front cover of Bats of the Rocky Mountain West
Bats of the Rocky Mountain West
Natural History, Ecology, and Conservation
Rick A. Adams
University Press of Colorado, 2025
In this fascinating biology of and guidebook to the bat species inhabiting the Rocky Mountain West, author Rick A. Adams exposes the true nature of bats and the roles these fascinating animals play in the natural history and ecology of the region.
 
In the twenty years since the original publication of Bats of the Rocky Mountain West, chiropterology (bat science) has exploded, significantly altering our understanding of the ecology, behavior, distribution, and conservation of one of the world's most enigmatic mammals. This notably updated second edition further brings to life the wonderful world of bats with beautiful illustrations and photography that grip the imagination and reveal the magnificent natural history of the only true flying mammal. In addition, thirty-two accounts of regional species with photographs, range maps, and echolocation sonograms report informative and thoroughly revised findings on bats now living in the Rocky Mountain West. Leave any preconceived notions behind and learn the real-life biology of bats, which eclipses the fabled tales of the crypt and macabre.
 
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front cover of Bats of the Rocky Mountain West
Bats of the Rocky Mountain West
Natural History, Ecology, and Conservation
Rick A. Adams
University Press of Colorado, 2003
Since antiquity, bats have been misunderstood and shrouded in mystery. Given misnomers such as fledermaus ("flying mouse") and murciegalo ("blind mouse"), these nocturnal flying mammals were even classified as primates by the great Carl Linnaeus, based on his knowledge of the anatomy of large Old World fruit bats. In this beautifully illustrated volume, bat specialist Rick A. Adams delves into bats' true nature and the roles these fascinating ledurblaka ("leather flutterers") play in the natural history and ecology of the Rocky Mountain West.

Bats of the Rocky Mountain West begins with a general discussion of bat biology and evolution as well as regional physiography and zoogeography. In addition, Adams describes - based on the results of extensive research - the behavior and ecology of the 31 species of bats found in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Naturalists and biologists alike will benefit from the detailed species descriptions, color photographs and illustrations, distribution maps, and echolocation sonograms. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West is a unique and valuable reference for professional bat biologists, naturalists, and wildlife enthusiasts interested in the conservation and ecology of bats in the region.

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front cover of Into the Night
Into the Night
Rick Adams
University Press of Colorado, 2013
This entertaining collection of essays from professional scientists and naturalists provides an enlightening look at the lives of field biologists with a passion for the hidden world of nocturnal wildlife. Into the Night explores the harrowing, fascinating, amusing, and largely unheard personal experiences of scientists willing to forsake the safety of daylight to document the natural history of these uniquely adapted animals.

Contributors tell of confronting North American bears, cougars, and rattlesnakes; suffering red ctenid spider bites in the tropical rain forest; swimming through layers of feeding-frenzied hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos; evading the wrath of African bull elephants in South Africa; and delighting in the curious and gentle nature of foxes and unconditional acceptance by a family of owls. They describe “fire in the sky” across a treeless tundra, a sea ablaze with bioluminescent algae, nighttime earthquakes on the Pacific Rim, and hurricanes and erupting volcanoes on a Caribbean island.

Into the Night reveals rare and unexpected insights into nocturnal field research, illuminating experiences, discoveries, and challenges faced by intrepid biologists studying nature’s nightly marvels across the globe. This volume will be of interest to scientists and general readers alike.

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