An acclaimed journalist seeks to understand the mysterious allure of peacocks-and in the process discovers unexpected and valuable life lessons. 2022 Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlist Selection When Sean Flynn's neighbor in North Carolina texted "Any chance you guys want a peacock? No kidding!" he stared bewilderedly at his phone. He had never considered whether he wanted a peacock. But as an award-winning magazine writer, this kind of mystery intrigued him. So he, his wife, and their two young sons became the owners of not one but three charming yet fickle birds: Carl, Ethel, and Mr. Pickle. In Why Peacocks?, Flynn chronicles his hilarious and heartwarming first year as a peacock owner, from struggling to build a pen to assisting the local bird doctor in surgery to triumphantly watching a peahen lay her first egg. He also examines the history of peacocks, from their appearance in the Garden of Eden to their befuddling Charles Darwin to their bewitching the likes of Flannery O'Connor and Martha Stewart. And fueled by a reporter's curiosity, he travels across the globe to learn more about the birds firsthand, with stops including a Scottish castle where peacocks have resided for centuries, a southern California community tormented by a serial killer of peacocks, and a Kansas City airport hotel hosting an annual gathering of true peafowl aficionados. At turns comically absurd and deeply poignant, Why Peacocks? blends lively, insightful memoir and illuminating science journalism to answer the title's question. More than that, it offers surprising lessons about love, grief, fatherhood, and family.

The renowned British primatologist continues the "engrossing account" of her time among the chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania (Publishers Weekly). In her classic, In the Shadow of Man, Jane Goodall wrote of her first ten years at Gombe. In Through a Window she continues the story, painting a more complete and vivid portrait of our closest relatives. On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe is a community where the principal residents are chimpanzees. Through Goodall's eyes we watch young Figan's relentless rise to power and old Mike's crushing defeat. We learn how one mother rears her children to succeed and another dooms hers to failure. We witness horrifying murders, touching moments of affection, joyous births, and wrenching deaths. As Goodall compellingly tells the story of this intimately intertwined community, we are shown human emotions stripped to their essence. In the mirror of chimpanzee life, we see ourselves reflected. "A humbling and exalting book . . . Ranks with the great scientific achievements of the twentieth century."--Washington Post "[An] absolutely smashing account . . . Thrilling, affectionate, intelligent--a classic."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Insects conquered the Earth long before we did and will remain here long after we’re gone.

They outnumber us in the billions and are essential to many of the natural processes that keep us alive and that we take for granted. Yet, despite this, very few of us know much about the hidden world of insects.

In this fascinating new book, entomologist and broadcaster George McGavin takes a deep dive to reveal the unknown truths about the most successful and enduring animal group the world has ever seen, and to show the unseen effects this vast population has on our planet, if only we care to look.

McGavin explores not only the incredible traits that insects have evolved to possess, such as dragonflies that can fly across oceans without resting or beetles that lay their eggs exclusively in corpses, but also the vital lessons we have learnt from them, including how therapy using maggots can save lives and how bees can help grow rich tomato yields.

The Hidden World reveals the wonderful complexity of our relationship with insects, how they have changed the course of our history and how, if we continue to learn from them, they could even be the key to our future and survival.

'A must read for all wildlife lovers' Dominic Dyer Foxes, buzzards, crows, badgers, weasels, seals, kites - Britain and Ireland's predators are impressive and diverse and they capture our collective imagination. But many consider them to our competition, even our enemies. The problem is that predators eat what we farm or use for sport. From foxes and ravens attacking new-born lambs to weasels eating game-bird chicks, predators compete with us, putting them directly into the firing line. Farming, fishing, sport and leisure industries want to see numbers of predators reduced, and conservation organisations also worry that predators are threatening some endangered species. Other people, though, will go to great lengths to protect them from any harm. This clashing of worlds can be intense. So, what do we do? One of the greatest challenges facing conservation today is how, when and where to control predators. It is a highly charged debate. Mary Colwell travels across the UK and Ireland to encounter the predators face to face. She watches their lives in the wild and discovers how they fit into the landscape. She talks to the scientists studying them and the wildlife lovers who want to protect them. She also meets the people who want to control them to protect their livelihoods or sporting interests. In this even-handed exploration of the issues, Mary provides a thoughtful and reasoned analysis of the debates surrounding our bittersweet relationship with predators.

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.

We are surrounded by thousands of animals, alive and dead. They are an intimate and ever-present part of our human lives. As a society, we privilege veterinarians as experts on these animals: they are our educators and teachers in what they say, what they do, and the decisions that they make. Yet, within the field of education, there is little research on the curriculum, pedagogy, and experiences of veterinary school and students. What do veterinarians learn in veterinary school? How do their experiences during those four years shape their perceptions of animals? How do the structures, curriculum, and pedagogy of veterinary college create and influence these experiences? Learning Animals opens up this conversation through an exploration of the complicated, fascinating and often painful stories of a cohort of veterinary students as they make their four-year journey from matriculation through graduation. The book examines how the experiences of veterinary students shape how humans relate to animals, from public policy and decision-making about the environment and animals slaughtered for food, to the most personal decisions about euthanizing companion animals. The first full-length, critical, qualitative study of the perspectives of our primary teachers about animals, this will be a thought-provoking read for those in the fields of both educational research and veterinary education.

This instructional pocket reference condenses the most important aspects of small animal handling. It provides a portable, durable means of learning 'on the ground', as well as a convenient way to refresh on how to strive for safety and efficacy in animal handling techniques. Spiralbound for practical use at the animal's side during veterinary placements in a clinic or laboratory, the text covers: Handler safety Animal safety Sanitation Approach and capture Routine handling and release procedures Handling for medical procedures Use and supply sources of restraint equipment A Companion Website provides additional self-assessment questions and answers to aid learning. Important reading for undergraduate veterinary students as well as practicing technicians, nurses and assistants, the book instructs on safe and humane handling of species encountered in both small animal practice and laboratory settings.

The Evolution of Human Cleverness presents a unique introduction to the way human cognitive abilities have evolved. The book comprises a series of mini-essays on distinct topics in which technical terms are simplified, considering how humans made the long journey from our ape-like ancestors to become capable of higher-level reasoning and problem solving. All the topics are cross-linked, allowing the reader to dip in and out, but certain key concepts run through the underlying reasoning. Chiefly, these are adaptation and selection, the distinction between ultimate and proximate causes of behaviour, gene-culture co-evolution, and domain-general versus domain-specific cognitive processes. The book should help the reader draw lessons for the human species as a whole, especially in view of the environmental threats to its own existence. Entries have been carefully crafted to cut through scientific jargon, providing bite-sized and digestible chunks of knowledge, making the topic accessible for students and lay readers alike. The author draws on research from diverse fields including Psychology, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, and Neuroscience to provide an unbiased account of the field, making it an ideal text for students of all levels.

1) The first and only textbook solely about public health entomology, mapping onto new Certificate in Public Health Entomology courses in the U.S. Half the price of the nearest competitors, with the subject of Public Health Entomology rapidly becoming a hot topic in public health, this should be adopted as the "go-to" text for public health entomology. 2) Discusses the rationale for having public health entomology programs in state and federal health agencies. 3) Shows how to set up a public health program from scratch. 4) Compares and contrasts specific duties of a public health entomologist (and what are NOT the duties). 5) Includes a section about the primary public health arthropod vectors, their biology, distribution, disease potential, and control.

East Africa comprises a varied range of habitats, which provide living space for more than 360 diverse species of mammal. These range in size from the elephant to the tiniest bats, shrews and mice.

This compact guide covers all of the common and some of the less common mammal species of the region. For each species it offers: key identification features; behaviour, diet, breeding biology, occurrence and size; clear, full-colour photographs; track illustrations; silhouettes to indicate size relative to human figure; and, distribution map. There is a section on droppings/dung of many of the animals that concludes the book.

Compact and easy-to-use, this is the ideal companion both for regulars and visitors to the region.

Livestock Ration Formulation for Dairy Cattle and Buffalo provides an interdisciplinary, integrative perspective and optimization on dairy cattle feed formulation problem solving. It helps dairy farmers by introducing them the right frequency and right amount of balanced diet to be fed to cattle's and buffaloes at different body condition so that their feeding cost should be decreased and there should be increase in income for dairy farmers, as they don't have enough knowledge of feeding practice. It helps animal nutritionist to work for dairy farmers which have very limited feed resources to fulfil nutrients requirement in terms of crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrient (TDN), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) by developing a software programme to plan a balanced low budget diet. It includes the Linear and Goal programming model for non-pregnant dairy buffalo is been solved using Hybrid Real Coded Genetic Algorithm and the results are compared with Real Coded Genetic Algorithm (RGA) considering different versions like RGA without crossover, RGA without Mutation, RGA with crossover and mutation. These models can also be applied with other nutritional models like CNCPS, INRA. This book is a step forward in that direction to provide least cost diet formulation based on nutrient requirement of the cattle and buffalo, which is been calculated according to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR, 2013) and NRC (2001) on dry matter basis, provides a clear and precise platform for other researcher in Animal Nutrition field which also give initial platform to build a software and android application to formulate least cost ration Based on data and algorithm used in this book, which helps Dairy farmers directly to feed balanced diet at cheap rate. Features: It is a good reference to local dairy farmers by introducing them to the right frequency and right amount of balanced diet to be fed to cattle and buffaloes at different production cycles. It will provide basic platform and some solutions to built-up software about cattle nutrition development and least cost formulation for end-user. It has several techniques for optimizing animal diet formulation but a good balance between coding/programming and animal nutrition is incorporated towards application of soft computing technique to improve the quality of the solution due to rigidity of the constraints.

Birds of the West Indies is the first field guide that covers and depicts all birds known to occur in the region, including infrequently occurring and introduced forms. Now fully updated and expanded, this stunningly illustrated book features detailed accounts of more than 600 species, describing field marks, range, status, voice and habitat. More than 100 beautiful colour plates depict plumages of all species, and the book includes distribution maps, a colour code for endemics, and an incisive introduction that discusses avifaunal changes in the West Indies over the past fifteen years.

Are you curious about the remains of an animal you have found? This compilation of the most likely found body parts of animals eaten by raptors will help you identify your discovery. Including over 100 species of bird and mammal prey of raptors such as sparrowhawks, peregrines and hen harriers, this photographic guide highlights the common feathers, fur and other body parts found at raptor nests, roosts, plucking posts and other opportunistic spots. Discovering what raptors eat is an important part of confirming their feeding ecology and how this might change over time, vary on a local level or in response to changing prey populations, as well as dispelling myths and assumptions about what certain raptor species eat. Diet studies are vital for the conservation of raptor species; the more we know about what they need for survival the more we can predict and plan long-term for the protection and survival of raptors that may be vulnerable and in decline. This is the first book to show in detail the actual parts of a bird, mammal or other animal that you are likely to find in a garden, woodland or beneath a raptor roost. As more people take an interest in raptors and watch species such as peregrines via webcams and through watch groups, there is greater opportunity for finding prey remains. This book provides the first and most important step in identifying a prey species.

Designed to introduce the fundamentals of marine living organisms and their ecological functions. Includes updated scientific information on relevant topics, especially useful for advanced students and early career researchers. Written and edited by international experts in their respective fields.

Reflecting the enormous advances made in the field over the past ten years, this text synthesizes the latest developments in the ecology and evolution of animal parasites against a backdrop of parallel advances in parasite systematics, biodiversity and life cycles. This second edition has been thoroughly revised to meet the needs of a new generation of parasitology students. Balancing traditional approaches in parasitology with modern studies in parasite ecology and evolution, the authors present basic ecological principles as a unifying framework to help students understand the complex phenomenon of parasitism. Richly illustrated with over 250 figures, the text is accompanied by case study boxes designed to help students appreciate the complexity and diversity of parasites and the scientists who study them. This unique approach, presented clearly and with a minimum of jargon and mathematical detail, encourages students from diverse backgrounds to think generally and conceptually about parasites and parasitism.

Organized by body system, the new edition of this highly illustrated textbook covers the normal histological appearance of tissues in a wide range of animals, both domestic and exotic species, with relevant clinical correlates emphasizing the need to appreciate the normal in order to recognize the abnormal. In this update by two experienced veterinary pathologists and histology lecturers, new species, such as other companion mammals, aquatic species and livestock, are introduced into each chapter along with a wealth of new high-quality images. A new chapter covers epitehlial tissue and new techniques used in histology and histopathology are discussed throughout, including ISH and digital image analysis. Pathogenesis explanation is introduced in the current (and many new) cases of histopathology. The breadth of coverage-farm animals, dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish-and the integration of normal and abnormal tissue provide a reference of lasting value to veterinary students as well as veterinary practitioners and pathologists needing a quick refresher.

Nanomaterials in the Battle Against Pathogens and Disease Vectors presents an overview of the use of nanotechnology to mitigate pathogens of concern, and is the first book to discuss applications of nanotechnology in the fight against all three major domains of disease-causing pathogens. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites constitute the list of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of high priority. Nanotechnology has proven to be a groundbreaking success in the elimination, targeted toxicity, precise immunogenicity, diagnosis, and imaging of these major pathogens and disease vectors. This text discusses basic concepts and advanced applications for bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It describes the use of metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles and nanotoxicity, as well as presents future applications of nanotechnology in biological applications. This work is ideal for engineers and scientists across the interdisciplinary fields of materials science, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, and others concerned with mitigating the risk and effect of pathogens.

Reproduction is one of the most inherent tasks that all living organisms are actively involved in. It forms the backbone of their existence with all evolutionary energies directed over billion years of creation into maximizing reproductive effort. For so simple and directed a need such as maximizing reproduction, it is interesting to see how much diversity and complexity exists in this task. Each organism despite having the same end goal employs different strategies. The complexities, intricacies and strategies of successful reproduction while being extremely fascinating are equally befuddling. Reproductive Strategies in Insects provides an expansive critical look at the reproductive strategies of the most diverse group of animals, the insects. Insects which inhabit myriad niches in all ecosystems except the oceans, show the most diverse reproductive strategies ranging from simplest to most complex. Reproductive strategies, viz., search for mates, number of mates, display of mate quality, assessment of mate quality, acceptance of mate, rejection of mates, forced copulations, the fight for paternity pre, during and post copula, the modulation of paternity, ovipositional strategies and parental care are described in detail in this book. Also, each strategy in analyzed in relation to its morphological, physiological, ethological, ecological and evolutionary aspects. Features: Covers a wide variety of reproductive strategies, A detailed step by step description of reproductive strategies. Discusses morphological, physiological, ethological, ecological and evolutionary aspects. Modulation of these strategies and responsible modulatory factors are also discussed. Well-illustrated. Recent research results and probable future research directions. This is a niche reference book for ethologists, biologists studying behavioural evolution and entomologists. It may also be used as a textbook for a graduate level course in behaviour.

Addresses the common stressors and struggles of those in the veterinary profession with a focus on real life stories and academic research. Emphasizes practical ways to build a positive supportive culture within the profession, through self-care and building resilience. A 2018 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association gathered more than three decades of data to show that veterinarians are up to 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than members of the general population. Burnout, compassion fatigue and depression are major issues for the veterinary profession, and this book will help vets address these issues head-on and give them tools to overcome them. Existing books on compassion fatigue tend to be more prescriptive. This book offers a more humanistic perspective, sharing real-life stories to show how we all struggle with similar issues and that there are things we can do to help. It connects readers to the fact that we all struggle, we all suffer, and there is a way to manage your professional life and thrive.

This book presents a hypothesis and evidence that organisms promote and ecosystems maximize biodiversity. All species have a net positive effect on their environment, other species, and diversity. The sun is 30% hotter than when life began, but the temperature has been kept moderate by life. Life created high oxygen, the ozone layer, and fertile soil, a diverse, living system. No species evolves in isolation, and most evolution is coevolution. The nature and number of links between species are as important as species number. Eukaryotes coevolve with complex ecosystems of microbes with which they exchange genes. Genomes and intraspecific interactions both act to promote evolution and diversification. Viruses increase diversity of their hosts and cause macroevolutionary transitions. Key Features Life alters the Earth in ways that increase biodiversity All species make their environment better for other species and promote diversity Life created the life-friendly atmosphere, temperature, and soil of today

"A redemption story, an adventure story, and perhaps above all, a love story."-Nate Blakeslee, New York Times-bestselling author of American Wolf The Druid Peak Pack was the most famous wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park, and maybe even in the world. This is the dramatic true story of its remarkable leader, Wolf 21-whose compassion and loyalty challenges commonly held beliefs about alpha males. In this compelling follow-up to the national bestseller The Rise of Wolf 8, Rick McIntyre profiles one of Yellowstone's most revered alpha males, Wolf 21. Leader of the Druid Peak Pack, Wolf 21 was known for his unwavering bravery, his unusual benevolence (unlike other alphas, he never killed defeated rival males), and his fierce commitment to his mate, the formidable Wolf 42. Wolf 21 and Wolf 42 were attracted to each other the moment they met-but Wolf 42's jealous sister interfered viciously in their relationship. After an explosive insurrection within the pack, the two wolves came together at last as leaders of the Druid Peak Pack, which dominated the park for more than 10 years. McIntyre recounts the pack's fascinating saga with compassion and a keen eye for detail, drawing on his many years of experience observing Yellowstone wolves in the wild. His outstanding work of science writing offers unparalleled insight into wolf behavior and Yellowstone's famed wolf reintroduction project. It also offers a love story for the ages. "Like Thomas McNamee, David Mech, Barry Lopez, and other literary naturalists with an interest in wolf behavior, McIntyre writes with both elegance and flair, making complex biology and ethology a pleasure to read. Fans of wild wolves will eat this one up."-Kirkus starred review

Floricultural crops all over the world are challenged by a number of insect and mite pests. The pest scenario is changing, and with climate change the instances of new pest incidences have become a more common problem. Like other crops, the intensive cultivation of commercial flowers has accentuated pest problems, as farmers tend to use more agricultural chemicals, which, in turn, increase the problems of pesticide resistance, pest resurgence, and residues leading to health hazards. This volume, Advances in Pest Management in Commercial Flowers, looks at the major challenges and improvements in this growing area today. It first provides an informative overview of worldwide pests of important commercial flowers. It explores a number of important issues in this area, such as the role of climate change on insect pests of commercial flowers and the synthetic chemicals and their possible harmful effects on the environment.

A gorgeously illustrated guide to the incredible diversity of snakes around the world Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and have evolved to occupy a vast range of habitats, from mountains to oceans and deserts to rain forests. Snakes of the World explores their extraordinary diversity, with an in-depth introduction covering anatomy, behavior, habitats, reproduction, conservation, and other essential topics. This expert guide also includes profiles of some of the approximately 4,000 species of snakes, featuring examples from every family and subfamily. Each family profile highlights the remarkable appearance, characteristics, and lifestyle of notable snake species. Covering how snakes use venom or constriction to subdue their prey, how a snake's appearance can aid camouflage or boast of its killing capacity, and how habitat destruction is jeopardizing the future of many species, Snakes of the World is an invaluable guide to these fascinating reptiles. Features more than 200 stunning color photographs Presents species profiles with a commentary, distribution map, and table of information Includes examples from every snake family and subfamily

In the midst of the climate crisis and the threat of the sixth extinction, we can no longer claim to be the masters of nature. Rather, we need to unlearn our species' arrogance for the sake of all animals, human and non-human. Rethinking our being-in-the-world as Homo sapiens, this monograph argues, starts precisely from the way we relate to our closer companion species. The authors gathered here endeavour to find multiple exit strategies from the anthropocentric paradigms that have bound the human and social sciences. Part I investigates the unexplored margins of human history by re-reading historical events, literary texts, and scientific findings from an animal's perspective, rather than a human's. Part II explores different forms of human-animal relationships, putting the emphasis on the institutions, spaces, and discourses that frame our interactions with animals. Part III engages with processes of "translation" that aim to render animals' experience and perception into human words and visual language.