"This is a book that has been needed for decades. It is the first compendium of recent research on a group of mammals that received almost no attention prior to the early 1970's and has not received enough since - the small carnivores. Although the larger members of the Carnivora were studied earlier than this date, notably the grey wolf, Lupus lupus, in Europe and the "Big Cats" in Africa, especially the lion, Panthera leo, and have been the objects of numerous studies since, the smaller members of the carnivore group were mostly ignored. Nearly all the scientists involved in the earlier carnivore studies were Europeans, with the notable exception of George Schaller from the USA with his benchmark study of the African lion in the late 1960s. In general, this book covers such a wide range of subdisciplines and techniques that it should be considered a solid baseline for further necessary research on this little-known group of highly interesting mammals. As our knowledge regarding how ecosystems function increases, the valuable role of small carnivores and the necessity for their conservation should be regarded as of paramount importance. The topics covered in this book should therefore be of great interest not only to academics and wildlife researchers, but also to the interested layman"-- Provided by publisher.