Noted with Interest

Wildlife disease and health in conservation. Jessup, D.A., and R. W. Radcliffe, editors. 2023. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA. US$59.95 (hardcover). 468 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-4674-5.

Nearly 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are thought to be derived from wildlife, and many of these have the potential to become zoonotic. Wildlife Disease and Health in Conservation discusses the theory and practice of disease prevention and control with the intention of sharing practical experience and encouraging wildlife health practitioners to collaborate with other experts to conserve wildlife and their ecosystems. This well-illustrated book has 25 chapters divided into 5 sections in addition to a general introduction and a conclusion. Four sections cover wildlife diseases that occur in key taxonomic groups: marine and aquatic species, wild ungulates, carnivores, rodents and bats, and birds. A separate section covers diseases that readily cross between species. Wildlife disease research has become more prominent, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of concerns over zoonotic strains of avian influenza. The book includes contributions from a range of experts and is edited by 2 wildlife veterinarians. Each well-referenced chapter explores the origins and impacts of selected challenges, including noninfectious diseases currently threatening wildlife conservation. Several chapters examine disease control and prevention associated with well-established and classical diseases, such as rabies, tuberculosis, and brucellosis. Other chapters include case reports on more recent diseases, such as chytridiomycosis and white nose syndrome, in which the authors also discuss disease management challenges. The book covers a lot of ground, from the health of aquatic ecosystems, including vertebrate and invertebrate examples, to a wide variety of wildlife health threats in ungulates, from epizootic bighorn sheep pneumonia to African swine fever, and carnivore, rodent, bat, and avian diseases, including zoonotic risks to humans associated with rabies, coronaviruses, and avian influenza. In the introduction and conclusion, the editors provide insight into the social, legal, financial, political, and economic factors that may impede or influence conservation priorities. The book includes original hand drawn illustrations in black and white and color and a number of photographs. This detailed and technical book will be of interest to veterinarians, animal health policy makers, wildlife conservation experts, and university students interested in wildlife diseases.

The sounds of life: How digital technology is bringing us closer to the worlds of animals and plants. Bakker, K. 2022. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. 368 pp. US$33.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-20628-8.

Bioacoustic methods have become indispensable in the fields of ecology and conservation. As understanding of the acoustic communication across various taxa continues to grow, new and diverse opportunities emerge for utilizing acoustic information. In her exploration of the acoustic world, Karen Bakker delves into the realms of whales, elephants, turtles, bats, coral reefs, and bees. She describes pioneering bioacoustic studies of the plant kingdom, revealing controversial perspectives and heralding the emergence of a novel field. The chapters resonate with the challenges and triumphs encountered in studying different species, tracing the paths of scientific research leaders to uncharted frontiers unlocked by digital technology and artificial intelligence. Readers are led through an exploration of topics ranging from the impact of human activities on biodiversity to the promising avenues of bioacoustic detection and mitigation. The author also delves into captivating subjects such as the role of soundscapes in communication, the possibilities of human–animal–machine communication, and the significance of traditional knowledge held by Indigenous people. This book is recommended not only for researchers in bioacoustics, but also for students of animal behavior, ecology, nature conservation, and biology.

Sea mammals: The past and present lives of our oceans’ cornerstone species. Berta, A. 2023. Princetown University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. 224 pp. US$29.95 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-23664-3.

Readers might question the need for another book on cetaceans and other sea mammals, especially after publication of Mark Cardwardine's definitive Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises (Bloomsbury, 2020). However, Annalisa Berta has found a unique niche for her guide. As a specialist in the anatomy and evolutionary biology of marine mammals, she approaches from an unusual perspective, explaining how the physiology of her selected species contributes to their lifestyles. Most valuable are the sections on the evolution and discovery of sea mammals, mainly featuring extinct species. Who knew that there were once sloths that grazed on seagrasses in shallow coastal waters or that early whales and manatees had walking legs? An extinct baleen whale also had teeth, and it would be interesting to know whether it also had 2 blowholes like modern baleen whales or one like toothed whales. The author's focus on anatomical features offers insights into the lives of modern species too, although some of her science is opaque. How, for example, do mitochondria leaking into the skeletal muscle of sea otters increase their respiratory metabolism? It seems she has rarely watched sea mammals in the wild because her text lacks the excitement that infuses the writings of dedicated whale watchers. She does not seem aware that there are 2 species of dolphin in the Amazon River. The book would have benefitted from professional proofreading because the text is sometimes clumsy and ambiguous, but it is still a valuable read for sea mammal enthusiasts.

The man who organized nature: The life of Linnaeus. Broberg, D. 2023. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. x+484 pp. £30.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-21342-2.

All biologists know of Carl von Linné at least from his signature, the capital L trailing thousands of taxon names. How could one man possibly have accomplished this feat? This book tells his story from rural Sweden, where he was born and found an early interest in the nature surrounding him, through school and later at university. Linné was devoted to ordering all God's creations—animals, plants, minerals—into one coherent system. He went on this mission free from dogma. Humans to him obviously belonged with primates. At first, he tried to classify birds by the number of eggs they laid; he fared far better when he used the anatomy of their beaks as key. Of course, we might now feel superior, but if we were to meet and discuss with him classical Roman and Greek culture, most of us would stand defeated. I always wondered about deity names being lent to the names of butterfly species. After reading this book, I understand why. Political interests met Linné’s curiosity and drove him on an expedition to Lapland, an exotic and faraway land at the time. His reports on the local culture were as precise as his reports on nature. He idealized the Sami way of life and returned with a full Sami outfit, which he would wear on occasions. The book makes Linné stand out as a living person and goes into detail without losing pace. It is a fascinating read.

The lives of octopuses and their relatives. Staaf, D. 2023. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. 288 pp. US$35.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-691-24430-3.

This delightful book will open your eyes to the wide range of cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) living in our planet's oceans and the features that make them extraordinary. The author, who spent 6 years researching Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas), aimed to “peer at cephalopods through quite a different lens” from the existing cephalopod texts and has produced a “quirky and complementary work.” An introductory chapter hooks you in by highlighting fascinating behaviors that range from fish punching to city building. Cephalopod basics follow this: structure, evolution, camouflage, communication, life cycles, predators, and prey. My favorite fact is that a male cuttlefish displays a mating pattern to a female on one side while simultaneously showing a warning pattern to rival males on his other side. The remaining 7 chapters cover major marine habitats and offer profiles of cephalopods that live there, each with a distribution map and a full-page photo. The species are chosen for notable aspects of lifestyle or anatomical features. For example, the tiny pygmy squid, less than 3-cm long, glues itself to the underside of a seagrass leaf to ambush prey and avoid being eaten. Relevant impacts and research are weaved in. Amazingly, the global population of sperm whales eats an estimated 2 million giant squid every day. A few typos and diagram mislabeling escaped proofreaders, and the tiny main text will be hard work for some eyes but worth the effort. If you are not already fascinated by octopuses and their kin, you will be after reading this superb book.