Environmental Physiology of Animals

by Pat Willmer, Ian A. Johnston, Graham Stone

This new text provides a fresh approach to the subject of animal physiology, truly integrating comparative and environmental aspects for the first time. The book is divided into three the first covers the basic principles of adaptation and problems of size and scale; the second tackles the key mechanisms in comparative physiology; and the third considers in detail how organisms (both vertebrate and invertebrate) cope with particular environments. Throughout this final section, relevant comparative aspects are given prominence in boxes so that interesting topics can be explored in greater depth.
Several textbooks deal with the physiological functioning and comparative adaptations of animals, but this one is

This is a core text for modern undergraduate courses in animal physiology, comparative physiology, environmental physiology and physiological ecology. It is also suitable for the physiological components of any animal biology course, and a key resource for degree courses in environmental biology.

644 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Rachel Welton · Rating 5 out of 5]

17 years ago I was sent an unsolicited inspection copy of the second edition. At the time I had just taken up a teaching post at a rough school, where kids threw chairs out of windows and stapled their tie to the desk if they were given access to the stapler. There was one A level Biology student, and he rarely turned up to his lessons. The content of Environmental Physiology was way above their paygrade, and I wasn't going to need to use the book. Needless to say I wrote a very cursory review and sent it off. Blackwell Publishing unsurprisingly took me off their reviewers list.
The book sat on my shelf for a couple of decades, patiently waiting for me to evolve. Now I am involved in a project where I need the information and what a goldmine it is.
The subject matter is comprehensive and detailed, yet easy to absorb. It is laid out in logical chunks, perfect for what I currently need. If I had an improvement to make it would be further annotations to the diagrams, which sometimes need help from the text to really grasp. The actual writing itself is relatively jargon free, which makes it so much easier to follow.
Altogether, an excellent resource.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive. I learned bits about camels that I used at a party.