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£ GBP
This book provides an authoritative source of information on kangaroos and their relatives. Topics include: species characteristics and biology, adaptations and function, and conservation. The book also discusses culling and the commercial kangaroo harvest, as well as national attitudes to kangaroos and their value for tourism.
There are 71 recognised species of kangaroo found in Australasia. Of these, 46 are endemic to Australia, 21 are endemic to the island of New Guinea, and four species are found in both regions. The various species have a number of common names, including bettong, kangaroo, pademelon, potoroo, quokka, rat kangaroo, rock wallaby, tree kangaroo, wallaby, and wallaroo.
Illustrated in full colour, Australia’s Amazing Kangaroos will give readers insight into the world of this intriguing marsupial – an animal that has pride of place on the Australian Coat of Arms.
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Species characteristics and biology
2. Adaptations and function
3. Conservation
4. Kangaroos and humans today
Appendix A: Additional guidelines on animal translocations in Australia
Appendix B: Recovery Plan statutory provisions and objectives
Appendix C: Licence application procedures for harvesting kangaroos from Queensland,New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Ken Richardson is a zoologist and veterinarian who has spent most of his academic career at Murdoch University. He has had over 30 years of field experience working on most major groups of vertebrates, including a 20-year ecological study of the honey possum in southern Western Australia. In his work, he has been particularly interested in the anatomical and physiological adaptability of vertebrates that allow them to successfully contend with environmental changes, such as global warming. He has published many scientific papers on the anatomy, physiology, anaesthesia and diseases of several species of kangaroos as well as a book on the biology of crocodiles. He is also an inaugural member of the Animals in the Wild Working Group of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.
