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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Vertebrates > Mammals
Ethnoprimatology, the combining of primatological and
anthropological practice and the viewing of humans and other
primates as living in integrated and shared ecological and social
spaces, has become an increasingly popular approach to primate
studies in the twenty-first century. Offering an insight into the
investigation and documentation of human-nonhuman primate relations
in the Anthropocene, this book guides the reader through the
preparation, design, implementation, and analysis of an
ethnoprimatological research project, offering practical examples
of the vast array of methods and techniques at chapter level. With
contributions from the world's leading experts in the field,
Ethnoprimatology critically analyses current primate conservation
efforts, outlines their major research questions, theoretical bases
and methods, and tackles the challenges and complexities involved
in mixed-methods research. Documenting the spectrum of current
research in the field, it is an ideal volume for students and
researchers in ethnoprimatology, primatology, anthropology, and
conservation biology.
The Neotropics contains the greatest abundance and diversity of
primate species of any bio-region in the world. They make up an
impressive and varied assemblage of species, from the small pigmy
marmoset weighing one hundred grams, to the woolly spider monkey
tipping the scale at 10-14 kg. Some in the group, such as the
bearded capuchin, show signs of high intelligence evidenced by
their use of primitive tools to open nuts and fruit, and many of
these species are flagships whose very presence is crucial for the
dispersal of seeds and maintenance of primary forests.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of Neotropical primate species
are threatened or endangered due to various anthropogenic
activities including deforestation, illegal hunting, illegal
wildlife trade, mining, and road construction. Moreover, there is a
general paucity of data of this group because their habitats can be
difficult to access and the sheer expansiveness of the Neotropical
area. In this book, the authors present new research findings from
sixty of the worlds leading Neotropical primate scientists in order
to bridge this information gap. Specifically, the authors provide
up-to-date biological, molecular, conservation, and phylogenic
information on many of these poorly understood, yet amazing
creatures. It is the authors intention that this new information
will be used as a resource by the novice and professional alike in
order to improve societys understanding of Neotropical primates and
to help protect them long into the future.
This is the seventh book in the Al-the-Gator Series. A science book
about animals written by an author who has done personal research
on these animals. The book has additional information and other
books to learn from. An activity section follows the story.
The number of primates on the brink of extinction continues to
grow, and the need to respond with effective conservation measures
has never been greater. This book provides a comprehensive and
state-of-the-art synthesis of research principles and applied
management practices for primate conservation. It begins with a
consideration of the biological, intellectual, economic, and
ecological importance of primates and a summary of the threats that
they face, before going on to consider these threats in more detail
with chapters on habitat change, trade, hunting, infectious
diseases, and climate change. Potential solutions in the form of
management practice are examined in detail, including chapters on
conservation genetics, protected areas, and translocation. An
Introduction to Primate Conservation brings together an
international team of specialists with wide-ranging expertise
across primate taxa. This is an essential textbook for advanced
undergraduates, graduate students, and established researchers in
the fields of primate ecology and conservation biology. It will
also be a valuable reference for conservation practitioners, land
managers, and professional primatologists worldwide.
For nearly two decades, Dian Fossey immersed herself in the study
of mountain gorillas in Africa. She became known as a highly
respected primatologist - a scientist who studies apes and other
primates - and a fiercely devoted champion of their safety and
preservation. Fossey had made powerful enemies because of her
opposition to the gorilla-related tourism industry and her
knowledge of animal trafficking among members of the government. In
1985, she was found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda. The case
remains unsolved to this day, but her intense love for this
endangered species helped create a legacy that survives in the work
of others to this day.
Australia has a rich and unique array of animals, including the
largest diversity of marsupials on earth. The recent growth in
ecotourism has increased the popularity of mammal-spotting,
particularly whale and dolphin-watching, but also spotting of
perennial tourist favorites such as koalas and kangaroos. For the
first time ever, The Complete Guide to Finding the Mammals of
Australia advises interested amateurs and professionals where to
locate many of Australia's mammals. The book describes Australia's
best mammal-watching sites state-by-state. It also includes a
complete, annotated taxonomic list with hints on finding each
species (or why it won't be easy to see); sections on travel and
logistics in Australia; and appendices with hints on finding and
photographing mammals.
First published more than a century ago, The Biography of a Grizzly
recounts the life of a fictitious bear named Wahb who lived and
died in the Greater Yellowstone region. This new edition combines
Ernest Thompson Seton's classic tale and original illustrations
with historical and scientific context for Wahb's story, providing
a thorough understanding of the setting, cultural connections,
biology, and ecology of Seton's best-known book. By the time The
Biography of a Grizzly was published in 1900, grizzly bears had
been hunted out of much of their historical range in North America.
The characterization of Wahb, along with Seton's other
anthropomorphic tales of American wildlife, helped to change public
perceptions and promote conservation. As editors Jeremy M. Johnston
and Charles R. Preston remind us, however, Seton's approach to
writing about animals put him at the center of the ""Nature-Faker""
controversy of the early twentieth century, when John Burroughs and
Theodore Roosevelt, among others, denounced sentimental
representations of wildlife. The editors address conservation
scientists' continuing concerns about inaccurate depictions of
nature in popular culture. Despite its anthropomorphism, Seton's
paradoxical book imparts a good deal of insightful and accurate
natural history, even as its exaggerations shaped
early-twentieth-century public opinion on conservation in often
counterproductive ways. By complicating Seton's enthralling tale
with scientific observations of grizzly behavior in the wild,
Johnston and Preston evaluate the story's accuracy and bring the
story of Yellowstone grizzlies into the present day. Preserving the
1900 edition's original design and illustrations, Wahb brings new
understanding to an American classic, updating the book for current
and future generations.
Red wolves are shy, elusive, and misunderstood predators. Until the
1800s, they were common in the longleaf pine savannas and deciduous
forests of the southeastern United States. However, habitat
degradation, persecution, and interbreeding with the coyote nearly
annihilated them. Today, reintroduced red wolves are found only in
peninsular northeastern North Carolina within less than 1 percent
of their former range. In The Secret World of Red Wolves, nature
writer T. DeLene Beeland shadows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's pioneering recovery program over the course of a year to
craft an intimate portrait of the red wolf, its history, and its
restoration. Her engaging exploration of this top-level predator
traces the intense effort of conservation personnel to save a
species that has slipped to the verge of extinction. Beeland weaves
together the voices of scientists, conservationists, and local
landowners while posing larger questions about human coexistence
with red wolves, our understanding of what defines this animal as a
distinct species, and how climate change may swamp its current
habitat.
Among all the large whales on Earth, the most unusual and least
studied is the narwhal, the northernmost whale on the planet and
the one most threatened by global warming. Narwhals thrive in the
fjords and inlets of northern Canada and Greenland. These elusive
whales, whose long tusks were the stuff of medieval European myths
and Inuit legends, are uniquely adapted to the Arctic ecosystem and
are able to dive below thick sheets of ice to depths of up to 1,500
meters in search of their prey-halibut, cod, and squid. Join Todd
McLeish as he travels high above the Arctic circle to meet: Teams
of scientific researchers studying the narwhal's life cycle and the
mysteries of its tusk Inuit storytellers and hunters Animals that
share the narwhals' habitat: walruses, polar bears, bowhead and
beluga whales, ivory gulls, and two kinds of seals McLeish consults
logbooks kept by whalers and explorers and interviews folklorists
and historians to tease out the relationship between the real
narwhal and the mythical unicorn. In Colorado, he visits
climatologists studying changes in the seasonal cycles of the
Arctic ice. From a history of the trade in narwhal tusks to
descriptions of narwhals' vocalizations as heard through
hydrophones, Narwhals reveals the beauty and thrill of the narwhal
and its habitat, and the threat it faces from a rapidly changing
world. Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHwaqdKyLCQ&list=UUge4MONgLFncQ1w1C_BnHcw&index=9&feature=plcp
For centuries, reports of man-eating tigers in Indonesia, Malaysia,
and Singapore have circulated, shrouded in myth and anecdote. This
fascinating book documents the "big cat"-human relationship in this
area during its 350-year colonial period, re-creating a world in
which people feared tigers but often came into contact with them,
because these fierce predators prefer habitats created by human
interference. Peter Boomgaard shows how people and tigers adapted
to each other's behavior, each transmitting this learning from one
generation to the next. He discusses the origins of stories and
rituals about tigers and explains how cultural biases of Europeans
and class differences among indigenous populations affected
attitudes toward the tigers. He provides figures on their
populations in different eras and analyzes the factors contributing
to their present status as an endangered species. Interweaving
stories about Malay kings, colonial rulers, tiger charmers, and
bounty hunters with facts about tigers and their way of life, the
book is an engrossing combination of environmental and micro
history.
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