Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes: The Science of Animal Personalities
Written by John A. Shivik
Narrated by Johnathan McClain
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
A wildlife expert explores what science tells us about animals as unique individuals and why animal personality matters for the human-animal bond and for adaptation in nature.
Why are some cats cuddly and others standoffish? Why are some dogs adventuresome, others homebodies? As any pet owner can attest, we feel that the animals we’ve formed bonds with are unique, as particular (and peculiar) as any human friend or loved one.
Recent years have brought an increased understanding of animal intelligence and emotion. But is there a scientific basis for animal personality and individuality, or is this notion purely sentimental? It turns out that science has been reluctant to even broach the subject of individuality until recently. But now, a fundamental shift in scientific understanding is underway, as mainstream scientists begin to accept the idea that animals of all kinds—from beloved beasts like apes and birds to decidedly less cuddly creatures like crabs and spiders—do indeed have individual personalities.
In Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes, veteran wildlife expert Dr. John A. Shivik brings us stories from the front lines of this exciting new discipline. Drawing on his scientific training, as well as his storytelling gifts, Shivik serves as an accessible, humorous guide to the emerging body of research on animal personalities. Shivik accompanies researchers who are discovering that each wolf, bear, and coyote has an inherent tendency to favor either its aggressive nature or to shyly avoid conflicts. Some bluebirds are lovers, others are fighters. And some spiders prefer to be loners, while others are sociable. Unique personalities can be discovered in every corner of the animal kingdom—even among microscopic organisms. The array of personality types among all species is only beginning to be described and understood.
As Shivik argues, animals’ unique personalities are important not only because they determine which animals we bond with. Individual animal traits are also fundamental but still inadequately understood drivers of evolution, adaptation, and species diversity. Ultimately, Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes offers insight into the similarities humans share with animals and presents evidence of an unbroken biological connection from the smallest organisms to Homo sapiens.
Related to Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes
Related audiobooks
How Dogs Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside Animal Hearts and Minds: Bears That Count, Goats That Surf & Other True Stories of Animal Intelligence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Kingdom of Play: What Ball-bouncing Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants Reveal about Life Itself Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Care About Animals: An Ancient Guide to Creatures Great and Small Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZoology Audio Course Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unnatural Companions: Rethinking Our Love of Pets in an Age of Wildlife Extinction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Power in the Wild: The Subtle and Not-So-Subtle Ways Animals Strive for Control over Others Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Altruistic Urge: Why We're Driven to Help Others Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For the Love of Dog: The Ultimate Relationship Guide—Observations, lessons, and wisdom to better understand our canine companions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrimates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Secret Worlds: The Extraordinary Senses of Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Buck that Buries its Poo: And 101 Other Fascinating Facts About SA's Wildlife Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Company of Crows and Ravens Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What Do Animals Think and Feel? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Taste for the Beautiful: The Evolution of Attraction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animals: Personal Tales of Encounters with Spirit Animals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving: How Dogs Have Captured Our Hearts for Thousands of Years Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behaviour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Performance All the Way Down: Genes, Development, and Sexual Difference Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFeline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Pets For You
From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dog Training For Dummies: 4th Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat - Not a Sour Puss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Learn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll Pets Go to Heaven: The Spiritual Lives of the Animals We Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Power of Positive Dog Training Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/530 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog: The Loved Dog Method Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Talk To The Animals Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Soul Comfort for Cat Lovers: Coping Wisdom for Heart and Soul After the Loss of a Beloved Feline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enslaved by Ducks: How One Man Went from Head of the Household to Bottom of the Pecking Order Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Trainable Cat: A Practical Guide to Making Life Happier for You and Your Cat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Signs From Pets in the Afterlife Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over-the-Top to Under Control Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Mousy Cats and Sheepish Coyotes
0 ratings0 reviews