The biology of small mammals /
Joseph F. Merritt.
- Baltimore, Md. : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.
- xvi, 313 p. : ill., map, charts ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-295) and index.
Introduction. What is a small mammal? ; Advantages and disadvantages of being a small mammal ; The protagonists (Monotremes and marsupials ; Afrosoricida, Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Macroscelidea, Scandentia, and Dermoptera ; Chiroptera ; Primates ; Carnivora ; Rodentia ; Lagomorpha ; Hyracoidea) -- Modes of feeding. Insectivory (General characteristics ; Terrestrial insectivores ; Arboreal insectivores ; Semiaquatic and fossorial insectivores ; Subterranean insectivores ; Aerial insectivores) ; Herbivory (General characteristics ; Granivores ; Frugivores ; Nectarivores ; Gummivores ; Folivores ; Case study) ; Carnivory (General characteristics ; Flesh-eating carnivores ; Piscivores ; Sanguinivores) ; Omnivory (Omnivorous carnivores ; Mycophagy ; Case studies) -- Environmental adaptations. Endothermy ; Heterothermy (Torpor ; Hibernation) ; Coping with cold (Insulatory changes ; Countercurrent heat exchange : the miraculous net ; Reduced level of activity ; Reduction of body mass [Dehnel's phenomenon] ; Fat tails ; Social thermoregulation ; Increased heat production) ; Coping with heat and aridity (Conserving water ; Dietary water intake ; Evaporative cooling ; Pelage insulation ; Behavioral avoidance of heat) ; Ecogeographic rules (Modified size of appendages [Allen's rule] ; Seasonal color dimorphism [Gloger's rule] ; Body mass and latitude [Bergmann's rule] ; Case studies) -- Reproduction. Reproductive variations (Delayed fertilization ; Delayed implantation ; Delayed development ; Embryonc diapause} ; Mating systems and reproductive strategies (High fecundity ; Monogamy, housekeeping, and mate guarding ; Absentee maternal care ; Lek behavior ; Eusociality ; Semelparity : Breeding and sudden death) ; Population cycles : lemmings and snowshoe hares.
Small mammals include those mammals weighing under five kilograms (approximately eleven pounds). Merritt introduces the various species that fall under this heading, then follows with chapters that cover such topics as behavior, modes of feeding, locomotion, habitat use, reproduction, and coping with heat loss.