| Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals Contributor(s): Caro, Tim (Author), Girling, Sheila (Illustrator) |
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ISBN: 0226094367 ISBN-13: 9780226094366 Publisher: University of Chicago Press OUR PRICE: $61.38 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2005 Annotation: In nature, the ability to defend against predators is fundamental to an animal's survival. From the giraffes that rely on their spotted coats to blend into the patchy light of their woodland habitats to the South American sea lions that pile themselves in heaps to ward off the killer whales that prey on them in the shallow surf, defense strategies in the animal kingdom are seemingly innumerable. In "Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals," Tim Caro ambitiously synthesizes predator defenses in birds and mammals and integrates all functional and evolutionary perspectives on antipredator defenses that have developed over the last century. Structured chronologically along a hypothetical sequence of predation--Caro evokes a gazelle fawn desperate to survive a cheetah attack to illustrate the continuum of the evolution of antipredator defenses--"Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals" considers the defenses that prey use to avoid detection by predators; the benefits of living in groups; morphological and behavioral defenses in individuals and groups; and, finally, flight and adaptations of last resort. "Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals" will be of interest to both specialists and general readers interested in ecological issues. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Nature | Birdwatching Guides - Nature | Animals - Mammals |
| Dewey: 598.11 |
| LCCN: 2004026464 |
| Series: Interspecific Interactions |
| Physical Information: 1.28" H x 6.1" W x 9.04" (1.75 lbs) 592 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In nature, the ability to defend against predators is fundamental to an animal's survival. From the giraffes that rely on their spotted coats to blend into the patchy light of their woodland habitats to the South American sea lions that pile themselves in heaps to ward off the killer whales that prey on them in the shallow surf, defense strategies in the animal kingdom are seemingly innumerable. In Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals, Tim Caro ambitiously synthesizes predator defenses in birds and mammals and integrates all functional and evolutionary perspectives on antipredator defenses that have developed over the last century. Structured chronologically along a hypothetical sequence of predation--Caro evokes a gazelle fawn desperate to survive a cheetah attack to illustrate the continuum of the evolution of antipredator defenses--Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals considers the defenses that prey use to avoid detection by predators; the benefits of living in groups; morphological and behavioral defenses in individuals and groups; and, finally, flight and adaptations of last resort. Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals will be of interest to both specialists and general readers interested in ecological issues. |
Contributor Bio(s): Caro, Tim: - Tim Caro is professor of wildlife biology at the University of California, Davis. He is also the author of Conservation by Proxy: Indicator, Umbrella, Keystone, Flagship, and Other Surrogate Species. |