Synopses & Reviews
Bats are the only true flying mammals and account for about a quarter of all mammal species. The Megochiroptera (flying foxes, fruit bats) are larger animals than the Microchiroptera which can be quite small, and the two groups have very different feeding habits. Zoologists are currently debating whether they are even closely related, thus creating a body of research as diverse as the bats themselves. This book covers many aspects of bat biology, including their evolutionary origins, roles in ecosystems, reproductive biology, foraging behaviour, hibernation, and genetics, all of which will interest both professional and amateur naturalists.
Table of Contents
Chiropteran monophyly/diphyly (two chapters)
Fruit bats as keystone species (three chapters)
Reproductive biology, physiology, and energetics (six chapters)
Ecology and ecophysiology of Microchiroptera (six chapters)
Microchiropteran behaviour and ecology (six chapters)
Genetic studies of north temperate vespertilionid bats (three chapters)
Index