Hyena Nights Kalahari Days

In this fascinating account of scientific study among forbidding wilderness, a husband-and-wife team describe their trek to the Kalahari to study the little-known brown hyena. The details of the scientific inquiry are provided while the daily challenges of living with children 420 kilometers from the nearest town are described. Despite the hardships, the couple becomes so enchanted by these intelligent animals that they stay for 12 years, documenting many hyena clans and observing behavior only a handful of people have ever seen.

Searching for something more than her high-flying life as an information technology executive, Sharon Pincott traded her privileged first world existence to start a new life with the Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe: the country's flagship clan of over 450 wild elephants. This biography follows the passionate wildlife conservationist from her home in Australia to the new one she discovers in Africa and chronicles her daily life, from cherishing incredibly intimate encounters with these gentle giants to coping with accusations of being a spy. Written with engaging humor, warmth, and a deep, tangible love of Africa's wildlife, this captivating collection of bush tales offers a further glimpse into the wonders, and grim realities, of choosing a life less ordinary.

Our understanding of science, mathematics, and medicine today can be deeply enriched by studying the historical roots of these areas of inquiry in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean. The fields of ancient science and mathematics have in recent years witnessed remarkable growth. The present volume brings together contributions from more than thirty of the most important scholars working in these fields in the United States and Europe in honor of the eminent historian of ancient science and medicine Heinrich von Staden, Professor Emeritus of Classics and History of Science at the Institute of Advanced Study and William Lampson Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at Yale University. The papers range widely from Mesopotamia to Ancient Greece and Rome, from the first millennium B.C. to the early medieval period, and from mathematics to philosophy, mechanics to medicine, representing both a wide diversity of national traditions and the cutting edge of the international scholarly community.

This popular and authoritative field guide to the mammals of southern Africa has been fully revised and updated to include the latest research, while remaining accessible and compact for use in the field. Detailed accounts of over 220 land and nine marine mammal species are discussed in depth, with full species descriptions detailing physical characteristics, habitat, diet, life history, behaviour, field signs and conservation status. Beautiful, accurate illustrations depict each species, and there are up-to-date distribution maps, spoor patterns, symbols showing conservation status, time of activity, and whether the animal occurs only in the subregion. As an extra aid to identification, line drawings show the relative sizes of similar mammals, drawn to a common scale. Smithers’ numbers make for easy cross-referencing to the first and third editions of Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Written in non-technical language and with a fresh design, this field guide classic will appeal to general readers, wildlife enthusiasts and professional guides, as well as to students and specialists in the field.

Wild Ways brings together all the latest studies of the behaviour of southern Africa’s rich and accessible mammal fauna, describing not only what mammals do, but also the often surprising reasons why they do it, and covers species as diverse as fruit bats, pangolins, lions, rats and whales. Well-established as an invaluable resource for visitors to parks and reserves, hikers, hunters, farmers and outdoor enthusiasts, this classic guide has now been thoroughly updated and revised, has a fresh, lively design, and is packed with new and engrossing detail.

A look at the world of hyenas, especially brown hyenas.

Advances in the Study of Behavior was initiated over 40 years ago to serve the increasing number of scientists engaged in the study of animal behavior. That number is still expanding. This thematic volume makes another important "contribution to the development of the field" by bringing together material that aggregates studies conducted on the behavior of tropical animals. Advances in the Study of Behavior is now available online at ScienceDirect--full-text online from volume 30 onward.

"This is the story of the Owens' travel and life in the Kalahari Desert, [where] they met and studied unique animals and were confronted with danger from drought, fire, storms, and the animals they loved"--Amazon.com.