This volume provides a comprehensive reference for researchers aiming to bring new techniques and approaches to their scientific research using urodeles. Chapters are authored by leaders in the field and meant to guide readers through laboratory colony husbandry, traditional molecular techniques, experimental manipulation and surgeries, bioinformatics and genomics, transgenics and lineage-tracing, and physiological and organismal techniques. In addition to laboratory methods, this volume highlights techniques developed for field studies and work with wild-caught animals. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and state-of-the-art, Methods in Salamander Research aims to be a practical guide for researchers interested in deploying new methodologies in their lab or in the field.

'He is delight and joy personified' - MARIAN KEYES 'Set to become BBC's next David Attenborough' - DAILY MAIL 'Brings a little bit of joy to us all' - GUARDIAN Discover the wonderful world of birdwatching with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin - winner of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing 2022. 'Birds have been with me my entire life - from the colourful weaver birds on the banks of the Nile in Sudan to the magpies of Newcastle, from the roosting peregrine falcons near my parents' house in Northampton to the white-tailed eagles on the west coast of Scotland. I love them. If you take the time to stop and listen, you'll see the world through different eyes. It's all out there, waiting for you to find it. And it might just bring you as much joy as it's brought me.' Journey along with Hamza in Be a Birder as he recounts stories of his birding adventures, and shares tips and tricks to help you get started in birdwatching. In this beautifully illustrated guide, featuring fifty of Hamza's favourite birds, you will learn how to start identifying birds, understand their behaviour and movements, and find even more exciting birds, wherever you are. Starting with the goldfinch in your garden, to tawny owls in woodlands, to the elusive kingfisher near rivers and marshes, you will build your birdwatching confidence and push yourself further afield to find new feathered wonders. Encouraging us all to stop, step outside and listen, Be a Birder is both a practical guide and a joyous celebration of these incredible creatures. Once you start looking for them, and with Hamza as your guide, your world will be forever changed.

Southern African Mammals Made Simple enables users to distinguish between commonly confused mammals by applying the breakthrough methodology that made Southern African LBJs Made Simple so hugely popular.

The simple three-step system allows for quick and certain identification of mammals in the field. For each species featured, the book gives:

- range maps

- full-colour illustrations and photographs

- key identification pointers, and

- concise text describing height, weight, habits and habitat.

All of southern Africa’s most common and distinctive mammals are included, but the particular value of this book lies in separating the more challenging species, such as antelope, mongooses, genets, primates and many more. It will appeal to both local and foreign visitors to our game parks.

"Night-attack of wolves in Mongolia." "Nearly fatal combat with a kangaroo." "Comic scenes with the Elephant." "Captain Herriman examines a supposed Sea-serpent." This charming book, published by British naturalist PHILIP HENRY GOSSE (1810-1888) in 1860, was a best seller in its day, and no wonder: this is a passionate around-the-world journey through nature both wild and serene... and mysterious. "In the annals of cryptozoology," says cryptozoologist Loren Coleman in his new introduction, "Gosse is credited as one of the grandfathers of the discipline... In this book, one finds his records of the sea serpent, giant snakes, African unicorn, South America ape, and Ceylonese devil-bird, reflecting this early interest in romantic zoology, the precursor of cryptozoology." This new edition, complete with the original elegant illustrations, is part of Cosimo's Loren Coleman Presents series. LOREN COLEMAN is author of numerous books of cryptozoology, including BIGFOOT : The True Story of Apes in America, and Mothman and Other Curious Encounters.

As our closest relatives in the animal world, monkeys have always fascinated and amused humans in equal measure. Monkeys is an outstanding collection of photographs showing these complex, intelligent animals in their natural habitat. Arranged in chapters covering anatomy, family, behaviour, feeding and young, Monkeys features a wide variety of monkeys and apes, including baboons, gorillas, Orang Utans, macaques, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, marmosets, gibbons, mandrills and chimpanzees. The smallest monkey is the pygmy marmoset, which can be just 117 millimetres (4.6in) in length with a 172-millimetre (6.8in) tail and weighing just over 100 grams (3.5oz); while the massive Grauer's gorilla can weigh over 180 kilos (400lbs). With full captions explaining how the species act in a group, communicate, hunt and feed, and rear its young, Monkeys is a brilliant examination in 230 outstanding colour photographs of these remarkable primates.

From the author of the National Book Award Finalist The Soul of an Octopus. Meet the ladies: a flock of smart, affectionate, highly individualistic chickens who visit their favorite neighbors, devise different ways to hide from foxes, and mob the author like she's a rock star. In these pages you'll also meet Maya and Zuni, two orphaned baby hummingbirds who hatched from eggs the size of navy beans, and who are little more than air bubbles fringed with feathers. Their lives hang precariously in the balance--but with human help, they may one day conquer the sky. Snowball is a cockatoo whose dance video went viral on YouTube and who's now teaching schoolchildren how to dance. You'll meet Harris's hawks named Fire and Smoke. And you'll come to know and love a host of other avian characters who will change your mind forever about who birds really are. Each of these birds shows a different and utterly surprising aspect of what makes a bird a bird--and these are the lessons of Birdology: that birds are far stranger, more wondrous, and at the same time more like us than we might have dared to imagine. In Birdology, beloved author of The Good Good Pig Sy Montgomery explores the essence of the otherworldly creatures we see every day. By way of her adventures with seven birds--wild, tame, exotic, and common--she weaves new scientific insights and narrative to reveal seven kernels of bird wisdom. The first lesson of Birdology is that, no matter how common they are, Birds Are Individuals, as each of Montgomery's distinctive Ladies clearly shows. In the leech-infested rain forest of Queensland, you'll come face to face with a cassowary--a 150-pound, man-tall, flightless bird with a helmet of bone on its head and a slashing razor-like toenail with which it (occasionally) eviscerates people--proof that Birds Are Dinosaurs. You'll learn from hawks that Birds Are Fierce; from pigeons, how Birds Find Their Way Home; from parrots, what it means that Birds Can Talk; and from 50,000 crows who moved into a small city's downtown, that Birds Are Everywhere. They are the winged aliens who surround us. Birdology explains just how very other birds are: Their hearts look like those of crocodiles. They are covered with modified scales, which are called feathers. Their bones are hollow. Their bodies are permeated with extensive air sacs. They have no hands. They give birth to eggs. Yet despite birds' and humans' disparate evolutionary paths, we share emotional and intellectual abilities that allow us to communicate and even form deep bonds. When we begin to comprehend who birds really are, we deepen our capacity to approach, understand, and love these otherworldly creatures. And this, ultimately, is the priceless lesson of Birdology: it communicates a heartfelt fascination and awe for birds and restores our connection to these complex, mysterious fellow creatures.

This practical, straightforward guide to some of the most commonly seen birds in southern Africa is aimed at beginner birders, or even juniors. Less daunting than a full-blown field guide, it’s handy and accessible, combining simple text with clear artwork and photographs to introduce 300 of the region’s easy-to-see birds. For each bird the book offers:

- Simple text, including how to ‘find it’, ‘identify it’ and ‘understand it’

- Colour images, both illustrations and photographs

- A distribution map

- Common English names, plus scientific, Afrikaans and other African names

- Average size, details of the nest and the number of eggs laid on average

- Interest boxes for some birds, providing extra information.

Colourful, to-the-point and offering quick ID pointers, this book should find a ready market among southern African birders and outdoor enthusiasts.

For all the love and attention we give dogs, much of what they do remains mysterious. Just think about different behaviors you see at a dog park: We have a good understanding of what it means when dogs wag their tails--but what about when they sniff and roll on a stinky spot? Why do they play tug-of-war with one dog, while showing their bellies to another? Why are some dogs shy, while others are bold? What goes on in dogs' heads and hearts--and how much can we know and understand? Canine Confidential has the answers. Written by award-winning scientist--and lifelong dog lover--Marc Bekoff, it not only brilliantly opens up the world of dog behavior, but also helps us understand how we can make our dogs' lives the best they can possibly be. Rooted in the most up-to-date science on cognition and emotion--fields that have exploded in recent years--Canine Confidential is a wonderfully accessible treasure trove of new information and myth-busting. Peeing, we learn, isn't always marking; grass-eating isn't always an attempt to trigger vomiting; it's okay to hug a dog--on their terms; and so much more. There's still much we don't know, but at the core of the book is the certainty that dogs do have deep emotional lives, and that as their companions we must try to make those lives as rich and fulfilling as possible. It's also clear that we must look at dogs as unique individuals and refrain from talking about "the dog." Bekoff also considers the practical importance of knowing details about dog behavior. He advocates strongly for positive training--there's no need to dominate or shame dogs or to make them live in fear--and the detailed information contained in Canine Confidential has a good deal of significance for dog trainers and teachers. He also suggests that trainers should watch and study dogs in various contexts outside of those in which they are dealing with clients, canine and human, with specific needs. There's nothing in the world as heartwarming as being greeted by your dog at the end of the workday. Read Canine Confidential, and you'll be on the road to making your shared lives as happy, healthy, and rewarding as they can possibly be.

This book has the modest aim of bringing together methodological, theo- retical, and empirical studies that bear on the phylogenetic placement of primates and their relatives, and continues a tradition started by Phylogeny of the Primates: A Multidisciplinary Approach (edited by W. P. Luckett and F. S. Szalay; Plenum Press, 1975) and The Comparative Biology and Evolutionary Rela- tionships of Tree Shrews (edited by W. P. Luckett, Plenum Press, 1980). Although there are several recent compendia of studies of primate relationships, most of these are exclusively concerned with the internal arrangement of clades within the order, not with the place of primates and their relatives on the eutherian cladogram. Evolutionary theory predicts that primates must be more closely related to some non primate mammals than to others, but a continuing problem has been to find reliable procedures for recovering historical relationships among taxa. Before the 1970s, higher-level relationships among primates and euthe- rian mammals that might be closely related to them were rarely treated in detail. Outstanding exceptions, like Le Gros Clark's Antecedents of Man, were just that-exceptions. (Clark himself essentially stopped with making a case for tree shrews; he did not, for example, explore whether bats and colugos were also related to primates. ) In the 1970s and 1980s, the rise of cladistic techniques and advances in molecular methods began to transform primate systematics.

This book systematically introduces the knowledge system and research results of fisheries forecasting. It is divided into four parts and seven chapters. The first part is the introduction, which mainly introduces the basic concepts, the nature of the subject, and the research contents, as well as the current status of research. The second part is about the basic knowledge of fisheries forecasting, including overview of the world marine environment, fish shoaling and migration distribution, the relationship between fish behavior and marine environment, and the basic theory of forming fishing ground. The third part is the focus of this book, including the basic principles and methods of fisheries forecasting, as well as the application of new techniques and methods in fisheries forecasting. The fourth part is the comprehensive application of fisheries forecasting, including the general situation of world marine fisheries, the impact of global marine environment changes on fisheries resources and fishing ground, and case studying of fisheries forecasting of important economic species, such as oceanic squid, jack mackerel, anchovy, and skipjack. The study of this book will help everyone to master the basic principles and methods of fisheries forecasting, as well as the application of new technologies and methods in important economic species, and lay a foundation for future work in the field of marine fisheries.

The book aims at synthesizing our current knowledge of Acipenser sturio and its management. This species, one of the most widespread sturgeon species all over Western Europe ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic, is now on the verge of extinction. Major aspects of its biology and management, including mismanagement, are provided in a historic perspective. Similarly, the changes in the restoration programs (in situ and ex situ) initiated in France and Germany are presented. As the species occurred in sympatry with Acipenser oxyrinchus in Germany and Poland and very recently in France as well, a brief outlook on restoration-management programs of A. oxyrinchus are also provided for both North America and Northern European countries, namely Germany and Poland. As conservation-restoration actions go beyond scientific issues, non-governmental stakeholders and marine professional fishermen's organizations have also been asked to contribute, and the key role of a French-German cooperation plan is underlined. A part of the book is devoted to perspectives. Illustrations of the European sturgeon, mainly in photographs, but also in stamps and paintings, are presented.

As a group, carp provide 4 million metric tonnes of fish annually - over a quarter of all fish culture worldwide. For the first time, a book is available in English that concentrates solely on the carp as an economic rather than an ornamental fish with a panel of international experts producing a comprehensive, practical volume about carp production and management. Starting with a brief look at the biology of cyprinids, the book then discusses the methods and management of carp farming, from water quality to the economics of fish production in ponds. Novel methods to improve stock, including genetic engineering, are covered and case studies give added value to the text. As carp farming turns from traditional to intensive methods, farmers, researchers and technicians in industry will welcome this benchmark volume, which also is a valuable reference book for graduate and postgraduate students and lecturers in aquaculture.

Somite development is a unique and important topic; unique because somitic mesoderm is the first tissue to become segmented, important because the somites - once established - exert a profound influence on other seg mental structures which form later. Somite development is of interest at a number of levels. In one aspect, demarcation of a specific number of somites and size regulation, it is a particularly intriguing example of embryonic pattern formation, 'especially in vew of its possible relation to homoeobox-controlled segmentation in insects. At another level, somite development has long been studied by compara tive anatomists, but only recently has new light been thrown on such sub jects as segmentation of the head, proposed in the 18th century by Goethe and now a live issue for developmental biologists. Somit es are simple when they first appear, but very complex structures arise from them. These include the vertebrae and the axial and other muscles and consequently there is a wealth of morphogenetic problems to be explored. Sometimes their morphogenesis is disturbed, by genetic or environ mental factors, and there are many clinical conditions which arise as a result."

A comprehensive work intended for anyone maintaining captive bats, Bats in Captivity is the only multi-volume series of its kind, detailing the captive care of bats worldwide. This volume comprises 25 papers by 37 contributing authors. It contains information on the legal aspects of maintaining and shipping bats, plus papers on developing traveling trunks and loan boxes, the use of ultrasonic mobility devices in education programs, conditioning and training bats for public demonstration, their use in outreach programs, and exhibiting bats in zoological institutions. In addition, there is comprehensive information on excluding bats from man-made structures, as well as how bat houses and artificial roosts are constructed and used.

This spectacular new edition of the best-selling Helm field guide of all time covers all resident, migrant and vagrant species found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. More than 1,300 species are illustrated with full details of all the plumages and major races likely to be encountered. Concise text describes the identification, status, range, habits and voice, with fully updated range maps for each species. This authoritative book will not only be an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of the region - East Africa shelters a remarkable diversity of birds, many seriously endangered with small and vulnerable ranges.

These fun, fact-filled books are perfect for young researchers. The history, geography, and people of each state are covered in these books. The text is enhanced with maps, photos, and graphs. Timelines and fast-facts sections reinforce the text. The detailed and well-written books are ideal for both research and entertainment.

Bringing together recent advances in the research into the ecology and biology of brown and sea trouth, this book places them in their ecological setting and shows how an understanding of their biology and environment aids efficient management of both fish stocks and the surroundings. In particular, it concentrates on the management of the fish in natural flowing waters, and discusses issues such as how to determine an efficient feeding strategy and the influence of hatchery stocks upon wild populations. A detailed case study focusing on the French experience is of especial interest. Biology and Ecology of the Brown Sea Trout synthesizes the considerable body of research available and provides a significant tool for the better management and conservation of these important fish.

This book presents perspectives on the past and present state of the understanding of snake origins. It reviews and critiques data and ideas from paleontology and neontology (herpetology), as well as ideas from morphological and molecular phylogenetics. The author reviews the anatomy and morphology of extant snakes. Methods are also critiqued, including those empirical and theoretical methods employed to hypothesize ancestral ecologies for snakes. The modern debate on squamate phylogeny and snake ingroup phylogeny using molecules and morphology is examined critically to provide insights on origins and evolution. Key Features Important major evolutionary transformation in vertebrate evolution Continuing historical debate in vertebrate paleontology Of wide interest to a core audience of paleontologists, herpetologists, and morphologists Author acknowledged as prominent contributor to debate over snake origins Based on remarkable well preserved fossil specimens

This book elucidates the tissue structure and cell composition of the organs of zebrafish at the microscopic, ultrastructural and molecular levels. The distribution of important macromolecular substances is shown and the morphological relationship between different components is analyzed. The book is divided into 15 chapters and contains more than 700 structural photos, all of which are original experimental pictures of the research group. It shows the histological panorama of the whole zebrafish both in cross and longitudinal sections and covers and interprets the tissues and organs of zebrafish in detail, including oropharynx, taste buds, pharyngeal teeth, liver, etc. A brief text description of the structure and function meaning is available for every picture to facilitate the audience understanding the theoretical knowledge more vivid and concrete. In addition, the 3D reconstruction of the main organs of zebrafish is completed by computer-aided technology, and the three-dimensional morphology of the organs is displayed in an intuitive form. This book provides a reference for postgraduates and researchers in anatomy, biology, animal medicine, animal science, aquaculture, developmental biology, medicine, and experimental animals.

This book addresses the differentiation control of skeletal muscle in different locations of the vertebrate body Particular attention is paid to novel regulatory molecules and signals as well as the heterogeneity of origin that have revealed a developmental overlap between skeletal and cardiac muscle. Different functional muscle groups are the product of the evolution of the vertebrate classes, making a phylogenetic comparison worthwhile for understanding the role of muscle stem cells and precursors in myogenesis. New insights into the hierarchy of transcription factors, particularly in the context of these different muscle groups have been gained from detailed investigations of the spatio-temporal and regulatory relationships derived from mouse and zebrafish genetics and avian microsurgery. Importantly, epigenetic mechanisms that have surfaced recently, in particular the role of MyomiRs, are also surveyed. With an eye to the human patient, encouraging results have been generated that identify parallels between embryonic myogenesis and regenerating myofibers due to common regulatory molecules. On the other hand, both processes differ considerably in quality and complexity of the processes employed. Interestingly, the heterogeneity in embryonic sources from which skeletal muscle groups in the vertebrate including the human body take origin is paralleled by differences in their susceptibility to particular muscle dystrophies as well as by the characteristics of the satellite cells involved in regeneration. The progress that has been made in the field of muscle stem cell biology, with special focus on the satellite cells, is outlined in this book by experts in the field. The authors review recent insights of the heterogeneous nature of these satellite cells regarding their gene signatures and regeneration potential. Furthermore, an improved understanding of muscle stem cells seems only possible when we study the impact of the cell environment on efficient stem cell replacement therapies for muscular dystrophies, putting embryological findings from different vertebrate classes and stem cell approaches into context.

Sasol First Field Guide to Frogs of Southern Africa is a fascinating guide to the frogs of the region.

Full-colour photographs, distribution maps and easy-to-read text will help the budding naturalist to identify the more common frog species that occur in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their behaviour and unusual features.

The most comprehensive reference guide to the world's sharks-now fully revised and updated Sharks of the World is the essential illustrated guide for anyone interested in these magnificent creatures. Now fully revised and updated, it covers 536 of the world's shark species and is packed with colour illustrations, colour photos and informative diagrams. This comprehensive, easy-to-use reference guide incorporates the latest taxonomic revisions of many shark families, featuring many species that were only described in recent years. It also includes a completely revised and expanded introduction and updated line drawings throughout. Covers 536 shark species from around the world Features updated species accounts, illustrations and maps Gives an illustrated overview of shark biology, ecology and conservation Includes fin identification guides Provides a colour distribution map for every species