Books in The Fascinating World Of... Series series

Dogs have become an integral part of the lives of millions of people around the world - as working animals or simply as domestic pets - but their wild relatives are being pushed ever closer to extinction. The ancestor of the domestic dog, the grey wolf, has been eliminated from most of Europe and, in the USA, the red wolf's plight is such that it is currently the subject of an intensive captive-breeding and reintroduction program.This book examines all members of the Canidae, showing where the existing 34 species are distributed, and how they have been affected by human pressures. David Alderton describes fully the form, function, reproduction, lifestyles and distribution of the wild canids. The text is illustrated throughout by superb color photographs, specially taken for this book. There are also clear distribution maps for every species, and a full checklist of the Canidae.It is the ultimate irony that though we have accepted the domestic dog into our homes, we still generally perceive its ancestor as an evil killer. Such a lack of understanding is probably the greatest barrier to the effective conservation of wolves and other wild canids. Foxes, Wolves and Wild Dogs of the World breaks down these popular misconceptions and shows that positive action is needed to safeguard the future of wild canids.

This latest title in the "Of the World" series - the seventeenth - covers that fascinating group of animals whose evolution into their present forms and life-styles seems almost contradictory. While seals, sea lions and walruses are indeed mammals, their habitat is very much an aquatic one, their limbs now fully adapted for swimming rather than land locomotion.The various families of the order Pinnipedia - fur seals, sea lions, walruses and the phocid seals - are described and illustrated. Evolution, classification, distribution, life-cycles, zoology and their current status and future are all fully discussed. In addition, the complex question of their relationship with humans is examined. As with other marine-dwelling mammals, the issues are controversial. In examining topics such as conflicts between seals and fishing and culling and the fur trade, expert author Nigel Bonner adopts a professional and unemotional approach, based on first-hand knowledge and much experience.Their aquatic life and the remoteness of their habitats make the seals and their kin hard to study. Yet encounters with these species have produced in many people a particularly strong response, sometimes becoming sentimental. This book sensibly places them in context through a clear understanding of their natural history and their interactions with humans. The text is enhanced throughout by some 100 color photographs, detailed diagrams and maps.