structure and form. A report on the status of wild pig populations in the United States (as of 1991) completes the volume. Aided by the book's wealth of current data, biologists and wildlife managers can make informed decisions about such issues as state versus private ownership of wild pig populations and the status of wild pigs as pests or game animals. In addition, hunters and sportsmen, zoologists, and even specialized historians and archaeologists will find Wild Pigs in the United States useful and informative. John J. Mayer is a senior research scientist at Westinghouse Savannah River Company. I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr. is a senior research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. "It is evident that Mayer and Brisbin have meticulously researched the populations described in this book. . . . This book is a notably objective work and is one of the best references available on wild pigs. It represents an ordered, concise history that is easily followed. . . . Anyone needing information on wild pigs should find it a useful reference."-Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 57, No. 2, 1993 "An important book that will likely become the definitive text on the status and history of wild pigs in the United States . . . Moreover, it stands as one of the finest studies of the invasion of an exotic species and of the interplay between a domestic animal and its feral relatives."-Conservation Biology, Vol. 6, No. 4, 1992 "Thorough, well written . . . It should serve as an important reference for professional mammalogists and those employed by federal and state wildlife agencies."-ASB Bulletin, Vol. 39, No. 3, 1992

With contributions from both well-known researchers and relative newcomers, this collection of papers and essays that are too long and detailed for publication in the CFZ Journal "Animals & Men" provides a forum where work on little-known cryptids can be discussed.

Did you know that a groundhog is really a type of squirrel? That squirrels control their body temperature with their tails? That most squirrels have yellow-tinted eye lenses that work like sunglasses to reduce glare? That tree squirrels can turn their hind feet completely around when climbing down a tree head-first? In Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide, Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie Ferrell unveil the fascinating world of one of the "most watched" mammals on the planet. The diversity of squirrels is astounding. There are 278 species that inhabit all continents except Antarctica and Australia-varying in size from the lumbering 18-pound gray marmot to the graceful pygmy flying squirrel that is smaller than most mice. In many parts of the world they readily share human habitats, joining us for lunch in a city park, raiding our bird feeders, and sneaking into college dorm rooms through open windows. Reviled as pests or loved as an endearing amusement, squirrels have played important roles in trade, literature, and mythology. Thorington and Ferrell cover every aspect of this diverse animal family, from the first squirrels of 36 million years ago to the present day. With over one hundred photographs and an intuitive question-and-answer format, this authoritative and engaging guide sheds light on a common mammal that is anything but commonplace.

It has been established that TNF receptor associated factors (TRAFs) are critical signaling mediators for not only the TNF receptor superfamily, but also the interleukin-1 receptor/Toll-like receptor superfamily and the T-cell receptors. They play important roles in mammalian biology including embryonic development, innate and adaptive immune regulation and maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Agents that manipulate the signaling of these receptors are being used or showing promise towards the treatment and prevention of many human diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, coronary heart disease, transplantation rejection, insulin resistance, multiple organ failure and cancer. TNF Receptor Associated Factors is the only literature that is entirely devoted to TRAFs. Almost every aspect of TRAF signaling is covered, including the different TRAF family members, their distinct biological functions, the TRAF structures, their modes of receptor recognition, the signaling mechanisms, and the roles of TRAFs in normal cellular functions and in viral infection. TNF Receptor Associated Factors is intended for a wide audience, including researchers in the field of TRAF signaling and students and postdoctoral fellows learning cell biology and cell signal transduction. This exciting new volume is up to date on the most recent advances in TRAF signal transduction.

Field naturalists have observed the activities of weasels for centuries. Their descriptions were often accurate but sometimes misinterpreted the animals' behaviors and underlying explanations for those behaviors. "Organized natural history" became one of the roots of the science of ecology in
the 1920s and by the 1960s scientists had begun to study the biology of weasels with all the critical, objective advantages of modern theory and equipment. Until the first edition of this book appeared in 1989 no one had attempted to explain these results to non-specialist naturalists. Now
thoroughly revised, this book will continue to be the main one-stop reference for professionals. But both kinds of knowledge are brought together here-- observations for the traditional naturalist and rigorous measurements and interpretations for modern scientists, integrated into a single, readable
account.
This new edition provides a comprehensive summary of the extensive advances over the last 15 years in our knowledge of these fascinating animals. A new U.S.-based co-author reshapes the content to be more U.S.-centric. Stories about North America trappers and backwoodsmen interacting with weasels
replace some (not all) of the previous stories about English gamekeepers. These changes permeate the book, so readers familiar with the first edition will recognize some material, but will find a lot that is new. Much less reliable European information quoted in the first edition was there at the
time when no better information was available. Now a new NZ chapter focuses on predation problems of the species introduced to that country. This edition, much more than a simple update, is now truly aninternational treatment and a more valuable resource.

Across the globe, about 250 species of rodents spend most of their lives in safe and stable, but dark, oxygen-poor and carbon dioxide-rich burrows, deprived of most of the sensory cues available aboveground. They have become fully specialized for a unique way of life in which foraging and breeding take place underground. The systematic research into adaptations of subterranean dwellers is only about two decades old, but it has rapidly intensified within the last few years, bringing insight into many aspects of the biology and evolution at different organization levels.

Subterranean Rodents presents achievements from the last years of research on these rodents, divided into five sections: ecophysiology; sensory ecology; life histories, behavioural ecology and demography; environmental and economical impact; molecular ecology and evolution. It is a must for all researchers working in this field and will be of interest to zoologists, physiologists, morphologists, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists.

In "The Voice of the Coyote", J. Frank Dobie melds natural history with tales and lore in articulating the complex and often contentious relationship between coyotes and humans. Based on his own life experiences in Texas and twenty-five years of research, Dobie forges a sympathetic and nuanced picture of the coyote prefiguring later environmental and conservation movements. He recognizes the impact of human action on the coyote while also examining the prominent role of the coyote in the myths and legends of the West.

1 Introduction The esophagus is a relatively simple though vital organ. It consists of a two-layered muscular tube whose lumen is lined by squamous strati?ed epithelium. Beyond its role of propelling food from the pharynx to the stomach by a propulsive contraction wave representing the esophageal phase of deglutition (Conklin and Christensen 1994; Jean 2001), it is more and more recognized as a sensory organ from which a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular re?exes can be triggered, thus coop- ating with the larynx in protecting the lower airways from aspiration (Barthelemy et al. 1996; Lang et al. 2002; Lang et al. 2001; Loomis et al. 1997; Medda et al. 2003). In ruminants, there is additional antiperistalsis for regurgitation. During emesis, the esophagus is a merely passive conduit except for some antiperistalsis in its upper part. In the interval between swallows, both oral and aboral ends of the esophagus are tonically closed by the upper and lower esophageal sphincters, UES and LES respectively, while the tubular esophagus is ?accid and partly ?lled with air. Despite this apparent simplicity, neuronal control of esophageal functions is quite complex.

For thousands of years, the majestic elephant has roamed the African continent, as beloved by man as it has been preyed upon. But centuries of exploitation and ivory hunting have taken their toll: now, as wars and poachers continue to ravage its habitat, as disease and political strife deflect attention from its plight, the African elephant faces imminent extinction.
What will become of these magnificent beasts? As the elephant's future looms ever darker, Martin Meredith's concise and richly illustrated biography traces the elephant's history from the first ivory expeditions of the Egyptian pharaohs 2500 years ago to today, exploring along the way the indelible imprint the African elephant has made in art, literature, culture, and society. He shares recent extraordinary discoveries about the elephant's sophisticated family and community structure and reveals the remarkable ways in which elephants show compassion and loyalty to each other.
Elegant, illuminating, and urgent, "Elephant Destiny" offers a beautiful and important tribute to one of earth's most magisterial creatures at the very moment it threatens to vanish from being.

Martens and Fishers (Martes) in Human-Altered Environments: An International Perspective examines the conditions where humans and martens are compatible and incompatible, and promotes land use practices that allow Martes to be representatively distributed and viable.

All Martes have been documented to use forested habitats and 6 species (excluding the stone marten) are generally considered to require complex mid- to late-successional forests throughout much of their geographic ranges. All species in the genus require complex horizontal and vertical structure to provide escape cover protection from predators, habitat for their prey, access to food resources, and protection from the elements. Martens and the fisher have high metabolic rates, have large spatial requirements, have high surface area to volume ratios for animals that often inhabit high latitudes, and often require among the largest home range areas per unit body weight of any group of mammals. Resulting from these unique life history characteristics, this genus is particularly sensitive to human influences on their habitats, including habitat loss, stand-scale simplification of forest structure via some forms of logging, and landscape-scale effects of habitat fragmentation. Given their strong associations with structural complexity in forests, martens and the fisher are often considered as useful barometers of forest health and have been used as ecological indicators, flagship, and umbrella species in different parts of the world. Thus, efforts to successfully conserve and manage martens and fishers are associated with the ecological fates of other forest dependent species and can greatly influence ecosystem integrity within forests that are increasingly shared among wildlife and humans.

We have made great strides in our fundamental understanding of how animals with these unique life history traits perceive and utilize habitats, respond to habitat change, and how their populations function and perform under different forms of human management and mismanagement. This knowledge enhances our basic understanding of all species of Martes and will help us to achieve the goal of conserving viable populations and representative distributions of the world's Martes, their habitats, and associated ecological communities in our new millennium.

After 40 years of research, scientists have confirmed that persistent neurogenesis occurs in the adult mammalian brain. The obvious next question is: "Are the newly generated neurons functional?" If so, "What are the functions of these new neurons?" This volume intends to clarify both questions by providing the latest data available.

Wild Dogs, originally published in 1992, is a classic study of foxes, wolves, jackals, coyotes, and other naturally wild dogs. Humans continue to be fascinated with dogs, the first animals to be domesticated and their wild cousins. Wild Dogs details the comprehensive natural history of the nondomestic dog species. The book is intended as a general reference work for biologists, wildlife managers, and conservationists. Jennifer Sheldon, a research scientist at the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center in Bozeman, Montana has been studying coyotes in Yellowstone since 1989.

First published in 1981, Dynamics of Large Mammal Populations was written by experts from four continents and six countries. It is a collection of papers on the population dynamics of large mammals and was the first synthesis of work in the field. The book helped provide identity and coherence to an emerging field. It has become a much-sought-after book. The theoretical and empirical studies presented demonstrate the ways in which numbers of animals in large mammal populations change over time in response to a variety of factors. The studies cover a wide variety of species - including both terrestrial and marine mammals - and compare the population dynamics of various groups such as herbivores, carnivores, ungulates, cetaceans and pinnipeds. Included are species involved in controversial population management problems. Also covered are advances in managing the populations of large mammals, and advances in the theoretical basis of large mammal population dynamics. Numerous examples detail the interaction of mammals with their ecosystems. Population biologists, wildlife biologists and managers, government researchers, environmentalists and marine mammal scientists can use the information made available here as a basis for comparative research and practical applications. "The book contains an excellent mix of theoretical chapters, general overviews, and studies of specific animal speces, ranging from seals and whales to lions and elephants, taking deer, wolves, and grizzly bears along the way... But to the specialist it will be indispensable, forming as it does the only authoritative volume that deals with the population dynamics of this important group of animals." ORYX Fauna & Flora Preservation Society, July, 1983. "One immediately realizes, by skimming the citations of the different chapters, that the researchers, working on such animals as whales, bears, seals, lions, and elephants had not been talking to one another, and that this book represents something of a first in this regard." Mathematical Biosciences, 1983. "The book will be of particular interest and value to wildlife biologists faced with problems of managing wildlife resources and to people who use the resources." The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1982. "This is an excellent book. One doesn't have to be a population biologist to understand the material. Best of all, the authors are refreshingly frank about areas of ignorance in population biology and the failure of even the best simulaion models to fit the real world... To sum up, there is food for thought in this volume for every zoologist with an interest in population biology and especially for those who study large mammals." BioScience 1982. "In bringing a wealth of research effort to a wider readership, this book cannot fail to stimulate" Biometrics, 1982.

Mammalian hair has always had a use in human society: as fur for clothing, in the production of cloth, or in the production of brushes. Scientists, too, make use of mammalian hair as a diagnostic tool in areas such as animal ecology, wildlife biology, and nature management. The identification of hairs found in the field, in the intestine or feces of carnivores, or in the pellets of birds of prey, can yield valuable information on the distribution of mammals and the diet of their predators. With photographs and keys, this atlas aids correct identification by providing data on the color, form, and length of hair and the structure of the cuticula, medulla, and cross-sections.

This is the only book entirely devoted to the sensory circumventricular organs. It reviews research into their detailed anatomy, neurochemistry, neural connections, and functions, and provides the reader with many illustrations previously unpublished.

This handbook presents an up-to-date review of the ecology and behavior of ungulates inhabiting eastern Europe and northern and central Asia, a vast area covering one sixth of the Earth. It provides detailed descriptions of 26 ungulate species focusing on quantitative data and condensing presentations of the autecology of the species, in order to facilitate comparisons between species, including data from several areas. Each species description includes data on geographical range and variability of body measurements over its range; preferred biotopes and evaluations of limiting factors of the abiotic environment; descriptions of social and territorial behavior; feeding features including lists of used plants; parameters of breeding in different parts of the range; factors of mortality with information on predators, diseases and parasites; and dynamics of numbers and harvesting in all parts of the range.

Constantine Slobodchikoff and colleagues synthesize the results of their long-running study of Gunnison s prairie dogs ("Cynomys gunnisoni"), one of the keystone species of the short-grass prairie ecosystem. They set their research in the context of the biology of the five "Cynomys" species found in the United States and Mexico, and detail their investigation into the prairie dogs sophisticated system of barks, yips, and chirps, which Slobodchikoff argues represents a referential communication capable of fine distinctions among predators.

Seen as vermin that spoiled valuable rangeland, prairie dogs were long the subject of eradication campaigns and are now threatened by habitat loss and the loss of genetic diversity. The authors hope their research will help to pull the prairie dog back from the brink of extinction, as well as foster an appreciation of larger conservation challenges. By examining the complex factors behind prairie dog decline, we can begin to understand the problems inherent in our adversarial relationship with the natural world. Understanding these interactions is the first step toward a more sustainable future.

In a remote valley near the BC-Alaska border lives a remarkable group of grizzly bears who have never learned to fear humans. When logging threatened this valley, people from all over the world joined a battle to save the bears. In 1994, their efforts paid off with the establishment of the Khutzymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, one of the world's most important protected wildlife areas. Dan Wakeman, a core member of the Save the Khutzymateen campaign, was one of only two guides licensed to take visitors into the heart of this ecological reserve. Photographer Wendy Shymanski, who worked with Dan for many years, amassed a folio of exquisite colour photographs of the bears in this special part of the world. In "Fortress of the Grizzlies," these avid naturalists share what they have learned and seen during years of respectful interaction with this community of grizzlies.