The ultimate guide to understanding the biology and behavior of the amazing and underappreciated American alligator.
Few scenes put the senses on edge more than a submerged alligator, only eyes and snout showing, when peering across a southern lake on a misty morning. An iconic American predator, these reptiles grow to thirteen feet or more and can live as long as humans. Alligators are complex creatures, capable of terrific attacks and yet tending to their young in the same gentle way a mother duck looks after her brood. Once extremely numerous, alligators came close to extinction in the twentieth century, but thanks to conservation efforts have since made a comeback, reclaiming their rightful place as the monarchs of the southern wetlands.
In this fascinating account, richly illustrated with more than 150 photographs from award-winning wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch, expert zoologist Kent A. Vliet introduces readers to the biology, ecology, and natural history of the American alligator. Sharing nuanced depictions of their hidden lives that will forever change the way you think of these giant reptiles, the book
* combines captivating storytelling with the most current scientific facts
* chronicles the life cycle of the alligator
* explains why the alligator's precise anatomy and physiology make it so successful
* covers a wide range of topics, from courtship and reproduction to communication, basking, nest-building, and hunting
* reveals the alligator's sophisticated social life in detail
* evaluates the alligator's environmental role as a keystone species
* examines the complicated relationship between alligators and people
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Produkt-Hinweis
Fadenheftung
Gewebe-Einband
Illustrationen
1 s/w Abbildung, 2 s/w Abbildungen, 1 Karte, 3 farbige Abbildungen, 141 farbige Abbildungen
1 Illustrations, black and white; 2 Illustrations, black and white; 1 Maps; 3 Illustrations, color; 141 Illustrations, color
Maße
Höhe: 254 mm
Breite: 207 mm
Dicke: 26 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-4214-3337-0 (9781421433370)
DOI
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Zoologist Kent A. Vliet is the coordinator of laboratories for the Department of Biology at the University of Florida, a scientific advisor for the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, and the chair of the Crocodilian Advisory Group for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Renowned wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior and Polar Bears: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior.
Autor*in
Coordinator of LaboratoriesUniversity of Florida
Fotografien
1 A Dragon among Us
2 First Encounters
3 Alligator Adaptations
4 Where They Live
5 Sun Bathers
6 An Alligator's Appetite
7 Meet the Relatives
8 Love Is in the Water
9 Small Beginnings
10 Long Odds for a Long Life
11 Alligator Societies
12 Living with Alligators
13 From Slaughter to Salvation
14 Alligators at Sunset
Acknowledgments
Appendix A. Where to See Wild Alligators
Appendix B. Scientific Names of Non-crocodilian Species Mentioned in the Text
Index
