|
Description: |
xvi, 313 pages : illustrations, map, charts ; 24 cm |
|
|
Bibliography Note: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-295) and index. |
|
|
Contents Note: |
Contents: 1. Introduction: -- What is a small mammal? -- Advantages and disadvantages of being a small mammal -- The protagonists (Monotremes and marsupials ; Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Macroscelidea, Scandentia, and Dermoptera ; Chiroptera ; Primates ; Carnivora ; Rodentia ; Lagomorpha ; Hyracoidea). |
|
|
|
Part 1. Modes of feeding. 2. Insectivory (General characteristics ; Terrestrial insectivores ; Arboreal insectivores ; Semiaquatic and fossorial insectivores ; Subterranean insectivores ; Aerial insectivores) ; 3. Herbivory (General characteristics ; Granivores ; Frugivores ; Nectarivores ; Gummivores ; Folivores ; Case study: Rock Badgers: gutsy cliff-dwellers) ; 4. Carnivory (General characteristics ; Flesh-eating carnivores ; Piscivores ; Sanguinivores) ; 5. Omnivory (Omnivorous carnivores ; Mycophagy ; Case studies (The hero shrew: mysterious insectivore; Dietary nonconformists; Gleaning, hawking, hovering, and perch-hunting). |
|
|
|
Part 2. Environmental adaptations. 6. Endothermy ; 7. Heterothermy (Torpor ; Hibernation) ; 8. Coping with cold (Insulatory changes ; Countercurrent heat exchange : the miraculous net ; Reduced level of activity ; Reduction of body mass [Dehnel's phenomenon] ; Fat tails ; Social thermoregulation ; Increased heat production) ; 9. Coping with heat and aridity (Conserving water ; Dietary water intake ; Evaporative cooling ; Pelage insulation ; Behavioral avoidance of heat) ; 10. Ecogeographic rules (Modified size of appendages [Allen's rule] ; Seasonal color dimorphism [Gloger's rule] ; Body mass and latitude [Bergmann's rule] ; Case studies (Communal nesting; Hedgehogs: spiny hibernators). |
|
|
|
Part 3. Reproduction. 11. Reproductive variations (Delayed fertilization ; Delayed implantation ; Delayed development ; Embryonc diapause) ; 12. Mating systems and reproductive strategies (High fecundity ; Monogamy, housekeeping, and mate guarding ; Absentee maternal care ; Lek behavior ; Eusociality ; Semelparity : Breeding and sudden death) ; 13. Population cycles : lemmings and snowshoe hares -- Appendix: Useful web sites -- Glossary. |
|
|
Summary, Etc. Note: |
Summary: The Biology of Small Mammals is the first exploration of the lives of small mammals undertaken in decades. Mammalogist Joseph F. Merritt offers an engaging, in-depth discussion about a diverse array of small mammals, from the rare Kitti's hog-nosed bat of Southeast Asia to the bizarre aye-aye of Madagascar to the familiar woodchuck of North America. Small mammals include those mammals weighing under five kilograms (approximately eleven pounds). Merritt introduces the various species that fall under this heading, then follows with chapters that cover such topics as behavior, modes of feeding, locomotion, habitat use, reproduction, and coping with heat loss. Animals of this size face different physiological and ecological challenges than larger mammals. Merritt describes in rich detail how mammals across the globe have adapted to compensate for their small stature, showing how they contribute to and survive in diverse environments in many fascinating ways. For example, arctic foxes, weighing just 3 to 4.3 kilograms, are champion survivors in the cold. They cope with their harsh environs by decreasing activity, seeking shelter in temporary dens and snow burrows, growing a lush winter fur, and undergoing complex physiological changes to insulate themselves from chilling temperatures. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book provides a valuable and updated reference on nature's more diminutive creatures. -- from Book Jacket. |
|
|
Elect. Loc./Access: |
Additional Information at Google Books http://books.google.com/books?isbn=9780801879500 |