As dusk settles over the Costa Rican forest, the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, stirs from its cave roost. Flying out to search for ripe fruit, Carollia returns to a night roost in the forest vegetation to eat. After a few such flights Carollia rests, and the fruits pass through its short digestive tract. The seeds are excreted onto the ground, to be eaten in turn by mice and insects, but a few are pushed into crevices where they await the necessary conditions for germination. In The Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Theodore Fleming examines Carollia's role in the ecology of tropical forests. Based on more than ten years' research, this study provides the most detailed ecological and evolutionary account to date of the life history of a Neotropical mammal and includes striking photographs of the bats in flight.
The Forebrain Atlas of the Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Carollia perpicillata, is unique among brain atlases. Not only is this the first quality atlas treatment of a bat species, but the atlas is also unique in its use of NeuN staining. Carollia perpicillata, a tropical species, is the only bat that has essentially been domesticated and can be maintained and propagated in a research environment utilizing simple, inexpensive husbandry procedures. The NeuN preparations used in this atlas selectively stain neurons in a sharp black coloration that fills not only the cell body but extends a short distance along the proximal dendrites. Thus, as distinct from the traditional nissl stains, which generate a shade of blue largely restricted to the cell body, the NeuN generates a quasi Golgi-like image of the neurons. This provides a more intimate view of the neurons than can be obtained from nissl staining. In addition, the background is essentially white, facilitating high-contrast photography and allowing for gray-tone illustration without any loss of information. The NeuN procedure does not stain axons, and since it does not stain glial cells or their nuclei, the noise ordinarily generated in nissl stains by the presence of glial cells among the neurons and in the white matter is entirely eliminated. The Forebrain Atlas of the Short-tailed Fruit Bat also includes nissl stained sections for two reasons: One, since some readers may be unfamiliar with the NeuN images, it is useful to include familiar images for comparison. More importantly, it is known that NeuN is not expressed in certain neurons, such as Purkinje cells, olfactory bulb mitral cells, and the cells of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. The nissl stained sections are thus included to provide complementary views of such structures. The atlas will be useful for students and investigators doing neuroscience research on bat and other mammalian species, as well as students of comparative biology, zoology, brain evolution, and the history of neuroanatomical analysis.
Contests are an important aspect of the lives of diverse animals, from sea anemones competing for space on a rocky shore to fallow deer stags contending for access to females. Why do animals fight? What determines when fights stop and which contestant wins? Addressing fundamental questions on contest behaviour, this volume presents theoretical and empirical perspectives across a range of species. The historical development of contest research, the evolutionary theory of both dyadic and multiparty contests, and approaches to experimental design and data analysis are discussed in the first chapters. This is followed by reviews of research in key animal taxa, from the use of aerial displays and assessment rules in butterflies and the developmental biology of weapons in beetles, through to interstate warfare in humans. The final chapter considers future directions and applications of contest research, making this a comprehensive resource for both graduate students and researchers in the field.
There are more than 1,300 species of bats—or almost a quarter of the world’s mammal species. But before you shrink in fear from these furry “creatures of the night,” consider the bat’s fundamental role in our ecosystem. A single brown bat can eat several thousand insects in a night. Bats also pollinate and disperse the seeds for many of the plants we love, from bananas to mangoes and figs. Bats: A World of Science and Mystery presents these fascinating nocturnal creatures in a new light. Lush, full-color photographs portray bats in flight, feeding, and mating in views that show them in exceptional detail. The photos also take the reader into the roosts of bats, from caves and mines to the tents some bats build out of leaves. A comprehensive guide to what scientists know about the world of bats, the book begins with a look at bats’ origins and evolution. The book goes on to address a host of questions related to flight, diet, habitat, reproduction, and social structure: Why do some bats live alone and others in large colonies? When do bats reproduce and care for their young? How has the ability to fly—unique among mammals—influenced bats’ mating behavior? A chapter on biosonar, or echolocation, takes readers through the system of high-pitched calls bats emit to navigate and catch prey. More than half of the world’s bat species are either in decline or already considered endangered, and the book concludes with suggestions for what we can do to protect these species for future generations to benefit from and enjoy. From the tiny “bumblebee bat”—the world’s smallest mammal—to the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox, whose wingspan exceeds five feet, A Battery of Bats presents a panoramic view of one of the world’s most fascinating yet least-understood species.
Approach; Major ecosystem types, major habitat types, and ecoregions of LAC; Conservation status of terretrial ecoregions of LAC; Biological distinctiveness of territorial ecoregions of LAC at different biogeographic scales results; Integrating biological distinctiveness and conservation status; Conservation assessment of mangrove ecosystems.
This book focuses on central themes related to the conservation of bats. It details their response to land-use change and management practices, intensified urbanization and roost disturbance and loss. Increasing interactions between humans and bats as a result of hunting, disease relationships, occupation of human dwellings, and conflict over fruit crops are explored in depth. Finally, contributors highlight the roles that taxonomy, conservation networks and conservation psychology have to play in conserving this imperilled but vital taxon. With over 1300 species, bats are the second largest order of mammals, yet as the Anthropocene dawns, bat populations around the world are in decline. Greater understanding of the anthropogenic drivers of this decline and exploration of possible mitigation measures are urgently needed if we are to retain global bat diversity in the coming decades. This book brings together teams of international experts to provide a global review of current understanding and recommend directions for future research and mitigation.
An important resource that reviews the various infectious diseases that affect bats and bat populations Bats and Human Health: Ebola, SARS, Rabies and Beyond covers existing literature on viral, bacterial, protozoan, and fungal infections of bats and how these infections affect bat populations. The book also offers an overview of the potential for zoonotic transmission of infectious diseases from bats to humans or domestic animals. While most prior publications on the subject have dealt only with bat viral infections, this text closely covers a wide range of bat infections, from viral and bacterial infections to protist and fungal infections. Chapters on viral infections cover rabies, filoviruses, henipaviruses, and other RNA viruses, as well as information on bat virome studies. The book then provides information on bacterial infections–including arthropod-borne and other bacteria that affect bats–before moving on to protist infections, including apicomplexans and kinetoplastids, and fungal infections, including white-nose syndrome, histoplasma capsulatum, and other fungi. Comprehensive in scope, yet another key feature of this book is a searchable database that includes bat species, bat family, bat diet, bat location, type and classification of infecting microbes, and categories of microbes. This vital resource also: Provides a history and comprehensive overview of bat-borne diseases Incorporates information from the World Health Organization, as well as historical data from the National Libraries of Health and infectious disease journals Covers a variety of diseases including viral infections, bacterial infections, protist infections, and fungal infections Written for microbiologist, bat researchers, and conservationists, Bats and Human Health provides a comprehensive exploration of the various types of microbes that affect bats and their potential to affect human populations.
This authoritative dictionary has been compiled with the aim of giving an overview of the English, German, French and Italian names of mammals. The Basic Table contains, in alphabetical order, the scientific names of families, genera, species and sub-species and synonyms with the identified names detailed in all four languages. These are given in the singular for species and sub-species and in the plural for other terms. The synonyms and subspecies are offered in detail. The editor offers numerous alternative spellings of vernacular names. This dictionary is an outstanding guide for every researcher in mammalogy.
A sweet, fun, and informative picture book about bat echolocation for kids 3-7. Written by a scientist who works with bats in his everyday life! It’s time for Fiona the fruit bat to take her very first flight, but she’s scared. How will she fly when she can’t see in the dark? Mama just says, “listen.” But how will listening help her to see? Then she hears a mysterious sound from deep in her cave. To find out what’s making that noise—and to finally fly—Fiona will have to unlock a secret hidden inside herself. Written by biologist and bestselling author Dan Riskin, and rooted in the real-life biology of short-tailed fruit bats, this adorable story features: The fascinating science behind echolocation, including backmatter pages with information on fruit bats from the author. A comforting message to help kids scared of the dark: Alongside Fiona, they’ll learn there’s nothing to be scared of! A celebration of self-confidence and independence: Shows readers the amazing things they can accomplish all on their own. Accompanied by delightful illustrations from Rachel Qiuqi, Fiona the Fruit Bat is a touching tale about overcoming the fear of new experiences and finding the courage to listen to your own voice.
