Animal Life At Low Temperature

Download or read book Animal Life at Low Temperature written by John Davenport and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To humans, cold has a distinctly positive quality. 'Frostbite', 'a nip in the air', 'biting cold', all express the concept of cold as an entity which attacks the body, numbing and damaging it in the process. Probably the richness of descriptive English in this area stems from the early experiences of a group of essentially tropical apes, making their living on a cold and windswept island group half way between the Equator and the Arctic. During a scientific education we soon learn that there is no such thing as cold, only an absence of heat. Cold does not invade us; heat simply deserts. Later still we come to appreciate that temperature is a reflection of kinetic energy, and that the quantity of kinetic energy in a system is determined by the speed of molecular movement. Despite this realization, it is difficult to abandon the sensible prejudices of palaeolithic Homo sapiens shivering in his huts and caves. For example; appreciating that a polar bear is probably as comfortable when swimming from ice floe to ice floe as we are when swimming in the summer Mediterranean is not easy; understanding the thermal sensa tions of a 'cold-blooded' earthworm virtually impossible. We must always be wary of an anthropocentric attitude when considering the effects of cold on other species.

Download or read book Environmental Physiology of Animals written by Pat Willmer and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-03-12 with total page 768 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new and updated edition of this accessible text provides a comprehensive overview of the comparative physiology of animals within an environmental context. Includes two brand new chapters on Nerves and Muscles and the Endocrine System. Discusses both comparative systems physiology and environmental physiology. Analyses and integrates problems and adaptations for each kind of environment: marine, seashore and estuary, freshwater, terrestrial and parasitic. Examines mechanisms and responses beyond physiology. Applies an evolutionary perspective to the analysis of environmental adaptation. Provides modern molecular biology insights into the mechanistic basis of adaptation, and takes the level of analysis beyond the cell to the membrane, enzyme and gene. Incorporates more varied material from a wide range of animal types, with less of a focus purely on terrestrial reptiles, birds and mammals and rather more about the spectacularly successful strategies of invertebrates. A companion site for this book with artwork for downloading is available at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/willmer/

Download or read book The Natural Conditions of Existence as They Affect Animal Life written by Carl Semper and published by . This book was released on 1881 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Natural Conditions of Existence as They Affect Animal Life written by Carl Semper and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2024-02-29 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Download or read book Animal Life as Affected by the Natural Conditions of Existence written by Carl Semper and published by . This book was released on 1881 with total page 692 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Animal Life written by DK Publishing and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-01-17 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you think that watching all the nature programs on television qualifies you as an expert on the subject, think again! Do you really know what makes animals tick? Here are the answers, portrayed in stunning, awe-inspiring action sequences and explained in fascinating, in-depth prose. Thematically arranged by behavior trait, Animal Life explores and explains every aspect of animal behavior, including courtship rituals and sex lives, family relationships and defense mechanisms, hunting techniques and feeding habits. Side panels explore some of the field research on animal behavior and explain important conservation issues. The introductory chapters on the Animal Kingdom and on animal anatomy help explain how different animals have evolved and adapted to their environments, adaptations that may be relevant to particular behaviors. Destined to be the ultimate authority on animal behavior, this book also looks at key behavioral concepts such as how animals learn to behave and the role of instinct in the learning process.

Download or read book Juggling with animal life written by Henry Smith Williams and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: