Ecology of Bats
Ecology of Bats

Author: T.H. Kunz

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-11

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 1461334217

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Among living vertebrates bats and birds are unique in their ability to fly, and it is this common feature that sets them apart ecologically from other groups. Bats are in some ways the noctumal equivalents of birds, having evolved and radiated into a diversity of forms to fill many of the same niches. The evolution of flight and echolocation in bats was undoubtedly a prime mover in the diversification of feeding and roosting habits, reproductive strategies, and social behaviors. Bats have successfully colonized almost every continential region on earth (except Antarctica), as weIl as many oceanic islands and archipelagos. They comprise the second largest order of mammals (next to rodents) in number of species and probably exceed all other such groups in overall abundance. Bats exhibit a dietary diversity (including insects, fruits, leaves, flowers, nectar and pollen, fish. other vertebrates, and blood) unparalleled among other living mammals. Their reproductive pattems range from seasonal monestry to polyestry, and mating systems inelude promiscuity, monogamy, and polygyny. The vast majority of what we know about the ecology of bats is derived from studies of only a few of the approximately 850 species, yet in the past two decades studies on bats have escalated to a level where many important empirical pattems and processes have been identified. This knowledge has strengthened our understanding of ecological relationships and encouraged hypothesis testing rather than perpetuated a catalog of miscellaneous observations.

The Secret Lives of Bats
The Secret Lives of Bats

Author: Merlin D. Tuttle

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 0544382277

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"Tuttle's account forever changes the way we see these poorly understood yet fascinating cratures." -- page 4 of cover.

Bat Ecology
Bat Ecology

Author: Thomas H. Kunz

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 799

ISBN-13: 0226462072

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In recent years researchers have discovered that bats play key roles in many ecosystems as insect predators, seed dispersers, and pollinators. Bats also display astonishing ecological and evolutionary diversity and serve as important models for studies of a wide variety of topics, including food webs, biogeography, and emerging diseases. In Bat Ecology, world-renowned bat scholars present an up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative review of this ongoing research. The first part of the book covers the life history and behavioral ecology of bats, from migration to sperm competition and natural selection. The next section focuses on functional ecology, including ecomorphology, feeding, and physiology. In the third section, contributors explore macroecological issues such as the evolution of ecological diversity, range size, and infectious diseases (including rabies) in bats. A final chapter discusses conservation challenges facing these fascinating flying mammals. Bat Ecology is the most comprehensive state-of-the-field collection for scientists and researchers. Contributors: John D. Altringham, Robert M. R. Barclay, Tenley M. Conway, Elizabeth R. Dumont, Peggy Eby, Abigail C. Entwistle, Theodore H. Fleming, Patricia W. Freeman, Lawrence D. Harder, Gareth Jones, Linda F. Lumsden, Gary F. McCracken, Sharon L. Messenger, Bruce D. Patterson, Paul A. Racey, Jens Rydell, Charles E. Rupprecht, Nancy B. Simmons, Jean S. Smith, John R. Speakman, Richard D. Stevens, Elizabeth F. Stockwell, Sharon M. Swartz, Donald W. Thomas, Otto von Helversen, Gerald S. Wilkinson, Michael R. Willig, York Winter

Reproductive Biology of Bats
Reproductive Biology of Bats

Author: Elizabeth G. Crichton

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2000-06-12

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 0080540538

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The Reproductive Biology of Bats presents the first comprehensive, in-depth review of the current knowledge and supporting literature concerning the behavior, anatomy, physiology and reproductive strategies of bats. These mammals, which occur world-wide and comprise a vast assemblage of species, have evolved unique and successful reproductive strategies through varied anatomical and physiological specialization. These are accompanied by individual and/or group behavioral interactions, usually in response to environmental mechanisms essential to their reproductive success. - Is the first book devoted to the reproductive biology of bats - Contains in-depth reviews of the literature concerned with bat reproduction - Contributors are widely recognized specialists - Provides a powerful database for future research

Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction
Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction

Author: Virginia Douglass Hayssen

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 1036

ISBN-13: 9780801417535

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Since the appearance of the second edition of Sydney A. Asdell's widely used Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction in 1964, the field of reproductive physiology has expanded dramatically. Accordingly, this revision adopts a different structure from previous editions, substituting empirical delineations for physiological interpretations. With the emphases now on a presentation of the published facts of mammalian reproduction, it provides a thorough compilation of what is known about the basic reproductive biology of each of the 4300 mammalian species.To gather information, the authors examined more than 20,000 publications, dating up to 1992. They used primary sources as much as possible, supplementing them with English translations of Russian, Finnish, Chinese, and Japanese journals. The data are presented in taxonomic order. Each familial account summarizes the pattern of reproduction for the family and provides lists of citations arranged by topic of the literature on the endocrinology, reproductive anatomy, and reproductive physiology of the family. Following each account is a tabular listing of species-specific data for neonatal mass and size, weaning mass and size, litter size, age at sexual maturity, estrous cycle length, gestation length, lactation length, number of litters per year, and seasonality of reproduction. For each of these reproductive variables, the range of data gleaned from the literature is given, together with the source of each value listed.Virginia Hayssen is Assistant Professor of Biology at Smith College. Ari Van Tienhoven is Professor of Animal Physiology, Emeritus, at Cornell University. Ans Van Tienhoven assisted in the compilation of data for the book.

Audubon Wildlife Report 1988/1989
Audubon Wildlife Report 1988/1989

Author: William J. Chandler

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2013-09-24

Total Pages: 836

ISBN-13: 1483274578

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Audubon Wildlife Report 1988/1989 focuses on federal wildlife conservation policy, with extensive background information on the history, legal authorities, and administrative structure of federal wildlife agencies and programs. The report also includes in-depth treatment of significant problems, issues, and developments including wildlife. The text is divided into five parts. Part One features an agency related to wildlife conservation, which is The National Marine Fisheries Service in this volume. Part Two covers wildlife issues in national forests and national parks, as well as legal developments affecting wildlife. Part Three deals with challenges in conservation such as wildlife and water projects on the Platte River, international wildlife trade, and plastic debris and its effects on marine wildlife. Part Four discusses species accounts such as the moose, the Florida panther, and the common barn owl. Part Five consists of appendices which indexes directories of conservation agencies, congressional contacts, and the endangered species list. The book is recommended for biologists, conservationists, and environmentalists who would like to know more about the status of endangered species, as well as the problems and programs of certain conservation agencies.