Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals (Interspecific Interactions) [Paperback]

Tim Caro (Author), Sheila Girling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0226094367 | ISBN-13: 978-0226094366

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is a field that Caro has devoted much of his career to, and his comfort with the literature shows through. . . .Antipredator Defenses is a major contribution to the field and will be consulted for a long time to come. . . .Caro’s book is a comprehensive survey of the field, with well articulated arguments and balanced views. I recommend it unreservedly.”—Thomas N. Sherratt, Trends in Ecology and Evolution

(Thomas N. Sherratt, Trends in Ecology and Evolution )

"Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals is a comprehensive review of what we know empirically of how animals avoid predation.... [It is] full of fascinating natural history stories that make it an easy and enjoyable read."—Will Cresswell, Ibis

(Will Cresswell Ibis )

"A reviewer describes the book as ''a wonderful encyclopedic treatment of defenses against predators in mammals and birds,'' but this description is incorrect insofar as it fails to mention that the book is also a great synthesis and magnificently organized. . . . A valuable information bank for any zoologist."—Simone Teelen, Journal of Mammal Evolution

(Simone Teelen Journal of Mammal Evolution )

"In-depth reviews of nearly every aspect of prey defenses make this essential reading for researchers and students embarking on studies of prey or predator behavior. The writing is clear and any reader is bound to encounter novel and intriguing material along the way. . . . An important contribution that will help integrate and bolster theoretically and empirically driven work in this field."—Susan Lingle, Ecology

(Susan Lingle Ecology )

"The work is technically clean and is graced with lovely and topical sketches at the head of each chapter. The treatment is quite nonmathematical and where equations are presented, they are explained quite clearly. . . . This is an important book. . . . Excellent for graduate-level seminars."—Auk

(Auk )

"This book is clearly and intelligently written. . . . It could be read with profit by active researchers in predation . . . by those with a more general interest in mammals and birds who are looking for a readable, reliable, and comprehensive reference in tihs area; and by undergraduates in courses related to ecology and animal behavior. . . . I can think of no better recommenation than the considerable number of my colleagues who have bought their own copy after having found themselves reluctant to ask me yet again to lend them mine!"

(Graeme D. Ruxton Bioscience )

"An encyclopedic survey that is sure to be a much consulted classic."

(Northeastern Naturalist ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Tim Caro is professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis. He is also the author of Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains: Group Living in an Asocial Species, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226094367
• ISBN-13: 978-0226094366
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,045,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.