All bodily activity is the result of the interplay of vastly complex physiological processes, and all of these processes depend on temperature. For insects, the struggle to keep body temperature within a suitable range for activity and competition is often a matter of life and death.
A few studies of temperature regulation in butterflies can be found dating back to the late 1800s, but only recently have scientists begun to study the phenomenon in other insects. In The Thermal Warriors Bernd Heinrich explains how, when, and in general what insects regulate their body...
All bodily activity is the result of the interplay of vastly complex physiological processes, and all of these processes depend on temperature. Fo...
"One of the most interesting discoveries I've seen in animal sociobiology in years." --E.O. Wilson Why do ravens, generally understood to be solitary creatures, share food between each other during winter? On the surface, there didn't appear to be any biological or evolutionary imperative behind the raven's willingness to share. The more Bernd Heinrich observed their habits, the more odd the bird's behavior became. What started as mere curiosity turned into an impassioned research project, and Ravens In Winter, the first research of its kind, explores the fascinating...
"One of the most interesting discoveries I've seen in animal sociobiology in years." --E.O. Wilson Why do ravens, generally understo...
"A noted naturalist explores the centrality of home in the lives of humans and other animals . . . A special treat for readers of natural history." -- Kirkus Reviews
Every year, many species make the journey from one place to another, following the same paths and ending up in the same places. Every year since boyhood, the acclaimed scientist and author Bernd Heinrich has done the same, returning to a beloved patch of western Maine woods. Which led him to wonder: what is the biology in humans of this primal pull toward a particular place, and how is it related to...
"A noted naturalist explores the centrality of home in the lives of humans and other animals . . . A special treat for readers of natural history."...
How long should a leaf live? When should blueberries ripen? And what should a clever moose eat? Questions like these may seem simple or downright strange--yet they form the backbone of natural history, a discipline that fostered some of our most important scientific theories, from natural selection to glaciation. Through careful, patient observations of the organisms that live in an area, their distributions, and how they interact with other species, we gain a more complete picture of the world around us, and our place in it. In What Should a Clever Moose Eat?, John Pastor...
How long should a leaf live? When should blueberries ripen? And what should a clever moose eat? Questions like these may seem simple or downrig...
