Whales, dolphins & porpoises
Subtitle: a natural history and species guide
By: edited by Annalisa Berta
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9780226183190
Subjects: Anatomy; Identification; Porpoises; Behavior; Whales; Dolphins
Description: The eighty-nine cetacean species that swim our seas and rivers are as diverse as they are intelligent and elusive, from the hundred-foot-long, two-hundred-ton blue whale to the lesser-known tucuxi, ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, and diminutive, critically endangered vaquita. The huge distances these highly migratory creatures cover and the depths they dive mean we catch only the merest glimpses of their lives as they break the surface of the water. But thanks to the marriage of science and technology, we are now beginning to understand their anatomy, complex social structures, extraordinary communication abilities, and behavioral patterns. In this beautifully illustrated guide, renowned marine mammalogist Annalisa Berta draws on the contributions of a pod of fellow whale biologists to present the most comprehensive, authoritative overview ever published of these remarkable aquatic mammals. --Publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (page 282) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: The biology; title: Identification tools & maps; title: The species directory; title: Appendices. Classification of cetaceans ; Glossary ; Resources ; Notes on contributors ; Index ; Acknowledgments.