David W. Macdonald

The musteloids are the most diverse super-family among carnivores, ranging from little known, exotic, and highly-endangered species to the popular and familiar, and include a large number of introduced invasives. They feature terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, and aquatic members, ranging from tenacious predators to frugivorous omnivores, span weights from a 100g weasel to 30kg giant otters, and express a range of social behaviours from the highly gregarious to the fiercely solitary. Musteloids are the subjects of extensive cutting-edge research from phylogenetics to the evolution of sociality and through to the practical implications of disease epidemiology, introduced species management, and climate change. Their diversity and extensive biogeography inform a wide spectrum of ecological theory and conservation practice. The editors of this book have used their combined 90 years of experience working on the behaviour and ecology of wild musteloids to draw together a unique network of the world's most successful and knowledgeable experts. The book begins with nine review chapters covering hot topics in musteloid biology including evolution, disease, social communication, and management. These are followed by twenty extensive case studies providing a range of comprehensive geographic and taxonomic coverage. The final chapter synthesises what has been discussed in the book, and reflects on the different and diverse conservation needs of musteloids and the wealth of conservation lessons they offer. Biology and Conservation of Musteloids provides a conceptual framework for future research and applied conservation management that is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in musteloid and carnivore ecology and conservation biology. It will also be of relevance and use to conservationists and wildlife managers.

Studie in Engeland naar de sociale relaties binnen een groep boerderijkatten

This work on the dog family deals with the many aspects of the biology and conservation of wolves, dogs, jackals and foxes. It covers many topics relevant to modern conservation science, and features detailed case studies of many canid species across theglobe.

xli, 936 p. : 26 cm

"The editors utilize their fifty years of combined professional experience in the behaviour and ecology of wild felids to draw together a unique network of the world's most respected and knowledgeable experts on cats large and small. For the first time, this interdisciplinary field of research is brought together within a single volume, in a compendious exploration of wild cats that are as intriguing as they are beautiful and charismatic." "Beginning with a complete account of all thirty-six felid species, there follow eight comprehensive review chapters that span all the topics most relevant to felid conservation and biology, including evolution and systematics, felid form and function, genetic applications, behavioural ecology, management of conflict with people and control of international trade in felid species, conservation tools/techniques, ex situ management, and felid diseases. Nineteen detailed case studies then delve deeply into the very best species investigations worldwide, written by leading figures in the field. These chapters portray the unique attributes of the wild felids, describe their fascinating (and conflicting) relationship with humans, and create an unparalleled platform for future research and conservation measures. A final chapter analyses the requirements of, and interdisciplinary approaches to, practical conservation with cutting-edge examples of conservation science and action with implications that go far beyond the cat family." "The wild felids provide examples that will thrill the evolutionary biologist and theoretician, enthral the natural historian, and challenge the conservation biologist and wildlife manager. Anybody interested in evolutionary and behavioural biology, in mammals, in the environment, or in conservation will find much that is new and enriching in this book. It is also an unrivalled source of information for anyone with a serious interest in cats."--Jacket.

The badgers of Wytham Woods (Oxford, UK) have been studied continuously and intensively by David Macdonald for almost 50 years (25 of them with his former student and co-author Chris Newman), generating a wealth of data pertaining to every facet of their ecology and evolution. Through a mix of accessible, highly readable prose and cutting-edge science, the authors weave a riveting scientific story of the lives of these intriguing creatures, highlighting the insights offered to science more broadly through badgers as a model system. They provide a paradigm - from population down to molecule - for a deeper understanding of mammalian behaviour, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, and conservation. The real value of this long-term study is particularly apparent with current and globally relevant challenges such as climate change, disease epidemics, and senescence. This unique dataset enables us to examine these issues in a context that only a half-century experiment can reveal. The Badgers of Wytham Woods will appeal to a broad audience of professional academics (especially carnivore and mammalian biologists), researchers and students at all levels, governmental and non-governmental wildlife bodies, and to the natural historian fascinated by wild animals and the remarkable processes of nature they exemplify.