This book offers a profound exploration of the acoustic world of animals. Organized into nine chapters by taxonomy—invertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, birds, and mammals (subterranean, terrestrial, and marine)—it delves into sound production, sound reception, sound function, and the impacts of noise on these creatures. As the second volume of Exploring Animal Behavior Through Sound, it builds upon the bioacoustic concepts and methodologies established in the first volume. By attuning ourselves to the sounds of nature, we can gain valuable insights into animal behavior, distribution, and demographics, as well as their habitat characteristics and needs, and the effects of noise on their behavior. This book will serve as a valuable resource for students and researchers in animal ecology seeking to incorporate acoustics into their research toolkit, as well as for environmental managers in industry and government.

This book invites its readers to dive into the depths of marine mammal bioacoustics. The ocean is a noisy place—naturally as well as anthropogenically. Our book explores the fundamentals of ocean acoustics, revealing the intricate sources of underwater noise that challenge marine life. Readers delve into the unique vocalizations of mysticetes, odontocetes, pinnipeds, otters, and sirenians, uncovering their diverse communication in stormy waters. The book presents research on marine mammal hearing and the impact of noise on their physiology and behavior, from the subtle behavioral responses to the broader biological significance of these effects. With insights into the management of anthropogenic noise, this book equips students, researchers, environmental managers, policy makers, conservationists, and enthusiasts alike with vital knowledge for protecting our ocean’s acoustic environments.

Southern Africa boasts wonderful invertebrate diversity and abundance. In this book, approximately 1,500 species of the region's moths – and most of their caterpillars – are illustrated with images of live specimens. A diagnosis based on visible characters is provided, also enabling the user to readily identify many closely related species not illustrated. Known host associations, habitat preferences, phenology and accurate distribution maps are provided for each species.

The pigment patterns on tropical shells are of great beauty and diversity. Their mixture of regularity and irregularity is fascinating. A particular pattern seems to follow particular rules but these rules allow variations. No two shells are identical. The motionless patterns appear to be static, and, indeed, they consist of calci?ed material. However, as will be shown in this book, the underlying mechanism that generates this beauty is eminently dynamic. It has much in common with other dynamic systems that generate patterns, such as a wind-sand system that forms large dunes, or rain and erosion that form complex rami?ed river systems. On other shells the underlying mechanism has much in common with waves such as those commonly observed in the spread of an epidemic. A mollusk can only enlarge its shell at the shell margin. In most cases, only at this margin are new elements of the pigmentation pattern added. Therefore, the shell pattern preserves the record of a process that took place over time in a narrow zone at the growing edge. A certain point on the shell represents a certain moment in its history. Like a time machine one can go into the past or the future just by turning the shell back and forth. Having this complete historical record opens the possibility of decoding the generic principles behind this beauty.

Natural darkness isn't merely a time of day. For countless extraordinary species, it's home.

The present volume of the book series Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology brings together current reviews from leading experts to address the diversity of placentation by which species establish and maintain pregnancy. Development of viviparity and placentation in rodents, dogs, pigs, cattle, horses, marsupials, primates and elephants are discussed.