Marmots: Social Behaviour and Ecology

About this book

A synthesis of the current knowledge about marmot social behaviour and ecology, based mostly on the author's twenty years of study of these mammals. He shows how, through evolution and natural selection, the various species have developed differing behavioural patterns according to their environments.

Contents

Foreword; Preface; Part I. Basic Biology: 1. Taxonomy, physical characteristics, habitats, and distribution; 2. Seasonal patterns and hibernation; 3. Daily activity cycles; 4. Maintenance: foraging, predation, and burrows; Part II. Social Behaviour: 5. Social structure; 6. Descriptive anatomy of social behaviour; 7. Behavioural ontogeny and individual differences; 8. Male/male competition; 9. Female/female competition; 10. Kin selection; Part III. Population Biology: 11. Mortality and survivorship; 12. Reproductive effort; 13. Dispersal; Part IV. Basic Patterns and Correlations: 14. The sociobiology of marmots: towards a general theory; Index.

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