African Predators

by Mills, Gus; Harvey, Martin

• ISBN13: 9781560980964
• ISBN10: 1560980966
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-17
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books

Summary

From the sleek cheetah and the majestic lion to the oft-maligned hyena and opportunistic jackal, large carnivores reign supreme in the African wild. InAfrican Predators, award-winning photographer Martin Harvey's dramatic images complement biologist Gus Mills's extensive field research to bring fourteen species of African carnivores to life. This group contains members of the families of cats (Felidae), hyenas (Hyaenidae), and dogs (Canidae), each with distinguishing as well as common characteristics. Mills describes the origins and evolution of these mighty predators, examines their social structures and hunting behaviors, discusses their competition with each other for shrinking territory and resources, and presents the conservation status and outlook for each. Harvey's engaging full-color photographs bring the everyday existence of these majestic animals vividly to life.

Author Biography

Gus Mills is a specialist scientist with the National Parks Board in South Africa. He has spent more than twenty years studying the ecology and behavior of large carnivores and has written a book on hyenas, a popular book on the Kalahari, and was the editor of The Complete Book of Southern African Mammals.

Martin Harvey worked for various National Parks before taking up a professional photographic career in 1993. He has photographed in over twenty-two countries and his photographs have been published in books and magazines throughout the world, including National Geographic and BBC Wildlife.

Table of Contents

Introduction
cats, hyaenas and dogs	10	(30)
Killing and Not Being Killed
an evolutionary contest	40	(46)
The Social Life of Hunters
passing on the genes	86	(42)
Competition Between Species
the struggle for supremacy	128	(14)
Conservation
the search for solutions	142	(16)
Map	158	(1)
Glossary	159	(1)
Index	160