Toward the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, during a time known as the Late Cretaceous, a new type of giant predator appeared along the southern coasts of North America. It was a huge species of crocodylian called Deinosuchus. Neither a crocodile nor an alligator, it was an ancestor of both modern groups; it reached weights of many tons and it had some features unique to its own species. Average-sized individuals were bigger than the carnivorous dinosaurs with which they co-existed; the largest specimens were the size of a T-rex. King of the Crocodylians, the biography of these giant beasts, tells the long history of their discovery and reports on new research about their makeup. The book also deals with the ancient life and geology of the coastal areas where Deinosuchus thrived, its competitors, and its prey, which probably included carnivorous dinosaurs. There is also detailed discussion of the methods used to determine the size of these giant animals, the dating of the fossils, the nature of their living environments, and how we know who ate whom 80 million years ago.

Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians is a comprehensive review of current knowledge about the world's largest and most famous living reptiles. Gordon Grigg's authoritative and accessible text and David Kirshner's stunning interpretive artwork and colour photographs combine expertly in this contemporary celebration of crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials. This book showcases the skills and capabilities that allow crocodylians to live how and where they do. It covers the biology and ecology of the extant species, conservation issues, crocodylian–human interaction and the evolutionary history of the group, and includes a vast amount of new information; 25 per cent of 1100 cited publications have appeared since 2007. Richly illustrated with more than 500 colour photographs and black and white illustrations, this book will be a benchmark reference work for crocodylian biologists, herpetologists and vertebrate biologists for years to come.

Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians is a comprehensive review of current knowledge about the world's largest and most famous living reptiles. Gordon Grigg's authoritative and accessible text and David Kirshner's stunning interpretive artwork and colour photographs combine expertly in this contemporary celebration of crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials. This book showcases the skills and capabilities that allow crocodylians to live how and where they do. It covers the biology and ecology of the extant species, conservation issues, crocodylian–human interaction and the evolutionary history of the group, and includes a vast amount of new information; 25 per cent of 1100 cited publications have appeared since 2007. Richly illustrated with more than 500 colour photographs and black and white illustrations, this book will be a benchmark reference work for crocodylian biologists, herpetologists and vertebrate biologists for years to come.

Discusses prehistoric crocodiles, including the discovery of SuperCroc in the Sahara Desert, and the lifestyles, habitats, and conservation of modern crocodiles.

For over 250 million years, the "crocodile" in the sense of a form of life occupied the top of the food pyramid between water and land. However, this included many different species, most of which were not linearly descended from each other despite enormous similarity. Often, they were even only very distantly related in the huge family tree of reptiles. Now Steffen Pichler shows that this pronounced convergence must be grounded above all in a recurrent selective orientation towards one specific goal: namely, the broadest possible "ecological harmony". Based on years of observations of free saltwater crocodiles in northern Australia and the evaluation of palaeontological studies, he proves that this manifested seamlessly in every aspect of physique and behaviour. The heavy body can glide almost turbulence-free on mirror-smooth water surfaces. The all-day existence is so extremely unobtrusive and quiet that disturbances caused to other creatures are close to zero. The killing of prey is done in an utmost surprising way and mostly within seconds. In addition, there are many positive effects, such as those as "health police" through the automatic selection of diseased fish or even that of an indirect "protector" of the well-rehearsed ecosystem against disruptive intruders. The author explains that with real observation and a little "thinking around the corner", the ecological harmony of the crocodile becomes as obvious that there can be no stable counterarguments and that even the best engineer could not find any potential for an optimization. However, in the public alienated from nature, artificial factors like focused slow-motion films of the mostly tiny moments of killing prey form the dominant impression. This and some other distracting influences make not only the layman miss a chance to use the crocodile for very deep insights. Pichler shows how the reflection of the crocodile form reveals a whole structure of most fundamental natural laws, which were literally missed by the civilising sciences, although their exploration would have been of highest importance for mankind. And he takes the logical conclusion so far that it eventually even reaches beyond the boundaries of space and time.

Crocodilians are one of the most interesting, yet misunderstood predators on this planet. Much about what we know surrounding crocodilians is rooted in a history that is full of false information. Subjects such as enormous crocodilians, the history of alligators living in sewers, and their evolution are usually answered with faulty facts. In addition, there is still much we don’t understand about these animals, such as their taxonomy, biology, behavior, and more. Did you know crocodilians show signs of regeneration, what’s going on there? To find the truth in all the lies, exaggerations, or unknowns, one must either spend decades studying these animals or pay a hefty price buying complex literature. What We Get Wrong About Crocodilians fixes these problems. The book looks over myths, misconceptions, and mysteries surrounding these animals for an affordable price and is written for a more general audience to understand. The topics discussed range from the 5th century B.C.E. to present day. Some of the topics will be recognizable, some are generally unknown to many, and some may be shocking. Whether you are causally interested in these animals, or have spent decades studying them, What We Get Wrong About Crocodilians will present information rarely discussed and enlighten all.

Have you ever wondered what left behind those prints and tracks on the seashore, or what made those marks or dug those holes in the dunes? Life Traces of the Georgia Coast is an up-close look at these traces of life and the animals and plants that made them. It tells about how the tracemakers lived and how they interacted with their environments. This is a book about ichnology (the study of such traces) and a wonderful way to learn about the behavior of organisms, living and long extinct. Life Traces presents an overview of the traces left by modern animals and plants in this biologically rich region; shows how life traces relate to the environments, natural history, and behaviors of their tracemakers; and applies that knowledge toward a better understanding of the fossilized traces that ancient life left in the geologic record. Augmented by illustrations of traces made by both ancient and modern organisms, the book shows how ancient trace fossils directly relate to modern traces and tracemakers, among them, insects, grasses, crabs, shorebirds, alligators, and sea turtles. The result is an aesthetically appealing and scientifically grounded book that will serve as source both for scientists and for anyone interested in the natural history of the Georgia coast.