The definitive guide to all lagomorphs--pikas, rabbits, and hares.
Numbering 92 species worldwide, members of the order Lagomorpha are familiar to people throughout the world, and yet their remarkable diversity and ecological importance are often underappreciated. In this book, Andrew T. Smith and his colleagues bring together the world's lagomorph experts to produce the most comprehensive reference on the order ever published, featuring detailed species accounts, stunning color photos, and up-to-date range maps. Contributors highlight the key ecological roles that lagomorphs play and explain in depth how scientists around the globe are working to save vulnerable populations.
Thematic introductory chapters cover a broad spectrum of information about pikas, rabbits, and hares, from evolution and systematics to diseases and conservation. Each animal account begins with the complete scientific and common names for the species, followed by a detailed description of appearance and unique morphological characteristics, including a range of standard measurements of adult specimens. Subsequent sections discuss known paleontological data concerning the species, the current state of its taxonomy, and geographic variation. Each account also includes dedicated sectioins on habitat and diet, reproduction and development, ecology, behavior, and management.
The definitive work on lagomorphs, this book is an invaluable reference for naturalists, professional biologists, and students. It will also be beneficial for those conducting biodiversity surveys and conservation throughout the world.
About the Author: Andrew T. Smith is a President's Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and the chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Lagomorph Specialist Group. He is the coeditor of A Guide to the Mammals of China and Mammals of China. Charlotte H. Johnston is the manager of the Vertebrate Collections in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. Paulo C. Alves is an associate professor of biology in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Porto and the head of the Conservation Genetics and Wildlife Management research group at CIBIO (Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetics Resources). The cofounder and president of the World Lagomorph Society, he is the coeditor of Lagomorph Biology: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation. Klaus Hackländer is a professor of wildlife biology and game management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). The cofounder and secretary of the World Lagomorph Society, he is the coeditor of Lagomorph Biology.
