Download or read book Killer Whales written by Robin W. Baird and published by New Line Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Killer whales are the supreme predators in the ocean. This introduction to killer whales, or orcas, pieces together the latest information on their life histories. How they communicate and maintain well-established societies, with intricate family relationships, over long lifespans. We also learn that killer whales must now contend with toxic pollutants, overfishing of their prey and a host of other environmental concerns. Illustrated by the world's best wildlife photographers, this book brings us face to face with these intriguing creatures in their underwater realms.

Download or read book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Odontocetes written by Bernd Würsig and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-08-02 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book concentrates on the marine mammalian group of Odontocetes, the toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises. In 23 chapters, a total of 40 authors describe general patterns of ethological concepts of odontocetes in their natural environments, with a strong bent towards behavioral ecology. Examples are given of particularly well-studied species and species groups for which enough data exist, especially from the past 15 years. The aim is to give a modern flavor of present knowledge of ethology and behavior of generally large-brained behaviorally flexible mammals that have evolved quite separately from social mammals on land. As well, the plight of populations and species due to humans is described in multiple chapters, with the goal that an understanding of behavior can help to solve or alleviate at least some human-made problems.

Download or read book Primates and Cetaceans written by Juichi Yamagiwa and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, the editors present a view of the socioecology of primates and cetaceans in a comparative perspective to elucidate the social evolution of highly intellectual mammals in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Despite obvious differences in morphology and eco-physiology, there are many cases of comparable, sometimes strikingly similar patterns of sociobehavioral complexity. A number of long-term field studies have accumulated a substantial amount of data on the life history of various taxa, foraging ecology, social and sexual relationships, demography, and various patterns of behavior: from dynamic fission–fusion to long-term stable societies; from male-bonded to bisexually bonded to matrilineal groups. Primatologists and cetologists have come together to provide four evolutionary themes: (1) social complexity and behavioral plasticity, (2) life history strategies and social evolution, (3) the interface between behavior, demography, and conservation, and (4) selected topics in comparative behavior. These comparisons of taxa that are evolutionarily distant but live in comparable complex sociocognitive environments boost our appreciation of their sophisticated mammalian societies and can advance our understanding of the ecological factors that have shaped their social evolution. This knowledge also facilitates a better understanding of the day-to-day challenges these animals face in the human-dominated world and may improve the capacity and effectiveness of our conservation efforts.

Download or read book Behavioral Biology of Killer Whales written by Barbara C. Kirkevold and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Swimming with Orca written by Ingrid Visser and published by Penguin Global. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet the woman whose life revolves around orca, or killer whales. This book tells the fascinating story of Dr Ingrid Visser, a marine scientist who has spent the past ten years studying these creatures. During this time she has got to know many New Zealand orca intimately; she calls them her friends and can identify some by sight. Ingrid has a hands-on approach to her study - getting into the water with them, watching them hunt and interacting in any way she can. Ingrid is the only person to work with orca in the South Pacific and has discovered many differences between their behaviour here and in the northern hemisphere. The book is packed with interesting facts about orca in New Zealand and also tells Ingrid's own personal story and the inspiring encounters she has had with these intriguing animals.

Download or read book Transients written by John K.B. Ford and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on transient killer whales. Enigmatic and elusive, these mammal-hunting whales are difficult animals to study. They travel in small groups, often moving unpredictably, which makes them less conspicuous than the larger resident pods. For these and other reasons, our understanding of the life history and ecology of transient killer whales has lagged behind that of residents. Transients contains the latest information on the natural history of transient killer whales, including their feeding habits, social lives, and distribution patterns. The catalogue section contains photographs of and notes on over 200 individual whales. Numerous sidebars contain interesting observations on encounters with transients as well as information on how and where to best watch them.

Download or read book Listening to Whales written by Alexandra Morton and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2008-12-30 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Listening to Whales, Alexandra Morton shares spellbinding stories about her career in whale and dolphin research and what she has learned from and about these magnificent mammals. In the late 1970s, while working at Marineland in California, Alexandra pioneered the recording of orca sounds by dropping a hydrophone into the tank of two killer whales. She recorded the varied language of mating, childbirth, and even grief after the birth of a stillborn calf. At the same time she made the startling observation that the whales were inventing wonderful synchronized movements, a behavior that was soon recognized as a defining characteristic of orca society. In 1984, Alexandra moved to a remote bay in British Columbia to continue her research with wild orcas. Her recordings of the whales have led her to a deeper understanding of the mystery of whale echolocation, the vocal communication that enables the mammals to find their way in the dark sea. A fascinating study of the profound communion between humans and whales, this book will open your eyes anew to the wonders of the natural world.

Download or read book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Mysticetes written by Christopher W. Clark and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-07-02 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, an international team of leading marine mammal scientists, with a remarkably diverse set of backgrounds and areas of expertise, lead you through a synthesis of current knowledge on baleen whales. Baleen whales are the largest animals ever to have lived on this planet. They also have the lowest and most intense voices on Earth, most likely evolved to take advantage of ocean acoustic transmission conditions so as to be detectable across ocean basins. Some baleen whales can live to be 150-200 years old. They migrate many thousands of kilometers between feeding and breeding areas. They produce songs and calls that serve as behavioral foundations for establishing, maintaining and expanding their cultural identities. To conclude that we know the behavioral limits of these large brained, long-lived animals would be naïve. As baleen whale scientists, we are still beginning to comprehend the enormous complexities and natural histories of these remarkable animals. Today, the fact that whales sing is known throughout much of the world. This awareness started 50 years ago with the publication and popularization of a collection of humpback song recordings that motivated research into baleen whale behavioral ethology. In this book’s chapters, a reader’s experiences will stretch from learning about baleen whale laryngeal anatomy associated with their different voices to learning about the vast ocean areas over which their voices can be heard and the emerging complexities of their culturally defined societies. These are accompanied by chapters on the fundamental ethological contexts of socializing, migrating, and foraging. Two common themes permeate the book. One theme highlights the phenomenal increase in scientific knowledge achieved through technological advancements. The other theme recognizes the impacts of human-made activities on ocean acoustic environments and the resultant influences on the health and survival of individual whales and their populations. Although the book is intentionally ambitious in its scope, as scientists, we fully recognize that baleen whale science is still in its infancy. Many profound revelations await discovery by cohorts of young, multi-talented explorers, some of whom are stretching their wings in this volume and some of whom are reading these scientific stories for the first time.

Download or read book Killer Whales written by Michael A. Bigg and published by Phanton Press & Publishers. This book was released on 1987 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Fish in the Forest written by Dale Stokes and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2014-06-12 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the complex web of interactions between the salmon of the Pacific Northwest and the surrounding ecosystem, including its relationship with streambeds, treetops, sea urchins, bears, orcas, rain forests, kelp forests and so much more, in a book with 70 full-color photos.

Download or read book Northwest Training Range Complex written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Marine Mammals Ashore written by Joseph R. Geraci and published by National Aquarium in Baltimore. This book was released on 2005 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive manual for understanding and carrying out marine mammal rescue activities for stranded seals, manatees, dolphins, whales, or sea otters.

Download or read book Cetacean Societies written by Janet Mann and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2000-06 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Part review, part testament to extraordinary dedication, and part call to get involved, Cetacean Societies highlights the achievements of behavioral ecologists inspired by the challenges of cetaceans and committed to the exploration of a new world."—from the preface by Richard Wrangham Long-lived, slow to reproduce, and often hidden beneath the water's surface, whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have remained elusive subjects for scientific study even though they have fascinated humans for centuries. Until recently, much of what we knew about cetaceans came from commercial sources such as whalers and trainers for dolphin acts. Innovative research methods and persistent efforts, however, have begun to penetrate the depths to reveal tantalizing glimpses of the lives of these mammals in their natural habitats. Cetacean Societies presents the first comprehensive synthesis and review of these new studies. Groups of chapters focus on the history of cetacean behavioral research and methodology; state-of-the-art reviews of information on four of the most-studied species: bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales, and humpback whales; and summaries of major topics, including group living, male and female reproductive strategies, communication, and conservation drawn from comparative research on a wide range of species. Written by some of the world's leading cetacean scientists, this landmark volume will benefit not just students of cetology but also researchers in other areas of behavioral and conservation ecology as well as anyone with a serious interest in the world of whales and dolphins. Contributors are Robin Baird, Phillip Clapham, Jenny Christal, Richard Connor, Janet Mann, Andrew Read, Randall Reeves, Amy Samuels, Peter Tyack, Linda Weilgart, Hal Whitehead, Randall S. Wells, and Richard Wrangham.

Download or read book Before After Control Impact BACI Studies in the Ocean written by Edward Urban and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-01-05 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Marine Mammal Welfare written by Andy Butterworth and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-19 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marine mammals attract human interest – sometimes this interest is benign or positive – whale watching, conservation programmes for whales, seals, otters, and efforts to clear beaches of marine debris are seen as proactive steps to support these animals. However, there are many forces operating to affect adversely the lives of whales, seals, manatees, otters and polar bears – and this book explores how the welfare of marine mammals has been affected and how they have adapted, moved, responded and sometimes suffered as a result of the changing marine and human world around them. Marine mammal welfare addresses the welfare effects of marine debris, of human traffic in the oceans, of noise, of hunting, of whale watching and tourism, and of some of the less obvious impacts on marine mammals – on their social structures, on their behaviours and migration, and also of the effects on captivity for animals kept in zoos and aquaria. There is much to think and talk about – how marine mammals respond in a world dramatically influenced by man, how are their social structures affected and how is their welfare impacted?

Download or read book Animal Social Complexity written by Frans B. M. De Waal and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over 25 years, primatologists have speculated that intelligence, at least in monkeys and apes, evolved as an adaptation to the complicated social milieu of hard-won friendships and bitterly contested rivalries. Yet the Balkanization of animal research has prevented us from studying the same problem in other large-brained, long-lived animals, such as hyenas and elephants, bats and sperm whales. Social complexity turns out to be widespread indeed. For example, in many animal societies one individual's innovation, such as tool use or a hunting technique, may spread within the group, thus creating a distinct culture. As this collection of studies on a wide range of species shows, animals develop a great variety of traditions, which in turn affect fitness and survival. The editors argue that future research into complex animal societies and intelligence will change the perception of animals as gene machines, programmed to act in particular ways and perhaps elevate them to a status much closer to our own. At a time when humans are perceived more biologically than ever before, and animals as more cultural, are we about to witness the dawn of a truly unified social science, one with a distinctly cross-specific perspective?

Download or read book Anatomy of Dolphins written by Bruno Cozzi and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2016-09-21 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Anatomy of Dolphins: Insights into Body Structure and Function is a precise, detailed, fully illustrated, descriptive, and functionally oriented text on the anatomy and morphology of dolphins. It focuses on a number of delphinid species, with keynotes on important dolphin-like genera, such as the harbor porpoise. It also serves as a useful complement for expanding trends and emphases in molecular biology and genetics. The authors share their life-long expertise on marine mammals in various disciplines. Written as a team rather than being prepared as a collection of separate contributions, the result is a uniform and comprehensive style, giving each of the different topics appropriate space. Many color figures, which use the authors' access to wide collections of unique dolphin and whale material, round out this exceptional offering to the field. - Includes high-quality illustrations, drawings, halftone artwork, photographic documentations, microphotos, and tables detailing dolphin anatomy, function, and morphology - Facilitates education and training of students of all basic research and applied sciences dedicated to marine biology and the medical care of marine mammals - Brings together the current knowledge and information on this topic, including those in obscure past or non-English publications, or scattered in short chapters in volumes - Covers a number of delphinid species and serves as a useful complement for expanding trends in molecular biology and genetics