Capybaras; a natural history of the world's largest rodent

SciTech Book News, Sept, 2009

Capybaras; a natural history of the world's largest rodent.

Lord, Rexford D.

Johns Hopkins U. Press

2009

159 pages

$50.00

Hardcover

QL737

Lord is a retired scientific consultant-ecologist for the UN's Pan American Health Organization, and a former instructor at Indiana U. of Pennsylvania and the U. of Pittsburgh, Bradford. He presents the first high-quality, extensive natural history to focus on the largest rodents in the world: South America's capybaras. The text incorporates extant literature and findings from Lord's own research on capybaras, including a ten-year population study of capybaras conducted at a Venezuelan ranch from July 1990 through June 2000. Coverage includes the taxonomy, distribution, natural history, ecology, behavior, form, and function of capybaras. Lord also discusses the importance of effective habitat management to ensure the continued survival of the species, and their current value and future potential as an ecotourism attraction. Illustrated throughout with b&w and color photographs, diagrams, charts, and tables.

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