Biology of Bats

Book excerpt: Biology of Bats, Volume I, examines most of the basic characteristics related to the anatomy, physiology, behavior, and ecology of the bat. It covers the animal's evolution, as well as karyology, bioeconomics, zoogeography, principles of classification, and procedures and issues involved in the care and management of bats as research subjects in the laboratory. Organized into 10 chapters, this volume begins with a historical overview of bat origins and evolution, karyotypic trends in bats, and the role of karyotypes in studying the biology of bats. It then discusses the bat skeletal and muscular systems; flight patterns and aerodynamics; prenatal and postnatal development; migration and homing; ecology and physiological ecology of bat hibernation; thermoregulation and metabolism; and the urinary system, including gross anatomy and embryology, histophysiology, and renal physiology. It also looks at morphological contrasts between the skulls and dentitions of different families and genera of bats. This book will benefit biologists, zoologists, teachers, and others concerned with the general biology of Chiroptera.