Creatures of Habit

The behaviour of mammals is as varied as the niches that they occupy. It is the interface between them and their environment, and between them and other animals -- from the violent struggle of a lion pride pulling down a buffalo, to the delicate precision of a mouse collecting seeds; from the stern glance with which a dominant male baboon displaces a subordinate from a shady resting spot, to the horn clashing battle of kudu bulls fighting for social rank and the access to females that it confers. Some behaviours are universal; others appear only in animals of certain species, only in one of the sexes, or only in animals of a certain age. Yet others are triggered by rare and special circumstances. The mysteries of mammal behaviour are manifold: Why do lions hunt in prides while other cats hunt alone? Why do suricate sentinels risk their lives to watch over their foraging relatives? This book offers answers to these questions and many more. Illustrated in text and photographs that reflect the author's and photographers many years of opportunity and experience.