Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of DiversityUniversity of California Press, 2003 - 333 עמודים From tiny to gigantic, from drab to remarkably beautiful, from harmless to venomous, lizards are spectacular products of natural selection. This book, lavishly illustrated with color photographs, is the first comprehensive reference on lizards around the world. Accessible, scientifically up-to-date, and written with contagious enthusiasm for the subject, Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity covers species evolution, diversity, ecology, and biology. Eric R. Pianka and Laurie J. Vitt have studied and photographed members of almost all lizard families worldwide, and they bring to the book a deep knowledge based on extensive firsthand experience with the animals in their natural habitats. Part One explores lizard lifestyles, answering such questions as why lizards are active when they are, why they behave as they do, how they avoid predators, why they eat what they eat, and how they reproduce and socialize. In Part Two the authors take us on a fascinating tour of the world's manifold lizard species, beginning with iguanians, an evolutionary group that includes some of the most bizarre lizards, the true chameleons of Africa and Madagascar. We also meet the glass lizard, able to break its tail into many highly motile pieces to distract a predator from its body; lizards that can run across water; and limbless lizards, such as snakes. Part Three gives an unprecedented global view of evolutionary trends that have shaped present-day lizard communities and considers the impact of humans on their future. A definitive resource containing many entertaining anecdotes, this magnificent book opens a new window to the natural world and the evolution of life on earth. |
תוכן
VI | 11 |
VII | 19 |
VIII | 41 |
IX | 63 |
X | 85 |
XII | 107 |
XIII | 123 |
XV | 141 |
XIX | 227 |
XX | 239 |
XXI | 255 |
XXII | 257 |
XXIV | 281 |
XXV | 299 |
XXVI | 303 |
XXVII | 307 |
מהדורות אחרות - הצג הכל
מונחים וביטויים נפוצים
active adult agamids Amazonian Ameiva amphisbaenians ancestor anguids anoles Anolis ants arboreal ards areas Australian autarchoglossans autotomy body temperatures broad-headed skinks burrows chameleons chemical clade clutch Cnemidophorus color Cordylidae cordylids crevices crypsis desert lizards dewlap diet diurnal ecology eggs environment Eric Pianka escape Eumeces evolution evolutionary feed females fossorial geckos gekkonids gekkotans genera genus Gymnophthalmidae gymnophthalmids habitats head horned lizards iguana iguanians insects interactions islands juveniles Kentropyx Komodo lacertids larger Laurie Vitt limbs live LIZARD DIVERSITY LIZARD LIFESTYLES lizard species Mabuya males mating microhabitats monitor lizards morphology move nest nocturnal occur offspring Phrynosoma Pianka Platysaurus Plica plica populations predators prey pygopodids rain forest relatively reproductive reptiles rock sand scales Sceloporus scleroglossans season sexual sexual dimorphism sit-and-wait skinks snakes social behavior squamates surface tail teiids termites terrestrial territorial thorny devils tion tongue tree tropical varanids Varanus viviparous whereas World Zool