Douglas W. Smith - Böcker

The interactions between apex predators and their prey are some of the most awesome and meaningful in nature - displays of strength, endurance, and a deep coevolutionary history. And there is perhaps no apex predator more impressive and important in its hunting - or more infamous, more misjudged - than the wolf. Because of wolves' habitat, speed, and general success at evading humans, researchers have faced great obstacles in studying their natural hunting behaviors. The first book to focus explicitly on wolf hunting of wild prey, Wolves on the Hunt seeks to remedy these gaps in our knowledge and understanding. Combining behavioral data, thousands of hours of original field observations, research in the literature, a wealth of illustrations, and - in the e-book edition and online - video segments, the authors create a compelling and complex picture of these hunters. The wolf is indeed an adept killer, able to take down prey much larger than itself. While adapted to hunt primarily hoofed animals, a wolf - or especially a pack of wolves - can kill individuals of just about any species.But even as wolves help drive the underlying rhythms of the ecosystems they inhabit, their evolutionary prowess comes at a cost: wolves spend one third of their time hunting - the most time-consuming of all wolf activities - and success at the hunt only comes through traveling long distances, persisting in the face of regular failure, detecting and taking advantage of deficiencies in the physical condition of individual prey, and through ceaseless trial and error, all while risking injury or death. By describing and analyzing the behaviors wolves use to hunt and kill various wild prey - including deer, moose, caribou, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goats, bison, muskoxen, arctic hares, beavers, and others - Wolves on the Hunt provides a revelatory portrait of one of nature's greatest hunters.

In 2020, it will have been twenty-five years since one of the greatest wildlife conservation and restoration achievements of the twentieth century took place: the reintroduction of wolves to the world's first national park, Yellowstone. Eradicated after the park was established, then absent for seventy years, these iconic carnivores returned to Yellowstone in 1995 when the US government reversed its century-old policy of extermination and--despite some political and cultural opposition--began the reintroduction of forty-one wild wolves from Canada and northwest Montana. In the intervening decades, scientists have studied their myriad behaviors, from predation to mating to wolf-pup play, building a one-of-a-kind field study that has both allowed us to witness how the arrival of top predators can change an entire ecosystem and provided a critical window into impacts on prey, pack composition, and much else. Here, for the first time in a single book, is the incredible story of the wolves' return to Yellowstone National Park as told by the very people responsible for their reintroduction, study, and management. Anchored in what we have learned from Yellowstone, highlighting the unique blend of research techniques that have given us this knowledge, and addressing the major issues that wolves still face today, this book is as wide-ranging and awe-inspiring as the Yellowstone restoration effort itself. We learn about individual wolves, population dynamics, wolf-prey relationships, genetics, disease, management and policy, newly studied behaviors and interactions with other species, and the rippling ecosystem effects wolves have had on Yellowstone's wild and rare landscape. Perhaps most importantly of all, the book also offers solutions to ongoing controversies and debates. Featuring a foreword by Jane Goodall, beautiful images, a companion online documentary by celebrated filmmaker Bob Landis, and contributions from more than seventy wolf and wildlife conservation luminaries from Yellowstone and around the world, Yellowstone Wolves is a gripping, accessible celebration of the extraordinary Yellowstone Wolf Project--and of the park through which these majestic and important creatures once again roam.

A beautifully illustrated survey of Yellowstone’s breathtaking birdlife, written by a team of renowned ornithologists and wildlife biologistsEstablished in 1872, Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and arguably the most famous national park in North America, attracting millions of visitors each year. While many come to the park for its recreational activities, the wildlife of Yellowstone is just as alluring. This book brings together more than 30 leading experts to provide the first comprehensive survey of the natural history, science, and conservation of birds in Yellowstone. Covering most bird species breeding within the great park as well as the many migrants that pass through, Yellowstone’s Birds is a scientific tour de force and an essential resource for visitors to Yellowstone and bird lovers everywhere.Tallies more than 200 species, including migrantsDescribes the natural history, status, and latest science on the birds of YellowstoneFeatures fact-filled, easy-to-read chapters, informative sidebar essays, maps, infographics, and photos that present current science in an easily understood wayAccompanied by videos by award-winning cinematographer Bob LandisDraws on a wealth of data on Yellowstone’s birds collected over many decadesWith contributions by many of today’s leading bird experts, this is a long-overdue survey of Yellowstone’s breathtaking avian fauna

A stunningly illustrated exploration of the lives of wolves around the worldHunted to near extinction, wolves evoke a sense of our planet’s dwindling wildernesses. Rather than fear them, we should better understand the crucial role they play in ecosystems throughout the world. This engaging, fact-filled book shares insights into the family histories, relationships, and significant life challenges of wolves while linking them to broader questions about wildlife conservation and management. Written by a world-renowned expert in wolf behavior and reintroduction, Wolf: The Illustrated Biography offers a unique perspective on these charismatic animals, charting the life stories of wolves in all their diversity and complexity.Profiles wolves from North America, Europe, and Asia, describing their key characteristics, habitats, distinguishing features, common prey, and distinctive behaviorsDiscusses evolutionary history, biology, ecology, taxonomy, and past and current geographical distributionCovers key stages in the lives of wolves, from pregnancy and den building to birth and adolescence, play fights and learning to hunt, traveling with and leaving the pack, social hierarchy and bonds within packs, communication, territoriality, and moreEmphasizes the leadership role of alpha females in the everyday life of the packExplores the complex relationship between wolves and humans throughout historyConsiders the prospects for wolf populations in an age of accelerating environmental degradation