Africanized honeybees, also known as killer bees, and army ants are both tiny animals that really strike fear in many people. In this action-packed volume, readers will follow along with a battle of the insects and decide who they think would be the ultimate victor. Readers will learn about factors such as adaptations, size, and sting. They'll use the information to make an educated guess about which insect they think would win if such a battle were to really break out. This imaginative, high-interest book is loaded with eye-catching graphics and facts that support important elementary science concepts.
Daniel J. C. Kronauer brings to life the research surrounding army ants, nature's preeminent social hunters. Without central coordination, army ants march in columns by the thousands and build nests and bridges using their own bodies. They also play a crucial role in promoting and sustaining the biodiversity of tropical ecosystems.
Tarantulas are the hairy spiders of many people's nightmares. Piranhas are a type of fish known for their razor-sharp teeth and fierce bite. A battle between these two animals would certainly make for an interesting fight. Readers of this stimulating book will learn about habitats, adaptations, and many other factors that could help determine who the champion of such a match would be. Bright photographs and concise facts hold readers' attention while they decide who will win this beastly battle.
A bird and a snake may not seem like they could have much in common, but the red-tailed hawk and Burmese python are both skilled hunters. In a fight, they'd each bring quite a bit to the table. This thrilling book is packed with information that compares and contrasts these two carnivores. Eye-catching photographs help readers visualize these two animals in a battle. Habitats and adaptations are just a couple of the important science concepts that this exciting book discusses.
Until recently, surprisingly little has been known about the biology and behavior of tropical forest raptors, including such basic aspects as diets, breeding biology, habitat requirements, and population ecology, information critical to the development of conservation efforts. The Peregrine Fund conducted a significant eight-year-long research program on the raptor species, including owls, in Tikal National Park in Guatemala to learn more about Neotropical birds of prey. Impressive and unprecedented in scale, this pioneering research also involved the development of new methods for detecting, enumerating, and studying these magnificent but often elusive birds in their forest home. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of previously little-known species, the resulting book is the most important single source for information on the lowland tropical forest raptor species found in Central America.Neotropical Birds of Prey covers twenty specific species in depth, including the Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the Barred Forest-Falcon, the Bat Falcon, and the Mexican Wood Owl, offering thorough synopses of all current knowledge regarding breeding biology and behavior, diet, habitat use, and spatial needs. Contributors to this landmark work also show how the populations fit together as a community with overlapping habitat and prey needs that can put them in competition with reptiles and mammalian carnivores as well, yet differ from one another in their nesting or feeding behaviors and population dynamics. The work's substantive original data offer interesting comparisons between tropical and temperate zone species, and provide a basis for establishing conservation measures based on firsthand research. Making available for the first time new data on the biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation of the majestic owls and raptors of the New World tropics, this book will appeal to a wide ornithological readership, especially the many raptor enthusiasts around the world.
Hippos and polar bears are both fairly large mammals that spend much of their time in water, but is that where their similarities end? Readers of this captivating book will find out the answer to that and many more questions as they imagine these two beasts battling it out. Colorful photographs and a dynamic page layout assist with the understanding of key elementary science concepts. After reading all the facts, readers can judge this epic battle themselves and determine which animal they think would come out on top.
Who would win in a fight between a feathered dinosaur and an aggressive shark? We'll probably never know the true answer, but this high-interest volume helps readers imagine and understand the battle that could ensue if the two creatures were to ever meet. Eye-catching graphics paired with concise facts make for a lively and engaging page layout that helps to reinforce key elementary science concepts. Readers will weigh the information they're given, including factors such as size and speed, and use it to decide who they think would come out on top in this imaginative matchup.
Introduces the strength of an ant to readers through simple text, photograph, and measurement comparisons. Additional features include a phonetic glossary, index, sources for further research, and a Check It Out! section that supplements the main text with additional fun comparisons and facts about the topic.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has captured the attention of biologists, conservationists and ecologists and has been the setting for extensive investigation over the past 30 years. This provides information on this ecosystem and the biota.
This book brings together a wide range of sampling methods for investigating different arthropod groups. Each chapter is organized to describe and evaluate the main sampling methods (field methods, materials and supplies, sampling protocols, effort needed, and limitations); in addition, some chapters describe the specimen preparation and conservation, species identification, data collection and management (treatment, statistical analysis, interpretation), and ecological/conservation implications of arthropod communities. The book aims to be a reference for zoologists, entomologists, arachnologists, ecologists, students, researchers, and for those interested in arthropod science and biodiversity. We hope the book will contribute to advance knowledge on field assessments and conservation strategies. Arthropods represent the most speciose group of organisms on Earth, with a remarkable number of species and interactions still to be described. These invertebrates are recognized for playing key ecological roles in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Because of the increasing and relentless threats arthropods are facing lately due to a multitude of human induced drivers, this book represents an important contribution to assess their biodiversity and role in ecosystem functioning and generation of ecosystem services worldwide.
