An unprecedented visual and scientific journey into the secret world of bears. In Bears of the North, renowned wildlife photographer, naturalist, and bestselling author Wayne Lynch offers us a work of scintillating science and stunning beauty. Following polar bears, brown bears, and American and Asiatic black bears through the seasons, this journey is an insider's view of hibernation's mysteries and the birth of cubs in winter; the mating rituals and voracious appetites of spring; hunting, fishing, and encounters with neighbors during summer; and the feeding frenzy and exuberant play of autumn. Dispelling the stereotypes and untruths-but none of the magic-surrounding these magnificent animals, Lynch comments on the latest scientific discoveries related to the biology, behavior, and ecology of bears. He describes how satellite telemetry has revealed the purpose behind the meanderings of bears and the great distances they sometimes cover on land and in water. He also shows how DNA analysis can teach us about the relatedness of bears within a population, even revealing the identity of a particular cub's father. Taking us out into the wilds of the tundra and forests to share his firsthand observations of the marvelous bears of the Northern Hemisphere, Lynch describes their survival strategies and the threats they face from habitat fragmentation and global climate change. Lynch's fascinating narrative is enhanced by over 150 gorgeous, original color photographs that capture bears in their habitats, including appearances of the elusive moon bear, fierce polar bear battles, and rare images of mothers' intimate moments with their cubs. Informed by Lynch's nearly forty years of experience observing and photographing bears in the wild, and aided by sophisticated digital photo technologies, Bears of the North is an unrivaled collection of enthralling and informative portraits of bears in their natural environments.

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.

A mysterious and rarely seen beast, the Scottish Wildcat is Britain's rarest mammal, and one of the most endangered carnivores in the world. Over the centuries, one by one, Britain's most formidable wild animals have fallen to the thoughtless march of humankind. A war on predators put paid to our lynxes, wolves and bears, each hunted relentlessly until the last of them was killed. Only our wildcats lived on. The Scottish wildcat's guile and ferocity are the stuff of legend. No docile pet cat, this, but a cunning and shadowy animal, elusive to the point of invisibility, but utterly fearless when forced to fight for its life. Those who saw one would always remember its beauty - the cloak of dense fur marked with bold tiger stripes, the green-eyed stare and haughty sneer, and the broad, banded tail whisking away into the forest's gloom. Driven to the remnants of Scotland's wilderness, the last few wildcats now face the most insidious danger of all as their domesticated cousins threaten to dilute their genes into oblivion. However, the wildest of cats has friends and goodwill behind it. This book tells the story of how the wildcat of the wildwood became the endangered Scottish wildcat, of how it once lived and lives now, and of how we - its greatest enemy - are now striving to save it in its darkest hour.

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned wildlife watcher, this book will help you to broaden your enjoyment of your hobby and explore wildlife in a range of different habitats and environments. You'll learn a host of techniques including observing without disturbing, different ways of recording what you see, including note-taking, sketching and photography, filming and sound recording, as well as how to organise and report what you've seen. Finally, there's plenty of information on how you can give something back to the natural environment through safeguarding your local area's wildlife and involvement with conservation.

A beautifully illustrated pocket-size field guide to the birds of North America--a must-have for any birder's backpack or home library. Birds: An Illustrated Field Guide is a compact, beautifully illustrated field guide to 50 North America's most popular birds. Inside this elegant hardcover, you'll find profiles on individual species, each showcasing a full-page illustration, plus a description of bird habits and flight patterns, information on where to look for birds and how--and when--to see them, and, last but not least, instructions for building your very own birding "life list." Discover the wonderful world of North American birds, including: - The Mountain Bluebird - The Black-Capped Chickadee - The Carolina Wren - The Red-Winged Blackbird - The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Visually stunning, Birds: An Illustrated Field Guide is an engrossing overview of North America's remarkable and diverse birds. You'll find opportunities for discovery on every page.

This comprehensive guide, complete with several illustrations, is full of information and tips for those wishing to take up the fascinating hobby of canary breeding. The author imparts the benefits of his 35 year experience to the novice breeder in the methods and procedure that he himself has used to great success. Contents Include: Introduction - The Exhibition Yorkshire - The Question of Length - What Kind of Feather Should a Yorkshire Possess? - Housing the Stock - Pairing and Breeding - How to Form a Strain - Laying the Foundation - The Selection of Stock - Colour and How to Obtain it - The Cinnamon-Marked Yorkshire - The Green-Marked Bird and its Value in the Breeding Room - General Management of the Stock During Breeding - The Moulting Season - Preparing for Coming Events - Staging the Birds

SASOL First Field Guide to Common Birds of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the birdlife of the region.

With the help of full-colour photo graphs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common bird species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and nesting habits.

This illustrated guide to watching birds, issued under the aegis of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, describes the many breeds of birds visiting these shores, and where they may be seen. The guide includes the major birdwatching sites, and offers advice on location and amenities.

Myth and media typically cast animals we consider predators or carnivores as unthinking killers-dangerous, unpredictable, and devoid of emotion. But is this portrait valid? By exploring their inner lives, this pioneering book refutes the many misperceptions that hide the true nature of these animals. We discover that great white sharks express tender maternal feelings, rattlesnakes make friends, orcas abide by an ancient moral code, and much more. Using the combined lenses of natural history, neuroscience, and psychology, G. A. Bradshaw describes how predators share the rainbow of emotions that humans experience, including psychological trauma. Renowned for leading research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in elephants and other species, Bradshaw decries the irrational thinking behind wildlife policies that equate killing carnivores with "conservation." In its place, she proposes a new, ethical approach to coexistence with the planet's fiercest animals.

Pete the green sea turtle begins his morning floating in the endless, blue ocean. But this day in the warm, life-giving heat of the Florida sun will end in crippling tragedy. A passing boat strikes Pete, and his days of swimming free in the open ocean now appear to be over forever. How will Pete survive the life-threatening injuries he has sustained?

"A Home for Nickel" is the true story of a lovable green sea turtle's struggle for survival and the people who make it happen. After Pete is rescued from impending death, his story stretches across the continent from the Florida Keys to Hawaii, Canada, and Chicago, Illinois. Throughout Pete's journey, Jim Gamlin shares fascinating tidbits about turtles and the people who love them. This rich text is a moving tribute to those who care for nature, and how nature cares for them in return.

Join Pete as he begins his life buried under the sand, rushes to the ocean, and launches into his incredible journey. The chain of events that happen next are serendipitous and miraculous. Get ready to be inspired by this amazing shelled survivor.

This book describes the basic elements in the theory of animal breeding and inheritance of quantitative economic traits and the way in which this technology can be implemented in selective breeding programs for aquaculture species. The role and the implementation of molecular genetics in modern selective breeding programs is also addressed. The booka (TM)s main objective is to stimulate development of efficient selective breeding programs in aquaculture, the worlda (TM)s fastest growing industry for animal protein production.

Considerable genetic gain from selection has been demonstrated for several aquatic species in traits like growth rate and survival. AKVAFORSK and allied institutions have demonstrated the value of selection in Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, Nile tilapia, rohu carp and the shrimp Penaeus vannamei. Presently, however, less than 10 % of total world aquaculture production is based on genetically improved animals. The urgent challenge to the industry is to implement and start selective breeding programs in order to make the aquaculture industry more competitive and sustainable, through improving the utilization of feed, land and water resources.

The text has been written by scientists at AKVAFORSK, Akvaforsk Genetics Center and co-workers in order to summarise present knowledge in the field, and to encourage implementation of selective breeding programs for economically important fish and shellfish species around the world.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2016 Charles Foster wanted to know what it was like to be a beast: a badger, an otter, a deer, a fox, a swift. What it was really like. And through knowing what it was like he wanted to get down and grapple with the beast in us all. So he tried it out; he lived life as a badger for six weeks, sleeping in a dirt hole and eating earthworms, he came face to face with shrimps as he lived like an otter and he spent hours curled up in a back garden in East London and rooting in bins like an urban fox. A passionate naturalist, Foster realises that every creature creates a different world in its brain and lives in that world. As humans, we share sensory outputs, lights, smells and sound, but trying to explore what it is actually like to live in another of these worlds, belonging to another species, is a fascinating and unique neuro-scientific challenge. For Foster it is also a literary challenge. Looking at what science can tell us about what happens in a fox's or badger's brain when it picks up a scent, he then uses this to imagine their world for us, to write it through their eyes or rather through the eyes of Charles the beast. An intimate look at the life of animals, neuroscience, psychology, nature writing, memoir and more, it is a journey of extraordinary thrills and surprises, containing wonderful moments of humour and joy, but also providing important lessons for all of us who share life on this precious planet.

The Mountain West equation was one of the most successful in the history of the Australian Shepherd breed. The combination of Jay Sisler, Fletcher Wood, and other dogs of that general type created the highest levels of intelligence, working ability, protectiveness, and versatility.
With the help of others personally familiar with these dogs, the author presents humorous, inspiring, and heart-felt stories shared by the owners of these foundation bloodlines.
Documents about the background and lineage, registration papers, genealogy flow charts, and information establishing type and character of this special group of dogs within the Aussie breed is also included.
This comprehensive collection is a must for all herding enthusiasts Printed in full color, this hardcover bound 676 page book includes over 1500 photographs, diagrams, and charts, many never before published. The images present a photographic story of how the dogs from the past have influenced the breed as we know it today.
""It has been my desire to preserve for history the tales of these outstanding individuals and their well earned place in the founding of this breed. I am thankful to all those who contributed and allowed me access to their memories."" -Kris Toft

With a rich avifauna of more than 350 species that includes 29 endemics, the island of Sri Lanka is one of southern Asia's most popular birding destination. This new field guide provides full coverage of every species on the Sri Lanka list, including most vagrants, with particular emphasis placed on endemic species and races. Detailed text highlights key identification criteria, along with accurate colour maps. Packed with spectacular and detailed plates by leading bird artists such as Alan Harris, Tim Worfolk and John Cox, Birds of Sri Lanka is the definitive identification tool for the visiting birdwatcher.

This early work is a fascinating read for any ornithologist or nature enthusiast. Sixteen beautiful plates by John Gould are accompanied by notes about the varied tropical birds featured. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.