Chimpanzee and Red Colobus: The Ecology of Predator and Prey (Hardcover)

by Craig B. Stanford (Author), Richard W. Wrangham (Author) "The above passage could be describing the predator-prey relationship between lions and their wildebeest prey on the African plains, or between wolves and moose in..." (more)
Key Phrases: immature colobus, colobus population, colobus groups, Gombe National Park, Kibale National Park, Tana River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Excellent. An important study of the relationship between chimpanzees and their prey." -- Jane Goodall

"[C]learly written and well organised,... the latest chapter provides a concise and comprehensive summary-conclusion...[A]n important contribution to primatology. -- Jennifer Scott, Biologist

"[D]etailed,...entertaining analysis of the evolutionary whys, behavioural ecology wherefores and natural history hows of a fascinating predator-prey system. -- New Scientist --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
Excellent. An important study of the relationship between chimpanzees and their prey.
--Jane Goodall

A detailed, but entertaining analysis of the evolutionary whys, behavioural ecology wherefores and natural history hows of a fascinating predator-prey system. Suitable for undergraduates and above, the wealth of detail makes it hard to believe that, until two decades ago, chimps were thought of as entirely peaceful vegetarians. Just read Craig Stanford's Chimpanzee and Red Colobus to discover how wrong we all were. (New Scientist )

This is a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the predator-prey relationship between chimpanzees and red colobus monkeys in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. While researchers generally focus on predation from the point of view of the hunter, Craig Stanford is unique on addressing predation from the point of view of both predator and prey...This is an excellent reference manual on chimpanzees as hunters and their impact on the behaviour, ecology and demography of their prey. It is clearly written and well organised, and the latest chapter provides a concise and comprehensive summary-conclusion. Figures and tables are easy to follow and, together with the text, reveal the meticulous detail in which the author addressed the questions of interest. This is an important contribution to primatology.
--Jennifer Scott (Biologist )

[Chimpanzee and Red Colobus is a ] study of how the predation of wild chimps influences and shapes the behaviour and ecology of a group of red colobus monkeys, offering clues as to how early humans may have lived. (BBC Wildlife )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674116674
• ISBN-13: 978-0674116672
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,457,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring War in the Chimp World, April 26, 2005

By	Debra Di Blasi "fiction writer, screenwriter,... (Kansas City, MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not a primatologist, thus this review is for people who may have a curiosity about chimp behavior as it may or may not relate to humans -- particularly the "warring behaviors" of chimps. The author packs a lot of research in this book -- statistical and anecdotal. Well written, highly readable. For those who like to see graphs and charts, there are also plenty of those. I bought this book as part of my research for teaching a war short stories college course. I was interested in learning about "violence" in animals and insects and comparing that violence with the human tendency to war. Well, I found plenty of relationships, and after a while, it became difficult to not see human behavior reflected in the fairly objective reports from the author/researcher. The information carnivorous habits (chimps hunt and eat colobus monkeys) is fascinating. As with Jane Goodall's research, the reader learns the individual characteristics and personalities of chimps in their peculiar society -- important, I think, as a way of viewing each animal as a societal force and to understanding the complex interrelationships, and their ties to power struggles. Most importantly, the book provides an insight into human behavior and how we negotiate and manipulate to achieve higher levels of power.