Humans share a long history with carnivores. We fear them as predators, revile them as competitors, exploit them for their fur, or admire them for their grace and beauty. This book, the fifth of six volumes on the mammals of BC, provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on the 21 species of wild terrestrial carnivores in the province. Species covered: Coyote, Grey Wolf, Red Fox, American Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Northern Raccoon, Sea Otter, Wolverine, Northern River Otter, American Marten, Fisher, Ermine, Long-tailed Weasel, Least Weasel, American Mink, American Badger, Striped Skunk, Western Spotted Skunk, Cougar, Canada Lynx, Bobcat. "Carnivores of British Columbia"describes each species, with illustrations of animals and skulls. For each species it discusses distribution and habitat, feeding ecology, social behaviour, reproduction, issues around health and mortality, abundance, human uses, conservation and management. This book will be an important educational reference for the general public, schools, naturalists and wildlife biologists.

This book describes the bird life of the various upland regions of the British Isles and presents the various species from an ecological standpoint. The book relates the bird distribution and abundance to the various environmental influences of climate, topography, geology, soil type and human land use. The book initially sets the scene by describing and examining the changes and bird fauna following the major climatic shift since the end of the Ice Age. The uplands are grouped into several main types - sheep-walks, grouse moors, deer forests, flows (peat bogs), maritime hills and high tops and the distinctive bird assemblages are described together with details of the natural history of the more important species. The book will appeal to the informed layman and to the keen bird-watcher who wants to learn more about the life of upland birds and the ways in which they are adapted to their environments.

Another title in the ‘Quick Guide’ series, this compact little book is a handy identification guide to the surprising variety of nests built by southern African birds. Covering multiple species, it is arranged according to nest type - ground, woven, stick, cup, mud-pellet and
domed, as well as nests in tree holes, on water, on cliffs and in scrapes on the ground. It is packed with photographs and illustrations showing the ingenuity of the designs, the birds that built them, and the eggs that are laid in them. In pithy fashion, the text – matched to the photographs – describes:

• nesting site and nest structure
• building materials used to construct outer and inner layers
• nesting habits of the architects
• clutch size

Fish Diseases: Prevention and Control Strategies provides essential information on disease prevention and treatment by the most experienced fish culturists in the industry. The book presents both traditional and novel methodologies of identifying and addressing fish disease risk, along with preventative and responsive insights to the challenges impacting fish production today. Both specific (vaccination) and non-specific (immunostimulation) approaches are explored, from maintaining optimal environmental conditions, to understanding how stressors in fish affect their immune system.

An expansive and detailed review of the biology of Caribbean amphibians, considering their threats, conservation and outlook in a changing world. Amphibians are the group of vertebrates undergoing the fastest rate of extinction; it is urgent that we understand the causes of this and find means of protecting them. This landmark illustrated volume brings together the leading experts in the field. As well as offering an overview of the region as a whole, individual chapters are devoted to each island or island-group and the measures used to protect their amphibians through legislation or nature reserves. The biological background of insular biogeography, including its methods, analysis and results, is reviewed and applied specifically to the problems of Caribbean amphibians - this includes a re-examination of patterns and general ideas about the status of amphibians in the Anthropocene. The Conservation and Biogeography of Amphibians in the Caribbean offers an important baseline against which future amphibian conservation can be measured in the face of climate change, rising sea level and a burgeoning human population. Covers over 300 species.

A comprehensive book intended for anyone maintaining bats in captivity. Bats in Captivity is the only book of its kind, detailing the captive care of bats worldwide. This volume comprises 38 papers by 41 contributing authors. It contains a user-friendly guide to bat identification, subjects on reproductive patterns and parental care, social organization and communication, capturing and handling, releasing bats into the wild, marking bats for individual identification, torpor and hibernation, lactation and postnatal growth, simulating mother's milk and hand rearing pups of all bat groups, plus much more.

It is a great honor to be asked to introduce this exciting new volume, having been heavily involved in the first comprehensive synthesis in the early 1980s. Gibbons are the most enthralling of primates. On the one hand, they are the most appealing animals, with their upright posture and body shape, facial markings, dramatic arm-swinging locomotion and suspensory postures, and devastating duets; on the other hand, the small apes are the most diverse, hence biologically valuable and informative, of our closest relatives. It is hard for me to believe that it is 40 years to the month since I first set foot on the Malay Peninsula to start my doctoral study of the siamang. I am very proud to have followed in the footsteps of the great pioneer of primate field study, Clarence Ray Carpenter (CR or Ray, who I was fortunate to meet twice, in Pennsylvania and in Zurich), first in Central America (in 1967) and then in Southeast Asia. It is 75 years since he studied howler monkeys on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal Zone. It is 70 years since he studied the white-handed gibbon in Thailand.

Here, experts in different areas of the field provide an overview of the bioacoustics of whales and dolphins as well as a thorough introduction to the subject for investigators of hearing in other animals. Topics covered include the structure and function of cetacean auditory systems, the unique sound production system of odontocetes, acoustic communication, psychoacoustics, echolocation and models of sound propagation.

The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates is the first comprehensive publication devoted to the teeth and dentitions of living fishes, amphibians and reptiles. The book presents a comprehensive survey of the amazing variety of tooth forms among non-mammalian vertebrates, based on descriptions of approximately 400 species belonging to about 160 families. The text is lavishly illustrated with more than 600 high-quality color and monochrome photographs of specimens gathered from top museums and research workers from around the world, supplemented by radiographs and micro-CT images. This stimulating work discusses the functional morphology of feeding, the attachment of teeth, and the relationship of tooth form to function, with each chapter accompanied by a comprehensive, up-to-date reference list. Following the descriptions of the teeth and dentitions in each class, four chapters review current topics with considerable research activity: tooth development; tooth replacement; and the structure, formation and evolution of the dental hard tissues. This timely book, authored by internationally recognized teachers and researchers in the field, also reflects the resurgence of interest in the dentitions of non-mammalian vertebrates as experimental systems to help understand genetic changes in evolution of teeth and jaws.

Recent decades have witnessed strong declines in fish stocks around the globe, amid growing concerns about the impact of fisheries on marine and freshwater biodiversity. Fisheries biologists and managers are therefore increasingly asking about aspects of ecology, behaviour, evolution and biodiversity that were traditionally studied by people working in very separate fields. This has highlighted the need to work more closely together, in order to help ensure future success both in management and conservation.

The "Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries" has been written by an international team of scientists and practitioners, to provide an overview of the biology of freshwater and marine fish species together with the science that supports fisheries management and conservation.

This volume, subtitled "Fisheries," focuses on a wide range of topics, including the history of fisheries science, methods of capture, marketing, economics, major models used in stock assessments and forecasting, ecosystem impacts, marine protected areas and conservation. It builds on material in Volume 1, "Fish Biology," which ranges from phylogenetics and biogeography to physiology, recruitment, life histories, genetics, foraging, reproductive behaviour and community ecology.

Together, these books present the state of the art in our understanding of fish biology and fisheries and will serve as valuable references for undergraduates and graduates looking for a comprehensive source on a wide variety of topics in fisheries science. They will also be useful to researchers who need up-to-date reviews of topics that impinge on their fields, and decision makers who need to appreciate the scientific background for management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems.

To order volume II, go to the box in the top right hand corner. Alternatively to order volume I, go to: http: //www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=0632054123 or to order the 2 volume set, go to: http: //www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=0632064838.
Provides a unique overview of the study of fish biology and ecology, and the assessment and management of fish populations and ecosystems.
The first volume concentrates on aspects of fish biology and ecology, both at the individual and population levels, whilst the second volume addresses the assessment and management of fish populations and ecosystems.
Written by an international team of expert scientists and practitioners.
An invaluable reference tool for both students, researchers and practitioners working in the fields of fish biology and fisheries.

Thomas Pennant (1726 98) was a keen geologist, naturalist and antiquary. Linnaeus supported his election to the Royal Swedish Society of Sciences in 1757, and in 1767 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. His History of Quadrupeds (1793), aimed to promote natural history among a wider readership, originated in an informal index to John Ray's Synopsis of 1693. In his preface, Pennant acknowledges the monumental Histoire naturelle by the Comte de Buffon, as well as works by Klein (1751), Brisson (1756), and particularly the work of Linnaeus, though Pennant strongly disagreed with Linnaueus's classification of primates as including humans with apes. Pennant's two-volume book, beautifully illustrated with over 100 engravings, provides an overview of the state of zoological classification at the end of the eighteenth century. Charles Darwin owned a copy and had it sent to him in South America during the Beagle voyage.

Thomas Pennant (1726 98) was a keen geologist, naturalist and antiquary. Linnaeus supported his election to the Royal Swedish Society of Sciences in 1757, and in 1767 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. His History of Quadrupeds (1793), aimed to promote natural history among a wider readership, originated in an informal index to John Ray's Synopsis of 1693. In his preface, Pennant acknowledges the monumental Histoire naturelle by the Comte de Buffon, as well as works by Klein (1751), Brisson (1756), and particularly the work of Linnaeus, though Pennant strongly disagreed with Linnaueus's classification of primates as including humans with apes. Pennant's two-volume book, beautifully illustrated with over 100 engravings, provides an overview of the state of zoological classification at the end of the eighteenth century. Charles Darwin owned a copy and had it sent to him in South America during the Beagle voyage.

First published in 1987, this volume presents the scientific results of an expedition, promoted by the British Ornithologists' Union, to study the endangered birds of the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. This group of islands is of unique importance to bird conservation and is perhaps best known as the last home of the famous dodo. Thirty endemic species of birds are already extinct and the populations of several others are now so small as to be of doubtful validity. The data presented here will enable the appropriate government departments and conservation bodies to proceed on the basis of a sound knowledge of the needs of the threatened birds, and it is hoped that the survival of at least a proportion of the unique wildlife of this island group can be ensured. Studies of Mascarene Island Birds will also provide the keen amateur ornithologist with a serious interest in conservation with a direct appreciation of field work aimed at protecting rate species in their natural habitat.

This pocket-sized, easy-to-use guide to the birds of Zambia features 425 birds likely to be seen in the region, plus a few ‘specials’ sought after by birders. It is an invaluable introduction and guide for visitors to Zambia with its 20 national parks and 42 Important Bird Areas.

Features include:

• An informative introduction to birding in the region, including habitat descriptions and a glossary
• Full-colour photographs illustrating diagnostic features and plumage differences
• Concise identification text, including key ID pointers, call description and favoured habitat of each species
• Up-to-date distribution maps.

This guide provides descriptions of when the bat species resident in Britain and Ireland use natural and human-made rock habitats, how they use them, and the environments each species occupies therein. For the first time it brings together findings from historical scientific investigations, useful photographic accounts and open-access biological records, along with a rich seam of new data – all in a practical and user-friendly structure. The book encompasses: ~ Descriptions of the features that a climber, caver or professional ecologist might encounter on and in rock habitats where bats roost. ~ Recording criteria for both the physical and environmental attributes of different features and situations. ~ Identification of suitability thresholds against which the recorded information can be compared to assess the likelihood that a specific feature might be exploited by a particular bat species. ~ Suggestions for how to avoid mistakes and difficulties when performing a survey. The intention is that using this book will help generate standardised biological records which can feed into the fully accessible online database at www.batrockhabitatkey.co.uk. These data will be analysed to search for patterns that can increase the confidence in the suitability thresholds and help build roost features that deliver the environment each species really needs. As well as offering many new insights, this book allows the reader to participate in cutting-edge research.

Biology of Stress in Fish: Fish Physiology provides a general understanding on the topic of stress biology, including most of the recent advances in the field. The book starts with a general discussion of stress, providing answers to issues such as its definition, the nature of the physiological stress response, and the factors that affect the stress response. It also considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response, how the stress response is generated and controlled, its effect on physiological and organismic function and performance, and applied assessment of stress, animal welfare, and stress as related to model species.

Starting with concise species accounts for all the marmoset and tamarin monkeys, this important new book then goes on to review their geographical distributions and still-contested taxonomy, along with comparative reviews of vocalizations, scent-marking, mating systems, infant care and development, social organization, and behaviour and ecology in the wild. As several of these small primates are rare or threatened, these subjects are strongly relevant to their management in captivity as well as for understanding natural populations. This is the first volume for several years to review current knowledge of this family, which comprises 52 species and subspecies found from Panama to northeastern Paraguay to southern Brazil.

A comprehensive treatment of primate paleontology. Profusely illustrated and up to date, it captures the complete history of the discovery and interpretation of primate fossils. The chapters range from primate origins to the advent of anatomically modern humans. Each emphasizes three key components of the record of primate evolution: history of discovery, taxonomy of the fossils, and evolution of the adaptive radiations they represent. The Primate Fossil Record summarizes objectively the many intellectual debates surrounding the fossil record and provides a foundation of reference information on the last two decades of astounding discoveries and worldwide field research for physical anthropologists, paleontologists and evolutionary biologists.

Our understanding of the basic biology of owls is poor compared to that of other bird species. The Little Owl, Athene noctua, has become one of the best models for biological and conservation research, due to its commonness and the fact that it occupies nest-boxes very easily. In this unique book the authors synthesise the substantial literature, and detail current information regarding the Little Owl. They discuss its wide-ranging ecology, genetics and subspecies and population status by country. In addition, they outline a strategy and monitoring program for its conservation. The book features an outstanding bibliography of literature on the Little Owl, listing publications dated from 1769 to 2007, in many languages, including Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. Whilst being an invaluable resource for academic researchers, its straightforward style holds undoubted appeal for amateurs and enthusiasts.

This volume presents the latest protocols for both laboratory and bioinformatics based analyses in the field of marine genomics. The chapters presented in the book cover a wide range of topics, including the sampling and genomics of bacterial communities, DNA extraction in marine organisms, high-throughput sequencing of whole mitochondrial genomes, phylogenomics, SNP discovery, SNP-arrays for species identification, digital PCR-based quantification methods, environment DNA for invasive species surveillance and monitoring, microarrays for the detection of waterborne pathogens, DNA barcoding of marine biodiversity, metabarcoding protocols for marine eukaryotes, analytical protocols for the visualization of eukaryotic diversity, and applications for genomic data to benthic indices for environmental monitoring. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, Marine Genomics: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for researchers, students, and policy makers in the field of marine biology.

For sheer diversity of birds, Ecuador cannot be beaten. Nowhere else is it as easy to experience such a range of habitats, from the high Andes to the Amazon and Choco rainforests and those jewels in the ocean, the Galapagos Islands. The avifauna is similarly dazzling - a huge range of species, including 41 endemics, call this country home, making Ecuador the ultimate Neotropical wildlife destination. This book showcases the avian wonders of Ecuador, highlighting more than 320 regularly occurring species that can be seen by most visitors to the country, including the Galapagos. Pocket-sized yet authoritative, this is the perfect companion for any wildlife-friendly visitor to Ecuador.

Practical and portable, this is the ultimate field guide to the world's cetaceans. This outstanding new field guide to whales, dolphins and porpoises is the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date guide to these popular mammals. With more than 500 accurate illustrations - complete with detailed annotations pointing out the most significant field marks - Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises covers all 93 species and every subspecies in the world. Many of the world's most respected whale biologists have collaborated on the concise text, which is packed with helpful identification tips from cetacean expert, Mark Carwardine. Mark's informative text is accompanied by up-to-date distribution maps for each species. Beautifully designed, to ensure critical information is quickly accessible, this is an indispensable resource that every whale-watcher will want to carry out to sea.