Chemical Ecology of Vertebrates

Chemical Ecology of Vertebrates is the first book to focus exclusively on the chemically-mediated interactions between vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and other animals and plants. Reviewing the latest research in three core areas - pheromones (where the interactions are between members of the same species), and interspecific interactions involving allomones (where the sender benefits) and kairomones (where the receiver benefits), it pulls together information from widely scattered technical literature in many different disciplines into a coherent whole. Chapters on the environment, properties of odor signals and production and release of chemosignals set the stage for discussion of more complex behavioral topics. While the main focus is ecological, dealing with behavior and interactions in the field, it also covers chemoreception, and with orientation and navigation, the development of behavior and the practical applications of chemosignals.